Themes: Trapped or Confined, One Last Heist, Unlikely Heroes
Main Cast: Dean Cain, Lori Petty, Richard Tyson
Release Year: 2000
Country: US
Run Time: 105 minutes
Plot
A criminal is forced to become a hero in this action drama. Max Hopper (Dean Cain) is a successful burglar who has decided it's time to leave his life of crime behind him. But Hopper is lured into pulling one last heist when he learns about a valuable new computer chip being created by a leading-edge digital hardware firm. Realizing the prototype chip could be sold for a fortune, Hopper comes up with a clever plan to get past the building's security team by posing as a fireman. However, his scheme becomes unexpectedly perilous when a disgruntled employee really does set the building on fire, forcing Hopper to become a real firefighter to save his life, as well as those of the others trapped in the building. Firetrap also stars Richard Tyson, Mel Harris, Lori Petty, and Steven Williams. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
After a surprisingly thrilling opening that combines elements from the beginning sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark with the high-tech thievery of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible, Firetrap catches you unaware and hangs on until the inevitable end. Yes, it's a B-movie, but director Harris Done seems proud of that, spending his budget on top-notch production aspects -- although limitations materialize on the occasional blue-screen and computer generated effects -- and a pace that leaves no time to contemplate the few lapses in logic. Dean Cain, who can be pretty dreary if he's not inspired by the material, is at his sunny Lois and Clark best as the good-natured family man who just happens to be a sophisticated burglar. Mel Harris once again turns in a high-energy performance as his sidekick, and Lori Petty -- remember Tank Girl? -- is largely avoided as a quiet victim of the disaster. Not a bad time-killer for action fans who feel they've seen everything. One troubling warning: A fireman is shown falling to his death from the burning building, a scene some may want to fast-forward through. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Craig Campobasso - Casting, Dean Cain - Co-producer, Paul G. Volk - Co-producer, Sevilla Granger - Costume Designer, Harris Done - Director, Stephen Adrianson - Editor, George Shamieh - Executive Producer, Sean Murray - Composer (Music Score), Narbeh Nazarian - Production Designer, Vince Ravine - Production Designer, Mark W. Gray - Cinematographer, John Kelly - Producer, Richard Preston Jr. - Screenwriter, Diane Fine - Screenwriter
