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Fire with Fire

Fire with Fire (DVD Cover)

Cast: Jeremy Coleman (Josh Duhamel), Mike Cella (Bruce Willis), Talia Durham (Rosario Dawson), David Hagan (Vincent D'Onofrio)

Director: David Barrett

Theatrical release: 08/31/2012
DVD Date: 12/06/2012

Rating: R
Running Time: 97 minutes

Note(s): Original screenplay by Tom O'Connor.

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Fire with Fire

Review: I'm not entirely sure what to make of this direct-to-DVD action film. No matter how you look at it, it's not very good but I suppose one can argue that it is comparable to, say, the storyline and action sequences in a video game, and as such it is mildly diverting entertainment.

The movie has an extended setup that basically serves to introduce some of the characters and the conflict that will play out. It's actually not a bad start to the film, though none of the actors ever seem "in character"; it almost feels like a dress rehearsal for a play, where they're still learning their lines and their marks on stage. The opening credits appear at about the 15-minute mark and are probably most notable for listing twenty — 20! — executive producers. Why does a film need a double-digit number of executive producers? It seems to me to sort of dilute the meaning of the role. But, as usual, I digress …

There isn't a single original element to this film, from the predictable way the plot unfolds to the individual scenes and lines of dialog. Here's the premise: a firefighter (Josh Duhamel) escapes from a crime scene, where two men have been murdered. He's put into witness protection, but of course, that never works out so he needs to take down the killer himself. It's not at all clear how Bruce Willis got roped into doing this movie; he plays the senior detective investigating the murders, but he doesn't do much more than wait for the director to cue him to say his lines. (His "starring" role is the only reason I ordered it to watch, otherwise I would never have even heard of it.)

I guess it once again comes down to expectations. If you go in with very low — I mean really low — expectations, you might enjoy this film for what little it strives to be. But be forewarned … it is at its very best a minimally entertaining — and then completely forgettable — action film.

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