Starman

Starman is a happy surprise... Messianic without being preachy, cute without being cloying.

"Starman" is to "E.T." what "Romancing the Stone" is to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" -- decidedly more adult, quite exciting, generously entertaining but lacking wonderment and magic.

"Starman" is a close encounter of the most curious kind that never sacrifices hardware for humanity, intelligence for action or character for caricature.

What makes "Starman" works so well is the relationship between Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen.

Despite spotty dialogue "Starman" sweeps audiences along in its good-humored current.

A lot of the film is funny, in fact, and virtually all of it is cute.

Starman may have its moments of simplemindedness and times when a good argument can be made against special effects, but it's a film with the warmth of a holiday hearth.

As derivative as the film is, at some primitive story level it works.

Starman is most striking as a beautifully photographed road movie, with a strong feeling for America's highways and its wayside gas stations and diners.

The performances are detailed and superbly conceived. The visual wonderment is gentle and poetic and very underplayed in the era of stunning spectacle.