Firetrap (2001) User Reviews

Not a bad movie

[F1ame · 6/10 · 8 November 2001]

I was rather surprised how well Dean Cain fitted into this role. He seems to be growing from the caped avenger days and actually developed some good acting ability.

The effects in this film looked about as good as they cost. The plot was not thick, and information was crowbarred in occasionally. This film does do the No.1 job of keeping you interested.

It's by no means a clever plot and not a craft of film work, but it does the job for 90 mins.

Decent, low-budget action flick...

[monkeysontoast · 6/10 · 20 July 2006]

This was just another in my series of, "Oh, Dean Cain is in this, let's watch it" movies...so, I didn't set high expectations, although, since it was late at night, I DID expect to fall asleep. Surprise, surprise...I stayed awake the whole time. The movie isn't half bad. Aside from some cheap fire FX at times, the movie was held up by a decent story and decent acting, and managed to keep me guessing until the very end. The dialogue was never too cheesy, which is what you might expect from this type of movie, so overall, I was pretty pleased. It was also fun seeing actors from my childhood; Lori Petty from "Free Willy" and Richard Tyson from "Kindergarten Cop" (they've both had plenty of work since then, but nothing I've seen).

An average flick, but interesting and fun to watch.

Heist Movie? Action Movie? Disaster Movie? Fails at ALL!

[Nick_Dets · 27 July 2005]

"Firetrap" opens as a technological heist movie in the vein of "The Score" or "The Italian Job". Its an adequate enough "Mission Impossible"-inspired opener as Dean Cain squirrels his way through a highly survielled museum (?) to snatch a diamond. Of course he's being helped by the classic sidekick who eats chocolate in a truck and helps him with directions. He starts off as the irritating token black dude, and he only gets more and more annoying.

"Go on with your bad self," he says in one scene. No one can argue with me that he's not the token black dude after such a line. If anyone still should want to, here's some more evidence: "You da man!" So the heist opener is pleasant enough. It quickly shifts into an action picture with a fun shootout and a surprisingly well-done car chase. Heist thriller and action adventure can be a fun mix, so "Firetrap" caught my attention. Until...

After the attention-grabbing beginning, it's time for some good old-fashioned character exposition. This is where his boring, bland, Hallmark-ish family attachment is introduced. His bangin' wife divorced him because of his criminal involvement that led him straight to the slammer. Wanna hear something original? "Just one more job!" He imploringly says.

I can live with a couple clichés in a generic heist/action flick. So I kept watching. Dean and his token black friend for hire train and plan to knock off a company that is quickly going under. So off Dean goes for the score of his life, covertly dressed as a cop to get him in the building.

Then something unfortunate happens: it turns into a burning building escape movie "Inferno"-style. This threw my attention (and approval)off like a train being derailed. If there's one sure way to make a bad movie, it's to ineptly try to bind many genres together. The director whose name sounds a lot like Harry Dunn from "Dumb and Dumber" seemingly has a fitting name. His movie is a complete mess that starts off mildly entertaining, then goes up in flames with an unwatchable second half.

Has the IQ of everyone sunk this low?

[BrettErikJohnson · 1/10 · 22 March 2004]

I am in awe of the number of people who consider this film to be decent...much less great! Do the majority of people even have basic standards for a film they watch? I just don't know anymore.

This "commercial cinematic product" doesn't really deserve the respect of being called a film. To call Dean Cain talented is a gross injustice to anyone who actually has talent. I have had a lot of respect for Lori Petty but most of that has gone right down the tubes. At least her role was extremely small. Maybe she had a bill that desperately needed to get paid.

The ignorance I saw while viewing "Firetrap" was amazing. Let me start out by getting this off my chest: if you can't show fire realistically then don't show it at all. Okay?!! It's an embarrassment to all involved when you show lame effects that don't even come close to simulating an actual burning building.

Some interesting tidbits: 1. A janitor opens the door to a large storage closet and finds the entire room engulfed in flames. What does he do? He tries to put out the fire with his broom! 2. The same janitor (who knows the building is on fire) later comes across a door marked "HAZARDOUS MATERIALS". His brilliant mind tells him that it would be a great idea to open said door. Big mistake! 3. A woman is giving a fantastically generous donation of $100,000 to a greyhound rescue fund but...she's wearing a fur coat to the charity event they're holding! (Wouldn't people who care about animals kinda frown on that sort of thing?) 4. Several of the people in the movie are forced into a vault of some sort with massive steel walls that even an electromagnetic pulse(!!) couldn't penetrate. Yet they have a spacious air vent leading right into the back of the thing that anyone could crawl through. That sure seems like a lapse in security.

