Firestorm MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -2

In the forest wilderness of British Columbia, Canada, a team of "smokejumpers" train for the fires they know will come. The close- knit team, lead by Jesse (legendary football player, Howie Long) parachutes into the rampaging blazes to save hapless campers. As well as hacking away at the fires with chainsaws, the fire- fighters give good advice like, "stay away from your car, the heat will cause it to blow," and "fire travels uphill--so go down." But, unbeknownst to the team, a man behind bars pulls off a prison break by paying someone to set a huge fire. He and some others prisoners flee while the forest catches on fire. Against the advise of the retired leader (Scott Glenn), Jesse struggles to save Jennifer (Suzy Amis), an ornithologist, and some of the prisoners. The winds stir the flames and cause a firestorm, creating tornadoes of fire rising up to 600 feet. While FIRESTORM is not the best action film ever made, it is well plotted and well acted, so it should do quite well at the box office.

Although the film has a handsome hero, it has very little sexual content. One of the prisoners is a convicted rapist, and he does threaten Jennifer. But Jessie intervenes before anything happens. Some of the action is very intense, especially when the life of a child and dog are threatened. As one of the convicts is executing his escape plan, he kills a man and blood swirls down the drain. Several guards are shot and many of the escaping inmates are killed. In between the fistfights, there are chases by motorcycle, helicopter, and on foot. As Jessie tracks the escapees, he picks them off one by one. The language is very raw, including 38 crude words, 26 obscenities and 9 regular profanities. The excessive violence and offensive language detract from the excellent plot twists and heroic action of these firefighters.

Preview Reviewer: Theresa Zumwalt
Distributor: 20th Century Fox, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035