‘Skyfire’ Review: It’s Raining Magma in This Cheerfully Cheesy Chinese Disaster Movie Set on a Volcanic Island

It’s no great leap forward in filmmaking, but the big-budget disaster movie “Skyfire” does prove that China is now capable of producing its own brand of utterly preposterous and enjoyably trashy popcorn entertainment for a global audience.

This thrill-packed tale about an angry volcano wreaking havoc on thinly written characters at a luxury island resort plays like a souped-up and much better remake of Irwin Allen’s 1980 turkey “When Time Ran Out.” Starring a predominantly Chinese cast and energetically directed by British action specialist Simon West, “Skyfire” did Ok without setting the Chinese box-office alight in December 2019 release.

It should be a hot number with action fans when launched on VOD in North America by Screen Media on Jan.

12.While several recent Chinese productions including “The Wandering Earth,” “The Captain” and “The Bravest” have depicted large-scale calamities, none have embraced the tried-and-true disaster movie format with the unashamed reverence and gusto of “Skyfire.

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