I could go on and on but I have grown tiresome thinking about this lame movie. Our "hero" whom we are supposed to be cheering for is a career criminal who early on tries to kill some police officers. What a swell guy! If the general public wants to waste their minds away on this drivel then more power to them. I just wish I could have it erased from my memory. 1/10

The movie reeks of a TBS/TNT movie of the week

[chuckrules · 3/10 · 26 January 2003]

Dean Cain, the one time Super-Man, plays Max Hooper the super-thief. He can break into any company and steal any thing for the right price. Unfortunately his latest heist ends him up in a high-rise in which someone else has set a fire to hide their own attempts to steal the product. Now the thief finds himself having to be the hero rescuing everyone in the building. Unfortunately the other thief is still in the building and the F.B.I. & C.I.A. are outside waiting for Max.

The movie is barely passable. Dean Cain is a fun actor and has done much better with more improved material but here he is saddled with a weak script and pretty poor direction.

Hilariously Terrible

[Welshfilmfan · 3/10 · 29 January 2009]

Another stinker from the PM Entertainment group, and thankfully one of their last.

'Firetrap' is effectively a very low budgeted remake of 'The Towering Inferno' I don't mind Low budget B Movies as long as some effort is put into them - there is no effort whatsoever in 'Firetrap' is stars Dean'Superman'Cain, who is an absolutely terrible actor, seriously he has all the acting abilities of a porn star, but he turns out to be the best actor here and that's saying something, the rest are just a bunch of no hopers given the boot from various daytime soaps. The special FX are just rubbish, shots showing the burning building from the ground are among the worst I've ever seen, the fire looks like someone scribbled an orange pen at the front of the camera. on top of that there is not one character you actually root for - you hate everyone and hope they all die well before the 90 minutes are up.

The script is embarrassing - The red herring's are signposted well in advance, someone else has mentioned this but 'The scene where the janitor fights off a blazing fire engulfing the building with his broom....hilarious, or same janitor going into a room marked 'Hazardous Material', Were these scenes supposed to be tongue-in-cheek? somehow I doubt it

The one good point and only one good point was there was a fair bit of action in amongst the daytime soap dramatics which kept my attention, but so little care was given to everything in the film, I can't recommend it - Watch 'The Towering Inferno' instead

3/10

Fantastic!

[LVanceJr · 7/10 · 27 January 2003]

In my opinion, Fire Trap is no doubt one of Dean Cains' better films, too bad is way underrated and not very well known. He plays Max Hooper, a master thief, and gives it one hell of a performance. The rest of the cast were right up to his level, they were all great. The action/fire scenes were very good, as someone else said - some of the best I've seen. This is worth seeing, its fun, entertaining, and full of action. Pick it up, VHS or DVD - My rating: 7.5/10.

I am Dean Cain and I bring you: Fire! (doo doo doo)

[Bezenby · 3/10 · 31 July 2012]

This terrible action movie will try the patience of anyone who's not in a coma. I don't know if I have some sort of problem with Dean Cain, but any film I've seen him in has turned about to be really boring. Firetrap is no exception. Despite the premise, it took four attempts to get through this film without falling asleep.

Dean is a thief out on one last job – to get a disc from a building that's gone on fire while he's in it for some reason. Trapped with some other survivors, and pretending he's a cop, Dean must get the disc, escape, and probably help some other people get out too if he has the time. His token black sidekick is waiting outside in a van for him, although that hardly needs to be pointed out as there's always someone waiting in a van somewhere for people in these kinds of films (it helps break up the monotony of watching folks bickering all the time).

In a case of how to do this kind of film wrong, everything in this film is done wrong. There's no real drama outside of the burning building. Folks bicker, Dean gets found out, and someone in the building isn't quite who they appear to be. Try staying awake to the end if you dare, because this is one bland film with a predictable plot line. It's the film equivalent of a Dutch crisp bake.

