Ah, the years of one’s youth— a topsy-turvy, illogical rollercoaster of emotions, hormones, and boundless wonder. The finest films that capture this spirited chaos often use their child characters as conduits, letting them revel in the sheer essence of being a kid. They turn simple tasks into wild adventures, offering glimpses of the magic and mayhem that is growing up. Enter “Riddle of Fire,” the debut feature from director Weston Razooli. It takes inspiration from beloved childhood adventures like “The Goonies,” “The NeverEnding Story,” and “Stand By Me,” but, alas, struggles to find its groove in its nearly two-hour runtime.
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The adventure begins with a bang — paintball-slinging, dirt bike-riding misfits Hazel (Charlie Stover), Jodie (Skyler Peters), and Alice (Phoebe Ferro) embark on a charming, small-town heist to snatch a new video game system from the clutches of a big box store’s stockroom in the quaint town of Ribbon, Wyoming. Right from the get-go, it’s evident that our young leads possess an endearing greenhorn charm, and the narrative voice dances between Tolkien-esque magical whimsy and the quirky, awkward charm of “Napoleon Dynamite” and Wes Anderson.
Once the gang of adventurers manages to sneak their ill-gotten gains back to their secret hideout (their house), they face a conundrum: their ailing mother has locked the TV with a pesky child lock. Her only demand for unlocking it is relatively simple — fetch her a scrumptious blueberry pie from the local bakery. But as luck would have it, the bakery is pie-less, and the baker is bedridden. Undeterred, our pint-sized heroes decide to embark on a quest to gather the recipe and ingredients and bake that pie themselves. Their grand plan? Enjoying the spoils of their video game conquest after delivering the delicious pie. Naturally, what begins as a routine grocery run quickly transforms into a sprawling odyssey through the wilderness, fraught with danger, poachers, magic, and run-ins with the law.
On paper, this sounds like a recipe for cinematic delight. In execution, however, “Riddle of Fire” struggles to fully catch fire, with many of its strengths sometimes backfiring. The amateurish acting, initially endearing, can sometimes wear thin. The quirky tone, while charming, wobbles on an uneven tightrope. Childlike logic, while whimsical, occasionally tips into the saccharine. And the plot, simple and predictable, feels stretched over the film’s extensive runtime. These issues could have been mitigated with a more discerning and unsentimental touch during pre- and post-production. It’s worth noting that Razooli, the director, also penned and edited the film.
However, “Riddle of Fire” boasts its fair share of enchantment and allure. Jake L. Mitchell’s nostalgic cinematography, shot on grain-filled 16mm film, marries beautifully with a score that melds old-school lutes and harps with synthesizers, adding a touch of whimsy to the childlike reverie of the story. The young leads’ naturalistic performances and camaraderie, even when lines are fumbled or unintelligible, generally evoke more smiles than frowns.
When the final credits roll, they do so with more of a gentle sigh than a triumphant crescendo, leaving us with a mixed-bag fantasy seen through the eyes of mischievous, wide-eyed youngsters. There are pockets of joy and wonder, but they’re not quite enough to let “Riddle of Fire” stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the cinematic classics that inspired it. The magical ingredients are there, but this cinematic pie needed a bit more time in the oven. [C]
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