Playing with Fire Starring John Cena January 19, 2020 bizadmin Superintendent Jake Carson (John Cena) is the commanding officer of a group of smoke jumpers in remote California woodlands. Carson is capable in a crisis and takes tremendous pride in his work, diving into dangerous situations to rescue civilians alongside his team – overtly loyal Mark Rogers (Keegan-Michael Key), nervy and neurotic Rodrigo Torres (John Leguizamo) and “Axe” (Tyler Mane), a huge mute who carries his fireman’s axe everywhere. After rescuing three children from a burning cabin, Carson is contacted by the universally admired division commander Richards (Dennis Haysbert). Richards praises Carson’s work and shortlists Carson for his replacement, Carson’s dream job. [abc] Rogers advises Carson that they are responsible for the welfare of the children Brynn (Brianna Hildebrand), Will (Christian Convery), and Zoey (Finley Rose Slater) under the “Safe Haven Laws”, which require law enforcement and first responders to care for children until they are released to a parent or guardian. Carson leaves a voicemail for the children’s mother who texts back saying that they are on their way. Carson’s attempts to complete his application for division commander are undermined by the children running haywire around the station, and the arrival of Carson’s ex-girlfriend, environmental Doctor Amy Hicks (Judy Greer), a local who protests the smoke jumpers taking water from endangered toad habitats to fight fires. Carson tries to offload the children onto Hicks, who refuses. Despite the mayhem, the rest of the smoke jumpers begin to bond with the children, with toddler Zoey warming up the brutish Axe and Torres teaching Will how to navigate dangerous situations. Brynn pays lip service to Rogers’ admiration of Carson, but then stages an escape on the station’s ATV, spilling oil and slashing tires to prevent chase. Carson catches them by off-roading on a little girl’s bike and corners the children on a dirt road. At Will’s prompting, Brynn admits that they are orphans on the run from foster care, fearing that they will be separated. The text messages were from Brynn herself. The group camp out overnight and Carson promises to hold off calling Child Services until after Zoey’s birthday in two days. [abc] The group goes all out in preparing for Zoey’s birthday, and the four smoke jumpers buy presents for Brynn and Will as well. Carson then tells Will a bedtime story about a yeti who was married to his job, had a son, and then died on the job because he was distracted by having a family. Brynn and Hicks are both touched by the story, which fits in with the circumstances of Carson’s father’s death and Carson’s inability to form relationships. The overboard birthday party is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Richards and Child Services. The children flee in Richards’ car and run off the road right on a cliff. Brynn is trapped in her seatbelt. Carson parachutes down to rescue them and with Will’s help, frees Brynn before the car can roll off the cliff. Back at the station, Hicks and the other smoke jumpers bid an emotional farewell to the children. Richards tells Carson that family can be a source of support and that there is more to life than working. Inspired, Carson refuses to release the children to Child Services under the Safe Haven laws and proposes a plan to adopt all three of them. Sometime later, Carson and Hicks get married to the smoke jumpers and their adopted children in attendance. [abc]