Mission Impossible+Die Hard+Towering Inferno=Trapped in a Mediocre Fire

[clauzy82 · 7/10 · 11 August 2021]

Even though I am a big fan of bad/cheese/schlock movies or whatever you want to call them, I was still very surprised how entertaining this movie was, I came into it thinking it was going to be boring bad, but gladly I was very wrong. It keeps you laughing unintentionally and the action is wall to wall.

It begins with Jack? According to the credits, actually Max (Dean Cain) in a mission impossible-esque robbery of a jewel, while his right hand man and tech expert Vincent (Dale Godboldo) helps him from outside in a van. This opener is to showcase their skills as grand thieves and their faults also. They pull off the heist with only with about 200 witnesses and so the plot becomes riddled with holes already.

We are then drawn into Max's personal life (Briefly) as he tries to win back his daughter and hot wife Beth (Vanessa Angel). A new family wagon sweetens the deal.

Max and Vincent are quickly catapulted into another job, a tougher job, an impossible job, one that requires them to build a replica in their warehouse, but first they must lose the FBI who are hot on their heels.

Up till now and during the big job you will ask yourself many questions? One being: Why didn't Max use the elevator or stairs? Either way we are introduced to more characters, including the actual Jack (Jim Storm) and he has a rat within the board members of his company, willing to sell the fruits of their hard labour for a quick buck. His staff along with Max are stuck in this office building full of plot holes, double-crosses, ventilation shafts, a fire (whence the name of the movie) and the constant niggle in your head asking you. Why?

Who will recover the companies sought after chip? Who will come out alive? Whatever you do don't get injured no matter how serious it is you'll end up in a body bag and for God sakes don't bring your daughter to join the onlookers to watch her father burn to death in a building.

Cast deliver brilliantly, no Oscars but no stinkers either and a few familiar faces Paul Brody (Richard Tyson) from Kindergarten Cop and Lori Petti (Lucy) from Tank Girl and others you'll be scratching your head trying to figure out what they were in.

All in all not for everybody, if you like cheap and cheerful with plenty of action delve in, you'll especially love this one with a few beers and a bunch of buddies.

For the cheesemeisters: Opening scene when Max is evading sensors and later on the fire fighting janitor with his mop.

Days of our lives moves into action movies

[th-87 · 2/10 · 13 April 2008]

This film was so bad it became enjoyable. If you want to see a soap opera cast decide to do an action film, this is for you! Overacting, irrelevant incidents, implausible dialogue - it has it all. The main character has a split personality and can not make up his mind whether he is thief, a loving father or a hero who will risk his life for others. He is plausible in none of these roles. This sets the standard for many of the other characters. The boss of the company whose building is set ablaze displays the same unpredictability, and so does his wife. And the punch line - who has taken the "chip" - beggars belief. I found myself laughing heartily and for that reason, I recommend you watch it.

I loved it!

[tricia-16 · 10/10 · 23 June 2001]

This has to be my favourite Dean Cain film so far. I loved it, an action movie. Dean Cain was totally at home as bad guy turned/good guy Max Hooper. I think the fact that he also help co-produce it, made it even more of a great Dean Cain project. The rest of the cast we very good and complimented each other. I simply loved it!!!

Lacks spark

[Wizard-8 · 7 May 2012]

My hopes were raised significantly for "Firetrap" when the PM Entertainment logo came up, because PM Entertainment made some really good made-for-video action flicks. Sadly, several seconds later, my hopes were dashed when the names of Richard Pepin and Joseph Merhi (the honchos of PM Entertainment) were not listed in the credits. They were the driving force behind those great action flicks, and without them, what we have here is an extremely mediocre movie at its best, and a painfully predictable and flat movie at its worst. You'll be saying, "I've seen this before" throughout, even if you can't remember where you've seen it before. Dean Cain makes for a one-note hero, and none of the other performances are memorable as well. I guess some of the fire effects aren't bad for a low budget movie, but you can't make a good movie simply with good special effects. If it's raining outside and this is playing on TV, you'd be more entertained going outside and being soaked.

"Die Hard" meets "Towering Inferno"

[JimmyL5555 · 10/10 · 14 March 2007]

A high-tech thief's latest mission may be his last when he crosses paths with a corrupt executive in a burning building. Dean Cain stars as Max Hooper who makes Mission Impossible-type capers look easy. This movie has as much fun as "Lethal Weapon" and as much drama as "Die Hard." Add that to the suspense in "Towering Inferno" and you have the recipe for a top-notch disaster film. A corrupt executive schedules in impromptu meeting in his office with his colleagues; unbeknownst to him, Max Hooper is in the building trying to steal a valuable computer chip, his wife & her lawyer show up to give him divorce papers, and someone in his company is attempting to ruin him, and in the process, starts a fire.

