Playing with Fire
Children are like fire — if they cannot be controlled, they just have to be contained.
Technical assessment: 3.5 ★★★✬✩
Moral assessment: 3 ★★★✩✩
CINEMA rating: V13
MTRCB rating: PG
Playing with Fire depicts the story of Jake Carson (John Cena) and his team of smoke jumpers (wildland firefighters) who rescue three children from a burning cabin in the forest. Carson is reminded about the Safe Haven Law which iterates that the children they rescue must be in the firemen’s custody until their parents or legal guardians are able to attend to them. The adventure begins when the children start wreaking havoc in the firehouse.
The firemen come to realize that their rugged, manly ways and rigid training just won’t work with children. They observe that children are like fire — if they cannot be controlled, they just have to be contained. So the men start changing their strategies, making themselves more relatable, thus winning the hearts of the kids.
Like a typical comedy, the film is a light piece of entertainment. Cena is perfect for the Carson character — a role he did well. Like Schwarzenegger and The Rock who ventured into film from their wrestling career, Cena banks on his charm and no-nonsense brand of comedy. Chemistry is good among the actors, adults and kids alike, making the film more entertaining. Mostly funny, Playing With Fire gives the audience a glimpse of the risks of firefighting but also a peep into the softer, human side of firefighters. It is no surprise that the plot is predictable, given the film’s whole packaging. What comes as a surprise is how many parts of the screenplay actually make more sense than expected, thereby giving the audience something more to digest.
Playing with Fire displays the crucial and often dangerous role of first responders, and pays tribute to their courage and service. Despite some stunts being exaggerated and unrealistic, the film’s message of undaunted heroism is clear and may be appreciated in the light of the huge forest fires currently raging in California, the Amazon, and Australia. Another positive value in the movie is that it encourages adults to prioritize family and friends over too much ambition as themes of empathy and teamwork are very evident throughout the film. However, caution is to be taken toward subtle sensitive subplots in the movie (like Carson’s father’s death in action) and flashes of vulgarity (poster of a scantily clad woman). Overall, Playing with Fire is entertaining and surprisingly charged with positive values adults and kids, with ample supervision, can enjoy. — ANL
DIRECTOR: Andy Fickman; LEAD CAST: John Cena, Keegan Michael Key, John Leguizamo, Brianna Hildebrand, Dennis Haysbert, Judy Greer; PRODUCER: Todd Garner, Sean Robins; WRITERS: Dan Ewen, Matt Lieberman; DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount Pictures; GENRE: Action Comedy; COUNTRY: USA; LANGUAGE: English; RUNNING TIME: 96 minutes
