Firestorm

That Firestorm actually comes off as a fairly decent little actioner can surely be attributed to the steady decline of the genre due to such ineffective efforts as Wanted and Hitman, as the film, eye-rollingly silly as it sporadically may be, boasts an old-fashioned sensibility that benefits from several surprisingly thrilling set pieces and William Forsythe’s scenery-chewing turn as diabolical and downright smug villain Randall Alexander Shaye. Howie Long’s expectedly wooden performance subsequently proves not to be as problematic as one might’ve feared, as the footballer-turned-actor generally does a nice job of portraying a typically stoic action hero. The storyline, which follows Long’s intrepid firefighter as he attempts to battle a fierce forest blaze and evade several escaped convicts, possesses few elements that most viewers won’t see coming from miles away, yet there’s something undeniably compelling about the almost cookie-cutter manner in which Chris Soth’s screenplay unfolds. The explosion-heavy climax proves to be far more frenetic than one might’ve desired, although, admittedly, it’s hard not to admire the brutality with which Forsythe’s character is ultimately dispatched. Dean Semler’s refreshingly steady directorial choices (ie no shaky-cam) only cement Firestorm‘s place as an underrated piece of work, though there’s certainly no mistaking the film for anything other than a cheaply-made B movie.

**1/2 out of ****