Fireball (2009 TV Movie) User Reviews

More Skiffy Made in Canada goodness

[JoeB131 · 5/10 · 6 September 2010]

Yup, this is typical Sci-Fi Channel. Or maybe it's SyFy Channel now. Get a crew up to Canada, pretend it's somewhere in America, have at it.

To be fair, this is a step above most of its schlock.

A pro-football player abuses steroids, becoming in effect a human torch. A local fire investigator and a dapper federal agent team up to stop him as he burns a swath of destruction through Canada... Err Nevada. No, Nevada, really.

The tension/chemistry between Lexa Doig (who apparently figured out how to act some time between this Gem and Andromeda's well deserved cancellation!!) and the actor playing the federal agent is probably the best part of this movie. Some of the lines are kind of clever.

Okay Sci-Fi TVM

[Theo Robertson · 5/10 · 6 February 2010]

I didn't have high hopes for FIREBALL since it's on the Sci-Fi Channel , a station best known for broadcasting material involving the worst CGI to have featured outside a Stephen Sommer film . But still anything would be better than the no budget sword and sorcery stuff they've transmitted recently

The synopsis reads like like an episode of THE X-FILES in " Bitter sociopath finds that he has the ability to cause people and objects to burst in to flame " and early episodes of THE X-FILES such as Fire and Soft Light do have similar plots . Unfortunately if you compare these episodes with FIREBALL you'll find it sadly lacking

That's not to say it's a bad SF TVM because it's certainly better than a great number of stuff the station shows . It's just it goes out of its way to be inoffensive . At least with THE X-FILES it didn't pull any punches in giving the audience sleepless nights . For example the villain gets revenge on someone who betrayed him and burns him to death off screen . Likewise a scene where the villain walks in to a nuclear power station he dispatches the guards on the gate off screen and you do become irritated by the TVM's obvious agenda of telling a thrilling story without upsetting the audience

Slowly burning, but failing to become an inferno

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 9 July 2010]

This movie was actually alright for a movie of this genre. Unlike so many others that fail to be entertaining or full of super crappy CGI effects.

The story of this movie was fairly much similar to the old movie "Firestarter", but of course not a step by step copy. There were similarities, but that was alright. If you liked "Firestarter" or its sequel, it is most likely that you will enjoy this movie as well. And the story pretty much evolves around only 3 characters, and that works out good as well.

As for the acting? Well it was alright, nothing award winning here, but still adequate and decent to look at. I must say that Lexa Doig actually pulled off a scientific character quite well, especially when she was rambling on about science stuff and facts, it was quite believable, so hats off for that.

The CGI effects were fairly alright, and looked okay. Except for a scene where a glass dome exploded, that looked horrible. Besides some small flaws, the effects were alright.

Actually the music score throughout the movie was quiet nice, and really worked well.

In overall, this movie was adequate, but there was just something missing from it, something to make it unique and stand out. For me, it is one of those movies you watch once and then forget about it.

Stop, drop, roll

[nogodnomasters · 3/10 · 17 January 2018]

Tyler Dravon (Aleks Paunovic) is a linebacker who is also a sociopath in a constant steroid rage who may or may not play for the Raiders. While in the Cedar Hills jail a fire breaks out and genetically alters him so he is a fire starter. Only two people on the planet can stop him . Federal agent Lee Cooper ( Ian Somerhaler) teams up with fire investigator Ava (Lexa Poig) as they have dinner at the finest gourmet dining in all of Cedar Hills, a restaurant that can also boast its own bowling alley.

Made for TV type film. Badly scripted to the point it becomes tiresome to watch.

Good performances from the whole cast

[karenthomas61 · 7/10 · 1 May 2011]

Lexa Doig and Ian Sommerholder were very likable in their roles. They had sexy chemistry together, though the characters never consummate the attraction. Their characters had charming goodbye scene, which left things between them ambiguous and open.

In fact, I would love to see them again in a romantic comedy together. The supporting cast was solid. The villain was compelling. Colin Cunningham had a wonderful comedic role in this movie.

Like all SyFy original films, the special effects are a bit weak at times and the script does have a cliché or two.

But this is worth watching for the Ian Sommerholder, Lexa Doig and Colin Cunningham.

I like it

[SanteeFats · 8/10 · 28 June 2012]

As far as I am concerned any movie with Lexa Doig in it is pretty good. Heck I even watched Jason X since she was in it. This movie is not bad if you put aside the premise that a steroid junkie, former linebacker who looks like he played with out a helmet (I mean he is UGLY) can turn into a pyromaniac and can shoot fire balls, well it is science fiction right? The plot is actually pretty good, the acting isn't bad and the end is good. Of course there is the required scene where the girl (Lexa) needs to be protected but what the hay. All in all I liked it. IMDb wants way too many lines to write these dad gum reviews so this is to get to their dang limit, I hope.

Wow, this was actually quite good

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 8 June 2012]

That is not to say it was a great movie, but compared to the usual schlock SyFy are capable of and have a notorious reputation for I was surprised. Of course there are some things that don't work, such as the cheap special effects, clichéd characters that are no different from the typical characters you find in the SyFy disaster and creature movies and the script has its cheesy moments. Like with all SyFy movies and most movies in general, there are about nine or ten noticeable(compared to the usual fifty plus) continuity errors like one minute the handcuffs are behind his back, next they're in front, but they are not as numerous as before or since. However, the photography and editing rather than choppy are quite good. The story is also interesting, somewhat chaotic, but it is a departure from the fantasy/adventure, disaster movie and giant creature movie genre, and it doesn't make the mistake of being dull either like other SyFy movies have. The music I found great, haunting and helping to enhance what is going on, usually it is overbearing or goes at sluggish tempos that it feels like it's slowing the film down. There is some interesting science, not all of it is plausible, but unlike movies like Miami Magma you sort of buy it. And the acting was better than I expected, Lexia Doing is especially convincing in her role. So all in all, not great but I did enjoy it. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Cheap and dumb, but kinda fun if you watch it the right way

[Wizard-8 · 16 October 2010]

There's no question that "Fireball" is a very dumb movie. It starts with a flash-forward that only seems to be there to pad the running time. Some of the acting is atrocious. And there are continuity goofs, like how a vehicle is blown up with one person in it, and later a fireman says they found TWO bodies in the vehicle. But I must admit that I had a lot of fun with this movie. I like movies that show seemingly indestructible guys on a rampage, and there's plenty of rampage here. And while it may be cheap and stupid, it is never boring for an instant. Oh, for extra fun, watch this with the close-captioning on your TV turned on. Not only does the close-captioning list dialogue that isn't actually spoken by the characters, it also completely changes some dialogue as well!

Not Your Usual Scifi Channel Fare

[jet66 · 15 November 2011]

While this production bears most of the signature elements of a SciFi Channel original - miserable writing, terrible acting, lazy directing, and bargain-basement CGI - it's a stunning departure for the network. It involves neither giant animals eating humans, nor natural disasters. And when SciFi thinks outside the Jaws / Earthquake meta-boxes, you can count on somewhat different (if not new) cinematic awkwardness. It's like a they're installing new hamster wheel for their cable cage of tedium.

I just wish the writers would leave their bimbo-encrusted poolside chaise lounges long enough to do some actual field research. The characters are never drawn from recognizable reality, and the flat technical facts they spew in lieu of dialog sound like Wikipedia searches.