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Firestorm (1998)

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1 article from 1998

9 January 1998 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

If moviegoers react to Firestorm (1998) the way critics today (Friday) are, the film is not likely to burn up the box office over the weekend. Many of the reviewers are piling up on ex-football star Howie Long, who is making his debut as a leading man in the film. USA Today's Mike Clark notes that Long is asked to perform a number of stunts that show off his athletic prowess. "Now, if he ever developed a solid screen persona, he might really be something, " Clark adds. He refers to the film itself as "cheap kindling." Michael Medved in today's New York Post finds Long's performance "puerile, " noting that in the movie, "he attracts penalty flags every time he tries for a big play" and has "less spontaneous charm than Al Gore." Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post writes that "Howie Long is to acting what Sir Laurence Olivier was to the National Football League: that is, nothing at all." Stephen Rea in the Philadelphia Inquirer, notes that Long often looks as if he's "trying to remember his lines." But Jane Sumner, writing in the Dallas Morning News, says that while Long's performance, "won't win any acting awards ... the affable hunk is appealing, like an old-fashioned serial hero." Sumner's take on the movie: "It may not be art, but it's fun." And Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times also finds that the film "has the primitive appeal of early silents" and describes Long as "perfect casting" for the role of a wilderness hero.

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1 article from 1998