There is a "whoa!" Moment an hour into this adaption of the Stephen King novel which is more than just a male version of "Carrie". Keith Gordon is a geeky high school kid in his senior year, misunderstood by his parents and brutally harassed by the school punks. When he comes across an old car, he expresses interest in buying it from the brother of the previous owner, and finds out that it has a bit of a history. The harassment of the kids continues, and the car takes revenge for him.

Like Amy Irving in "Carrie", Gordon has a cool kid on his side, and it's actually a best friend rather than someone who's just trying to do right. He's John Stockwell, a class jock who has been there to support him through the difficult times, and he even gets himself beat up in protecting Gordon. There's also the new pretty girl who likes him (Alexandra Paul),so it's not like Gordon doesn't have a chance of survival. But the bullies are brutal, so when Christine, the name of the car given by the late owner, takes it's revenge, it's brutal and violent.

This has a good supporting cast including Roberts Blossom (a veteran at playing spooky characters),Robert Prosky and Harry Dean Stanton, and while the film is not as graphic as "Carrie", that actually has a bigger impact because of the subtlety. Christine has the ability to rebuild itself, basically rising like the phoenix. That makes this a modern horror classic that takes an old theme and puts a unique twist on it.

John Carpenter turns his back on visceral horror. Instead he is inspired by films such as Grease, Animal House and television shows like Happy Days. Nostalgia, rock n roll and a demonic car.

From the early scenes we can sense Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) is a High School nerd. He has never had a girlfriend. The big surprise is that his best friend Dennis Guilder (John Stockwell) is still hanging around with him. Dennis attracts women and is the top football player at school.

Arnie gets bullied at school with Dennis coming to the rescue.

When Arnie spots an old clapped out red 1957 Plymouth, he just has to buy it despite Dennis insisting that the car is junk.

Arnie becomes obsessed to fix up the car. He gets to help out in a garage where he works on Christine night and day.

Next time Dennis sees Arnie. Christine is spruced up and Arnie has a hot date, whereas Dennis gets injured at the football field.

Arnie is a changed man. Confident, even arrogant and rude. However after some incidents Dennis finds out the true history relating to Christine.

John Carpenter went for a slow build up of suspense with this Stephen King story. It probably is the best way to deal with a possessed car. Each time Christine gets angry the radio turns on.

When the high school bullies damage Christine, both Arnie and the car ride after them for revenge. Harry Dean Stanton plays the cop who seems to be more bothered where Arnie got that shade of red paint from to repair Christine.

It is a silly, flawed film but done so well by Carpenter.

It's surprising how many movies there are in the "killer vehicle" sub-genre out there. From classics like DUEL to yawners like THE HEARSE and abominations like WHEELS OF TERROR and TRUCKS, somebody is always ready to make a buck out of a wheeled menace. Stephen King even wrote a whole book about one in his own inimitable style and it wasn't long before CHRISTINE the movie followed. Sadly, it's not one of the master's best because it fails to make the car of the title a threatening menace at all. Sure, it's cool when Christine gets a life of her own and mows down street thugs and repairs herself after being damaged but a scary screen presence? Not at all. More like a few clever special effects and a good driver is what we have and it's a film which left me cold.

The biggest disappointment is that John Carpenter directed it, at a period in his career when he still made intelligent, scary horror films. CHRISTINE isn't one of them. This goreless chiller goes for the subtle, almost psychological approach to its horror rather than OTT blood and guts, but a little grue surely would have livened things up a bit. As it stands, probably the best thing in the film's favour is the music, which is typically good for Carpenter and makes the plot suspenseful. The screen is often awash with darkness and shadows but for what? The car isn't menacing, just a nuisance. As the film progresses, pyrotechnics are brought into play (the explosion of the petrol station) as if they forgot it was a horror film and went for action instead. Then there's the drawn-out finale, which seems to go on and on endlessly with little resolve.

Keith Gordon is good in the leading part of Arnie Cunningham. Transforming from a friendless geek into a hard-assed popular guy, he portrays the mental possession and obsession of his character very well indeed. John Stockwell is ineffectual as the best friend, however, and Alexandra Paul makes very little of her part as the girlfriend-in-distress. Even usually reliable veterans like Robert Prosky and Harry Dean Stanton are wasted in nothing parts. The scene in which Christine rebuilds herself from a total wreck to a car in pristine condition is memorable, yes, but nothing about the film really shines. At the end of the day it seems both slow-moving and lacking in real chills. Watch it only for the music.