I liked this movie when it came out in 1984, and I recently saw it again, and I like it even more, if that's possible. Jeff Bridges' performance is absolutely Oscar-worthy. He truly seems to be an alien being inhabiting a human body. Karen Allen also gives a very nuanced performance, playing a woman who has to travel with an alien who looks exactly like her late husband. This movie has heart, and it's funny. Perhaps the best-remembered line is the alien's deduction about stop lights: "Green means go, red means stop, and yellow means drive very fast."

Whether you first saw it in 1984 or some 30 years later, you don't get quite what you expect from a film named "Starman" directed by horror and gritty sci-fi master John Carpenter. A love story wrapped up in alien visitor/on-the-run movie, "Starman" is quintessential '80s entertainment only it's so representative of its time that it struggles to stand out.The film images that in 1977, the Voyager 2 space probe transmitted a message inviting intelligent extra-terrestrial life to visit Earth. Years later a ship arrives with an alien but is shot down over Wisconsin, where it encounters the home of a young widow, Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen) and then takes the form of her late husband, Scott (Jeff Bridges). Once she gets over her fright, he tells her he must go to Arizona in three days time to go home or he'll die. She reluctantly hits the road with him and slowly over time they form a bond, all while trying to outrun the feds.Although Carpenter sprinkles in some impressive explosions, the entertainment value of "Starman" comes in the form of Bridges playing a "human" feeling his way through our world and the humor that results. Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon's script has fun imagining how someone unfamiliar with our planet and American culture might go about figuring it out. Bridges absolutely sells the bit, losing any of his recognizable mannerisms in his peculiar character and never easing up. Even as the film progresses, he never loses that quirky edge and doesn't revert to normal. That level of commitment proves essential to the film's sincere (if not sappy) moments.As '80s movies go, however, the blissfully unaware visitor bit is awfully similar to a comedy that preceded it by nine months: Ron Howard's "Splash," which sees a mermaid trying to understand life in the big city. When you consider that the rest of the movie is an adult-oriented take on "E.T." (the friendly visitor who just wants to go home), it's hard to give "Starman" the credit for any particular original creative ideas.It wouldn't be an issue if the script didn't lean a bit on what it presumes to be fresh and exciting ideas. The burden of winning audiences over therefore shifts to the core story, which has some nice moments, but half-bakes a lot of its most promising elements. Allen gives us the wide range of emotions we expect from her character, but so many more moments of tension, drama and raw emotion were possible from this excellent conceit of a young widow beholding the image of her dead husband who is actually a curious, bright-eyed alien. The potential is so apparent yet so squandered.The moments when we see or think about our world and culture differently because of Starman's curiosity rank among the film's brightest spots. The character is constantly surprising us and that keeps the film interesting where the chase dynamic goes flat. You might expect plenty of tension from Carpenter, but the strengths of his work on the film fall in the column of character moments. He's particularly patient, giving scenes and performances space to breathe, trying often to pique our curiosity and create some wonder. He's no Spielberg in this regard, but he recognizes that he's dealing with a love story, not so much a science-fiction film. It's the sci-fi element that merely creates some original perspective, a new lens to tell a story about love and more specifically, kindness.That universally understood value at the center of this film could be deemed reason number one why "Starman" is a great remake candidate. The film scratches the surface of some deeply human stuff, so if treated more like the romantic drama it is, it could really speak to people. Some will argue that Carpenter's version does that, but I see a film trying to ride the wave of the alien visitor films before it that luckily redeems itself on Bridges' performance.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

This romantic road trip film took me by surprise, and is celluloid proof that Carpenter could make a Sci-fi film that doesn't scare the poop out of kids. The plot involves an alien, played by Jeff Bridges, taking the form of Karen Allen's dead husband and asking her to drive him across state to his spaceship. Bridges is marvellous in his role as the curious and likable alien – a well- deserved Oscar nomination was given to him. In fact, he's the only actor in a John Carpenter movie to be nominated for an Oscar. Bridges takes the role as an occasion to give us some sweetly affecting characterisation and it showcases his charm and precision as an actor. Though on paper this looks like a very sill movie, it turns out to be of the most touching and funny love stories from the 80's. Carpenter purists may look down upon this film for its family- friendly appeal and PG rating but he showed real maturity in Starman by keeping an emphasising on close human emotions rather than shocks and special effects. As a lot of alien films do, Starman asks questions about our nature as human beings and our impact on planet Earth. It does so in a way, however, without getting preachy. It's moving, in fact, as is the romance. And this is coming from a guy who generally despises romantic films. Best Scene: Like most Carpenter films, Starman has a memorable ending. In this case, the film closes on Allen's face, full of wonder, as she looks up at the mothership taking Bridges home. It is accompanied by a poignant score which Carpenter, a rarity for him, wisely did not compose. Another thing I like about the ending is that it does not allow itself to get bogged down in politics – for all we know the government may have shot her a minute after the credits started rolling, or she may have become a drunk hobo 20 years down the line and jumped off of a bridge. But we don't need to know that.

An alien comes to Earth (Wisconsin, specifically) and takes the form of a widow's late husband. The "starman" enlists her help getting him to Arizona to rendezvous with an alien spacecraft. Along the way she begins to develop feelings for him. Meanwhile the government, aware that an alien has arrived on Earth, is anxious to find and capture it.One of director John Carpenter's most mainstream efforts but that doesn't mean it's a bad one. It's a movie that obviously owes a lot to E.T. The basic formula of the two films is very similar. Jeff Bridges is great in the lead role. He was nominated for an Oscar for this. The only time a Carpenter movie got an Oscar nod. Karen Allen is also quite good. She and Bridges have a nice chemistry together. The often underrated Charles Martin Smith is another plus. It's an enjoyable film but probably more so for your average moviegoer than critical sci-fi buffs. I like it a lot and don't feel like it gets enough love from other Carpenter fans. Maybe it's lacking many of those Carpenter touches we love but it's still a good movie. This later inspired a short-lived TV series but the less said about that, the better.