SKYFIRE (12)
★★★★★ “FOR millions of years, mankind lived in fear of nature, we ran from it, we hid from it, we worshipped it,” says South African entrepreneur Jack Harris (Jason Isaacs).
“But now we’ve conquered it for our own entertainment!”
Harris is talking to a group of Chinese investors in the lobby of a luxury resort and theme park on the slopes of an active volcano. If any of these money men had seen Jurassic Park, this would be the bit where they run screaming for the revolving doors.
So when lava starts flowing, followed by landslides and flaming missiles, it’s hard to have any sympathy for the victims. But if you’re in the right mood, the clunky dialogue and ropey special effects could provide muchneeded laughs. This is China’s first big-budget disaster movie and action scenes are on solid ground with Brit Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) at the helm. A father/daughter duo of volcanologists (Wang Xueqi and Hannah Quinlivan) try to save a small village with woeful evacuation procedures. But mostly, this is a case of trying to guess which character is going to buy it next.
■ The above films are showing on digital now.
■ Reviews by Andy Lea.