Riddle of Fire

Make no mistake, this is not great movie-making, and with that caveat out of the way, we shall proceed.

With many elements to love - precocious kids on motorbikes wielding paint guns outsmarting buffoonering adults - this bizarre, amateur school play of a movie does spin a yarn of charm that is undeniable. Forget the Swiss cheese plot, just crawl through the holes and enjoy the potty-mouthed kids as they serve up some whoopass comeuppance on the elderly fools that dare stand in their quest to fulfill a blueberry pie recipe for their ailing mother - bed ridden, with what seems to be just a common cold and a strange craving for pie. Once they deliver, she will hand over the password for their television so's they can play their favourite video game. Uh, yeah. Again, the plot is the weak link here, and frankly it seems to be deliberately childish. Like kids came up with this tall tale!

Shot in washed out and grainy 16mm film, this nails the eighties, which may or may not be reason to celebrate. Certainly not for the masses, this does have enough offbeat appeal to enjoy cult status, especially if mind-altering substances are involved. Perhaps one of those giant sugary sodas.

Much like someone you knew growing up, there is a kid with a fast and hard to follow slurry speech pattern. Brilliant solution: subtitles. No need for recasting or dubbing. If only life were so easy. "Riddle of Fire" is one crackpot movie that somehow captures the free-wheeling unbridled innocence of brash youth on a summery day epic adventure, when life was indeed easy. Nice and easy. And super weird.

• hipCRANK.

This movie reminds me a lot of the early children adventures movies I have grown up watching as a kid. A story about adventures, fantasy, friendship, and the journey to find something. Using 16mm film, the filmmaker perfectly captures the essence of children fairytale adventures with gorgeous looking production, camerawork, soundtrack, and really good child performances from the cast members.

The writing and the themes explored fits very well with the setting and direction. Many of the choices made feel childish and strange but it is intentional as it helps add the child-like adventures and craziness that we kids would go through to seek an adventure. With the characters being pretty fun to observe, many of the child performances are really good with each feeling nature and realistic of what how children really act and speak.

Although, it isn't a perfect movie. For a runtime of 114 minutes, it does feel tedious and some of the pacing really did drag the movie that made me zone out a little during the second act. But as a whole, I appreciate the filmmaker being able to capture the tone and atmosphere very well and it's definitely a project that he is passionate about.

But I definitely will be keeping an eye on this director.

No one makes kids movies like this anymore. The only kid's movies you see made nowadays are animated. This movie just makes you leave the theater with a smile on your face. Beautiful on the big screen especially the night scenes, even more impressive knowing this is probably not a big budget film. Can't wait to see it in the US theaters. Gorgeous cinematography using authentic 16 mm film.

This takes you back in time with its nostalgic feel. This film is on the lines of Stand by me and Goonies.

The dance scene is memorable playing the favorite "Baby Come Back".

You can't go wrong when you Colby any kids movie with dirt bikes, paintball guns, and a classic bad guy in big John Redeye.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ First off. I doubt you'd find anything quite like this one. The acting from the young main characters are amazing! You can't keep your eyes off them and because of them, they keep you engaged and intrigued throughout the whole film. Start to finish.

Looking for something to watch that you haven't seen a hundred times that both you and your kids will enjoy? This is it. RIDDLE OF FIRE has it ALL. Wholesome,funny,drama,fantasy, action & a tiny innocent but of romance. This director/ Writer is a freaking genius!! I seriously hope to be seeing more from him & what else he has in store for us. He gave the world a true gem with this one...We all need to protect this man with all costs!!!

The story is fun; just three kids raising hell one summer around town and the woods. The cinematography is great. It is shot on 16mm stock, so it has a neat 70's kinda vibe. And the music is great. Music reminds me of 80ms fantasy, which is what the dialogue and story alludes to.

But the acting is terrible by almost all actors. Not even Lio Tipton (the only name I recognized on the bill) can save this disaster of a Goonies-wannabe.

However, please still check it out. Worth supporting an indie movie that looks great and has great music and a good story. Hopefully, this director will use this film as a stepping stone, learn from it, and the next film will be better.