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Film Review: 'Firestarter' remake fails to ignite HEALTH

DOCTOR ON DUTY
By LINDSEY BAHR
For a movie about a girl Oranjestad
with pyrokinetic powers, " Hospital 7:00 pm / 10:00pm
Firestarter " is lacking a cer- Tel. 527 4000
tain spark. San Nicolas
This new adaptation of Ste- Imsan 24 hours
phen King's 1980 novel is Tel.524 8833
not scary or thrilling, nor is Women in Difficulties
it emotionally resonant or PHARMACY ON DUTY
particularly moving. No, this
outing is a dull slog, even Oranjestad:
with its cool, synthy John Eagle tel. 587 9011
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should've-been-inspired Women in Difficulties
decision to cast Zac Efron OTHER
as the father of the flame- Dental Clinic 587 9850
throwing preteen. Blood Bank Aruba 587 0002
But "Firestarter" might not Urgent Care 586 0448
have had much to live up Walk-In Doctor’s Clinic
to in the first place. The +297 588 0539
Women in Difficulties
1984 film, which starred EMERGENCY
Drew Barrymore and Da-
vid Keith as the daughter- This image released by Universal Pictures shows Zac Efron, left, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong in a Police 100
father pair, was not exactly scene from "Firestarter." Oranjestad 527 3140
well-received. Roger Eb- Associated Press Noord 527 3200
527 2900
Sta. Cruz
ert wrote that its "crucial San Nicolas 584 5000
flaw is the lack of a strong mom, Vicky, played by Syd- ben, who is given the worst to latch on to that might Police Tipline 11141
point to the story. A little girl ney Lemmon (who is Jack lines in the script), who make us care even the tini- Ambulancia 911
has her dangerous power, Lemmon's granddaugh- are interested in acquiring est bit about the plight of Fire Dept. 115
some government agents ter), thinks it'd be better to Charlie. So Hollister calls a this family, the poor souls Red Cross 582 2219
want to examine her, oth- teach the kid how to use former test subject, Rain- caught in the crossfire, or TAXI SERVICES
ers want to destroy her, the powers instead of ab- bird (Michael Greyeyes), even the bureaucrats who Taxi Tas 587 5900
and things catch on fire. staining completely, but to go find her. Armstrong fancy themselves the good Prof. Taxi 588 0035
That's about it." The original she's overruled and pretty has a great scream and guys.q Taxi D.T.S. 587 2300
source material isn't one of soon, it's just Andy (Efron) a nice presence, but she Taxi Serv. Aruba 583 3232
King's most beloved either. and Charlie on the run. isn't given much of a char- A1 Taxi Serv. 280 2828
Why anyone would want Andy and Vicky aren't just acter to latch on to. Based Women in Difficulties
to resurrect this particu- befuddled parents of a fire- on how pristine her inex- TRAVEL INFO
lar property is a bit of a starting 11-year-old, either: plicably barrel-curled hair Aruba Airport 524 2424
mystery, beyond the fact They have personal expe- looks for most of the film, American Airlines 582 2700
that some might have a rience too. A grainy reel though, it seems that those Avianca 588 0059
misplaced fondness for it at the start informs us that in charge might have been Jet Blue 588 2244
because they saw it at an they were subjected to more concerned with the Surinam 582 7896
impressionable age. One some secret government aesthetics than the perfor- Women in Difficulties
of the best things that can testing while in college and mance. AID FOUNDATIONS
be said about this iteration, came out with powers of The same could be said FAVI- Visually Impaired
written by Scott Teems and their own. And it's these of- for the rest of the movie, Tel. 582 5051
directed by Keith Thomas, ficials, led by Captain Hol- which feels like mummified
is that it neither adds nor lister (played by Gloria Reu- homage. There is nothing Alcoholics Anonymous
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subtracts anything from Narcotics Anonymous
"Firestarter's" lackluster his- Tel. 583 8989
tory (though it does jettison Fundacion Contra Violencia
the pedophile undertones Relacional Tel. 583 5400
of a crucial character). But Centre for Diabetes
on the whole, it just once Tel. 524 8888
again takes something that Child Abuse Prevention
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should be creepy and thrill-
ing and makes it dreary. Quota Club Tel. 525 2672
Women in Difficulties
Ryan Kiera Armstrong takes General Info
on the role of Charlie, who
is a bit of an introvert and a Phone Directory Tel. 118
social outcast in her school.
She's not allowed to have
a phone or the Internet,
and she's been told by
her father to simply repress
her scary fire-starting pow-
ers. But questions are rising
(hormones too) and there's
jerks and bullies around
too and the fire comes out
at inopportune times. The facebook.com/arubatoday/