John Cena’s ‘Playing With Fire’ burns to pieces with critics: ‘Bland and predictable’
The next role of John Cena on the big screen as a fireman in charge of caring for three children does not seem to be right with film critics.
“Playing With Fire,” in theaters on Friday, received a disappointing score of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film, which follows three firefighters (Cena, Keegan-Michael Key and John Leguizamo) who get caught watching three children after an accident, is called “nonsense with fecal stains,” by LA Times critic Katie Walsh.
Walsh points out that, in light of California’s recent wildfires, moviegoers should watch “Only the Brave” by Joseph Kosinski, instead of subjecting themselves and their loved ones to the surreal nonsense with fecal motes that is’ Playing with Fire ‘.
Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter says that although the plot of the film is nothing new (been there, done that), it could be fun for children to see it.
“Hollywood never seems to tire of the belief that there is something intrinsically fun in huge and muscular men, preferably former bodybuilders or fighters, who interact with very young children,” writes Scheck. “‘Playing With Fire’ strikes strictly predictable rhythms. Key and Leguizamo, comic talents who are overqualified for such things, work hard, very hard, to infuse laughter with tired material.”
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Other critics signed that director Andy Fickman’s fire comedy does not meet the key moments of the comedy and can only attract children with his humor.
“Director Andy Fickman seems aware that there are possible laughs on how his artists position themselves on the screen; Key’s brand, for example, appears and disappears, often accompanied by whistling sound effects ready for animation,” writes Jesse. Hassenger for AV Club. “But he doesn’t choreograph these moments in fun pieces, using his camera primarily to accentuate nonsense moments, sometimes eschatological slapstick.”
Yolanda Machado of TheWrap goes so far as to say that the humor of the film cannot even land with children.
“The film is bland and predictable, underestimates children’s ability to understand history and humor, and relies too much on jokes that are cliché and exaggerated,” he writes.
Teo Bugbee of the New York Times lists many mistakes, calling the movie “flat,” but notes that one thing that “Playing with Fire” did well was to choose the right actors.
“Director Andy Fickman has made a visually flat movie,” writes Bugbee. “The editing is often uncomfortable, putting too much emphasis on physical gags and delaying actors too much while trying to illuminate the dusty material.”