But who is behind what? And why? There are surprises at every turn, and keeps you riveted until the end. Excellent writing, excellent acting, excellent directing, excellent special effects ... all in all, an excellent movie. Give this one a viewing. You will not be sorry.

don't waste your money

[danielimmel · 2 June 2002]

I saw this film, in hopes that the jacket would provide an adequate premonition of what it had promised. And unfortunately, it did not. Dean Cain did his best with the writing, although I must say the acting was horrific. One liners were almost laughable at times. The fire scenes were impressive, however implausible when trying to convey the situation in technical terms to the average layman. No sprinklers went on during a building explosion?!?! Get real! Overall, not a good movie, and somewhat of an major editing faux-pas at the end in the credits. Dean Cain's character was Max Hooper, not a character named "Jack." I thought editing the final product was crucial for a consummate delivery.

Fantastic!

[tricia-16 · 10/10 · 24 June 2001]

I simply love this movie. Dean Cains' performance is just first class. In fact the whole cast are good. There are 1st class performances in this low budget movie that put some of the 'so-called' box office hits to shame. As Dean was also the co-producer in this movie, he certainly did both of his jobs well, proving that he is not just a very talented and handsome actor but is also very accomplished behind the scenes also.It can't be long before he is recognised for the great talent that he is!!! A very enjoyable film that i want to watch over and over again. Well done to the whole cast and crew.

One Great Movie

[dagruvykat · 26 March 2001]

Lori Petty is brilliant and Dean Cain pulls off the performance of his career in this entertaining movie. I think I now have a favorite movie of all time: Goodfellas but this movie was pretty good too. Richard Tyson put in a dandy of a performance as well.

Better than Towering Inferno

[wayne-2 · 8/10 · 17 March 2001]

I thought this was a pretty good movie, even with some obvious plot holes (if the alarm system worked when someone pulled a wall station, why didn't the smoke detectors work? Why didn't the system signal a loss of water pressure, if someone shut the water off? What happened to the sprinklers?) The fire scenes were some of the best I've seen (even though accellerant trails were visible in a few scenes). There were also some mistakes in basic firefighting (no one sprays water from the street at a fire on the sixth floor - that is what aerial ladder pipes are for!) I did like the plot, and I thought Dean Cain was great as Max Hopper. This would make a good series.

Great Movie

[LoriPettyfan · 23 November 2004]

I thought this movie was really good. All of the actors did very well, especially Lori Petty. Dean Cain was good as well. I don't know why a lot of people hate this movie. It is full of suspense, and a little bit of drama was thrown in as well. The story was pretty good, and the scenes in the building when it was on fire were really good. I agree that the janitor was stupid when he was trying to put out the fire was a broom, but if we didn't have stupid people in the world today, then it would be a boring place to live now would it? I wouldn't say it was my most favorite movie of all time, but if you watch a movie that can keep your eyes glued to the T.V, and make you wonder what's going to happen next, then it is good.

P.S: We need more movies that star Lori Petty.

9/10

My comment about Lori Petty

[wayne-2 · 8/10 · 3 September 2001]

A couple of people have commented on Lori Petty's performance in Firetrap. I thought she was OK - however she was not a primary character at all in this movie, as far as I could see. I really like Lori - I thought she was superb in "Point Break". When Keanu Reeves and Lori were out on the ocean on surfboards, and Keanu's character Johnny, after a session of night surfing, says "I can't describe how I'm feeling!" Lori, in delivering her line touched the soul of every surfer when she said "You don't have to." Anyone who is over-the-top passionate about something like I am about surfing and the ocean knew EXACTLY what she meant because she so expertly delivered the line.

I really like Firetrap (I was a fireman for ten years). I can't agree that Lori was fantastic in this movie, though. It is absolutely no reflection on her, however. Her character simply was not given enough to really work with. I would fault the writers for this failing.

great movie

[zagelman · 18 April 2001]

Lori Petty clearly steals the show. Her best performance since "Tank Girl". Dean Cain acts with the quality normally associated with him. A lot of people get toasted. The fire is on people like monkeys on racehorses.