Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Fire With Fire

      PG-13 Released May 9, 1986 1 hr. 44 min. Romance List
      Reviews 83% 1,000+ Ratings Audience Score A boy (Craig Sheffer) from a backwoods parole camp has a forest encounter with a girl (Virginia Madsen) from a school run by nuns. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered May 31 Buy Now

      Where to Watch

      Fire With Fire

      Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

      Rent Fire With Fire on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

      Audience Reviews

      View All (75) audience reviews
      Mike P Super-dumb mash-up of Romeo and Juliet with Bonnie and Clyde...Craig Shefer plays Joe Fisk; a teenaged reform school student; who hooks up with Virginia, a Catholic schoolgirl; at an interscholastic dance...far off in the rural, rustic woods of Oregon...way back in the 80s. (How stupid. Like there'd EVER be a dance between a prison camp type reform school and a strict Catholic boarding school. How UNBELIEVABLY contrived). And things go downhill from there...Trust me; this is not worth your time. Because the writing is idiotic and hackneyed. It comes across like a REALLY BAD episode of the Facts of Life... The performances from the leads are fine though. But even they fit into the prevailing rom/com stereotype of the 80s; that of the bad boy rebel and the uptight prude...See The Breakfast Club, Cheers, Moonlighting, Night Court, Romancing the Stone; etc... By the way; this was filmed in rural Oregon during the same time they filmed Stand By Me there...I wonder if all those kids crossed paths?... So...Anyway...Overall: Thumbs down, for a thoroughly formula action/romance chase movie...with 0% believability...👎 P.S. supposedly this is based on a real life incident from 1978. But I still can't believe anything happened like what happened in this movie! Particularly the crazy way the adults reacted when these two star crossed lovers hooked up-- I mean...THEY threw the dance! That caused them to meet! What were they expecting?! Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/13/24 Full Review Audience Member A very young Virginia Madsen and Craig Sheffer in a Romeo & Juliet-esque tale directed by Duncan Gibbins Sheffer is Joe, from a backwoods parole camp and Lisa is from an all-nuns girls school Both of them end up fighting their parents, school authorities, and the law itself trying to stay together Truth be told this romance takes over an hour and 15 min just to get started Yet the chemistry of the two leads is adorable enough I will give the movie credit for its themes of weighing sentencing the youth and making them faith-based ignoring all other of life's offerings Still good with well-performed talents and decent melodrama Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Sometimes all we have to do to be happy and free is to fight fire with fire Based on a 1978 incident in Pasadena, California where a local girls convent school held a dance for the boys from a nearby honor camp A very young Virginia Madsen and Craig Sheffer star in a star crossed lovers tale Sheffer is Joe Fisk serving a sentence in a state reformatory run by a corrupt official Madsen is Lisa Taylor who attends an all girls convent When they both meet during a dance they begin a mutual attraction for one another Lisa specializes in photography, she's gifted but her teachers are intent on sending her to Switzerland But these kid's parents, the law enforcement, and higher authorities threaten to pull them apart So Lisa and Joe defy the odds to be together no matter what Truth be told this romance takes over an hour and 15 min just to get started Yet the chemistry of the two leads is adorable enough I will give the movie credit for its themes of weighing sentencing the youth and making them faith-based ignoring all other of life's offerings Still good with well-performed talents and decent melodrama Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review hayley b a lovely romance, good story telling, direction and acting. likeable characters and dialogue. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Love this movie. Watched it over and over again as a teen. Now as an old fart I watch at least once a year. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/06/18 Full Review william s How many troubled coming of age stories could they fit in one decade......nothing ground breaking but worth a check out. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      More Like This

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Photos

      View All Fire With Fire photos

      Fire With Fire

      Fire With Fire (1986) Fire With Fire (1986) Fire With Fire (1986) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (1) Critics Reviews
      Paul Attanasio Washington Post Movies like this aren't really movies -- they're addenda to ad campaigns. Jan 3, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A boy (Craig Sheffer) from a backwoods parole camp has a forest encounter with a girl (Virginia Madsen) from a school run by nuns.
      Director
      Duncan Gibbins
      Executive Producer
      Tova Laiter, Brian Sacks
      Screenwriter
      Bill Phillips, Warren Skaaren, Paul Boorstin, Sharon Boorstin
      Distributor
      Paramount Pictures
      Rating
      PG-13
      Genre
      Romance
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      May 9, 1986, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 11, 2014
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $3.3M
      Most Popular at Home Now