Dead Fire

1997 "The Future Of Mankind Is History"
4| 1h32m| en
Details

A convict and his gang seize a space station in 2064, with plans to annihilate Earth's population in order to start anew with an entirely new society.

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Reviews

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.
Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
unbrokenmetal "Come on, we have places to go and people to kill", the villain says once. A bad guy has got to do what a bad guy has got to do. The movie would have been better if it didn't have a simple good vs bad situation, but maybe scientists with different theories on how to save the world and we wouldn't know who's right. Regrettably, "Dead Fire" has no shades of gray, it gives us a very simple plot a la Seagal's "Under Siege": bad guys take command over a space station, but overlook one guy who was in the Cryo Section. He gets a gun and hunts down the enemies one by one. Yawn? Not quite, it actually was fast enough to keep me awake.Effects weren't bad, except that the falling d-o-w-n scene in the elevator shaft looked silly. Lots of audible explosions in airless space as usual, and you needn't be a scientist to find loads of rubbish, from the deeply frozen people you can wake up within a minute to the guy who screams and waves for 10 seconds in outer space without a suit. Why can't they ever get a few technical facts right? The cast: Colin Cunningham (went on to "Stargate") plays the hero, Monika Schnarre is his charming girlfriend. Matt Frewer must have watched Marlon Brando too often, he tries to play the villain in a rather exotic style that is bewildering sometimes, the director should have slowed him down a bit. C Thomas Howell as Tucker is good fun - after Tucker is unfrozen, he becomes the wrong man in the wrong place, but at the right time. Rachel Hayward and Lucie Zednícková play the bad girls perfectly and make the whole story more interesting. In the end, I didn't regret I watched "Dead Fire", but it's not like I feel the need to recommend it.
A_Roode Ironically, the best line in this film doesn't even belong to it -- more on that later. An immensely enjoyable Matt Frewer chews up scenery and dominates the screen every time you see him. One almost feels bad for the other actors who are there with him because his gleefully over-the-top performance blows them out of the water. Then of course you remember that you're the one watching the film and you start feeling bad for -- or about -- yourself instead.I'm pretty sure I know why Matt Frewer would have signed on to do this: gangsters have kidnapped his family and are forcing him to perform in movies that... actually I don't know. Maybe it's more a question of finding a fun part to play in a forgettable movie. In all seriousness there's not much to watch here unless you're a Matt Frewer fan (you might be after you see it) or a C.Thomas Howell fan. I always wonder when I watch films like this why someone would ever agree to be one the villain's henchmen. Excuse me, hench-PERSONS. Didn't do the job properly? No problem! Frewer will just shoot you and find a replacement lackey from a rapidly thinning herd of goons. Still, he's so funny about it that it drags this film kicking and screaming to four out of ten (bad, but funny enough to have a certain charm).The only other acting chops that showed up for this dog belong to Howell. He's not given much to work with. On screen but not used, Howell isn't bad -- you just want him to hurry up and spit out his lines so that you can go back to watching Frewer.As forgettable as this one is, it is superior to 'Sleeping Dogs' which was filmed the same year and used the same sets. Howell is in that one too so there must have been a two for the price of one deal. Or he lost a bet. To Matt Frewer.I mentioned that there was a great line. It's Frewer's last of the film and comes from 'White Heat.' Typing this up has been difficult since hearing Matt Frewer yell 'Top of the World ,Ma! TOP OF THE WORLD!' sent my eyes rolling into the back of my head. And yes, he yells it as everything explodes around him. Skip this and watch 'White Heat' instead.
Burton C At least that's how I answered my sister when she walked into the room.I watched this movie because my brother-in-law is a sci-fi buff and that's what he was playing the night I was over. I enjoy good sci-fi. This is not good sci-fi.Movies like this would explain why we should go to war against Canada; ala "South Park". Predictable plot and dialog, acting that alternates between sad and laughable. Don't waste your time.
KB-21 Whoo-ee! That sound you hear is the careers of C. Thomas Howell and Matt Frewer burning up on re-entry just before they smack into the ground. I hate to be a jerk, because I loved Frewer in Max Headroom, but this movie was a pile of cack. Even as a fan of cornball b-grade sci-fi flicks, I was appalled (when I was awake). Nonsensical plot twists, vein-popping overacting, and a convoluted script all add up to a big stinking plate full of 'who cares?' all around. This one's not even worth renting on cheap night -- pick up 'Cube' instead, or you may be permanently soured on all things celluloidal and Canadian.