Fireheart

I watched Fireheart on a Tuesday night while trying to convince myself that a bowl of slightly stale Honey Nut Cheerios counts as a balanced dinner, and honestly, the film’s manic energy was the perfect pairing for a sugar rush. It’s one of those movies that feels like it’s constantly running three minutes late for a bus—breathless, colorful, and occasionally tripping over its own feet.

Set in the soot-stained, jazz-infused New York City of the 1930s, the story follows Georgia Nolan (Olivia Cooke), a teenager who has spent her life dreaming of joining the FDNY. The problem? It’s 1932, and the professional consensus is that women are apparently too delicate to hold a heavy hose. When a mysterious arsonist starts vanishing Broadway’s leading men in puffs of purple smoke, the city’s firefighters disappear along with them. Desperate, the Mayor (William Shatner) calls Georgia’s retired captain father, Shawn (Kenneth Branagh), back into service to lead a ragtag group of volunteers. Seeing her shot, Georgia glues on a mustache, deepens her voice, and joins the squad as "Joe."

Mulan with a Fire Hose

If the "girl disguises herself as a boy to join the army/fire department/boy band" trope feels familiar, it’s because it is. Fireheart doesn't exactly reinvent the narrative wheel; it’s essentially Mulan with more suspenders and fewer Huns. However, in our current era of "girl power" cinema, what I appreciated about Georgia wasn't just her ambition, but her sheer, clumsy persistence. Olivia Cooke (who I’m used to seeing in much grittier roles like House of the Dragon) brings a scrappy, vocal grit to Georgia that keeps her from feeling like a hollow "strong female lead" archetype.

The adventure beats are surprisingly solid. The film captures that 1920s/30s Art Deco aesthetic with a vibrant, almost neon palette that makes the fires look like something out of a psychedelic dream. The "mystery" of the arsonist provides a decent enough hook to keep the plot moving, even if you’ll likely figure out the culprit’s identity about twenty minutes before the characters do. It’s a classic "journey" film—Georgia has to navigate the physical perils of a burning building while managing the emotional peril of her father finding out her secret. The camaraderie between the volunteer misfits—including Ryan W. Garcia as the charismatic Ricardo—is where the comedy shines, even if some of the gags feel like they were written for a much younger audience.

The Mid-Budget Animation Struggle

What fascinates me about Fireheart is its place in the modern cinematic landscape. We live in a time dominated by the "Big Three"—Disney, Pixar, and Illumination—who have budgets that could probably fund a small nation’s space program. Fireheart is a French-Canadian co-production from the team behind Leap! (also known as Ballerina), and you can see that "indie-blockbuster" friction on screen.

The animation is slick and the character designs are charming, but it lacks that hyper-detailed texture we’ve been conditioned to expect. Yet, there’s something refreshing about its lack of pretension. It’s not trying to be a deep philosophical meditation on the soul; it’s trying to be a fun, 92-minute adventure about a girl and her dog. Speaking of the dog, the Dalmatian is essentially a sentient pile of slapstick tropes that nearly hijacks the movie, providing the kind of physical comedy that reminds me why kids (and, let’s be honest, me) still find falling over funny.

I do wonder how this film would have fared in a pre-streaming world. It feels like the ultimate "discovery" on a streaming platform—the kind of movie a parent puts on to keep the kids quiet, only to find themselves actually sitting down and enjoying the father-daughter chemistry between Kenneth Branagh and Olivia Cooke. In a theatrical market saturated with sequels and established IP, original stories like this often get smothered. Fireheart didn't have a massive Marvel-style marketing machine, so it relies entirely on its own charm to survive.

Stuff You Didn't Notice

If you listen closely to the Mayor, you’ll realize William Shatner is having the absolute time of his life. He brings a weird, hammy gravitas to a role that could have been a cardboard cutout. It’s a reminder that even in "smaller" animated features, getting the voice casting right is half the battle. Also, keep an eye on the background posters and billboards—the production design team did a fantastic job of layering in authentic-feeling 1930s ephemera, which gives the city a lived-in, historical texture that balances out the more cartoonish elements.

The film also subtly tackles the "pandemic era" vibe of essential workers. While it’s set nearly a century ago, the themes of bravery in the face of an invisible, terrifying threat (the mysterious arsonist) and the reliance on volunteers feel oddly resonant for a 2022 release. It doesn't beat you over the head with it, but the appreciation for the "person in the uniform" is baked into every frame.

Ultimately, Fireheart is a cozy, high-energy adventure that hits all the right emotional notes without breaking any new ground. It’s a film that knows exactly what it is: a sweet, slightly predictable, but genuinely earnest tribute to chasing a dream when the world tells you to stay in your lane. It might not be the next Into the Spider-Verse, but as a breezy weekend watch, it’s got plenty of spark. If you’re looking for something that captures the thrill of a classic "quest" with a modern sensibility, this fire is definitely worth stoking.