Playing with Fire

 

‘Let’s disagree to agree because quotes are my thing.’ - Rodrigo

I miss John Cena.

I miss watching him in the ring or cutting promo and I don’t even watch the WWE religiously anymore. I’ll read one headline every once in a while, that makes we question that company that I used to love dearly, but I still want to see John in the ring.

Right now, as many before him, Cena is trying to be a superstar on the silver screen.

 His latest role is smoke jumper Superintendent Jake “Supe” Carson in Nickelodeon’s Playing with Fire. When putting out a cabin fire Carson rescues three siblings. But when a flood arrives and their parents can’t come pick them up, Jake and his fire team must navigate having three rowdy children in their depot.

The trailer showcased Carson’s action hero team of smoke jumpers and although it didn't strike me as nothing new, it still seemed entertaining, and at times it was. Keegan – Michael Key from Key & Peele fame was the main proponent of comedy as Carson’s right hand man Mark Rogers. Always there support his boss or big him up to the rest of team. 

I found it interesting though how long Key's comedic moments went on for.

At first, I enjoyed it as it seemed like a new stylistic technique but as the movie went on it felt more like they had told the actors to improvise so they could choose the best bits in the edit but ended up leaving it all in. The way in which the youngest sibling Zoey reels of list of rappers from Chance the Rapper to Lil Pump breathlessly was too structured to be funny or stylish.  

Though the children’s musical choice is beyond their years, they haven’t seemed to have learned the things they should have at their age - basic manners and respect.

Despite Supe saving them from a deadly fire they show no gratitude. Even in the midst of burning flames they chose to question his job title rather than listen to instructions. That exchange I’m sure was supposed to be funny but once again was too rigid to be and Cena’s quizzical look throughout it, helped nothing. In the defence of the younger children Playing with Fire is their first credited acting experience. John however has starred in 19. As much as I enjoy him in the ring I don't line up for each of his film performances but I'm sure he is still better than this.

He is still stuck in roles that are defined by his muscles and strength much like WWE alum that now occupy Hollywood but has offered better performances in films like Bumblebee (2018).

Playing with Fire as a whole is lacking in quality. 

I don’t like when people say ‘TV was better when we were younger’ or ‘They don’t make films like they used to’, because I imagine every generation has said that and nostalgia prevents us from seeing things fairly. Yet, with films like this coming out its hard to argue against it. Nickelodeon recycled tired tropes and didn't even get full use out them. I still want to know what happened on Carson's date with Dr.Hicks. 

If children's films continue in this downhill direction, I'll cross my fingers that children yelling at clocks thinking they’re Alexa’s never becomes a reality.