Former TV stars battle for non-careers..As Xander aka Nicolas Brendon post BTVS tries to battle against Chakotay aka Robert Beltran (Star Trek Voyager) battles fort he title of formerly had a career on a hit TV show.Oh wait.. they have new names for this movie? Oh OK my bad..They are jake and Cooke respectively this time around.. though I'd bet most ppl would be far more likely to remember them for their former roles..Hire former stars out of pity or desperate attempt to pass production off as bigger budget? Check! Made for TV? Yep Low budget? Double Check Sub par childish writing? check check & check! Hired local HS geek club for special effects? Running out of checks fast! (Limit of one check for each geek/nerd please!) Syfy managed to not make a 100% disaster unlike most they touch? Check!Actually all things considered not bad.. and "Xander" being notoriously drunk as hell during this time period probably helped I'm guessing..it's campy at best.. very poor/low budget everything and has a huge # of errors of course.. but scary enough it's actually watchable.. unlike so much crap esp that has been on TV as of late as I've commented elsewhere (including horrid uwe boll crap)Trivia as well as how to cut down on expenses for the script: The "abandoned glass factory" and "local fuel source" actually are exactly that IRL... (Vopak storage for the tanks iirc)The Glass factory (Consumer's Glass Factory, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada http://www.IMDb.com/search/title? locations=Consumer%27s%20Glass%20Factory,%20Hamilton,%20Ontario,%20C anada&ref_=ttloc_loc_5 ) isn't abandoned however.. but it has not operated as such in many decades. I've worked there on set for several films using the same location including "Weapon" (aka Cyborg Soldier (2008)) IMDb tt1151928 , & "The Incredible Hulk" IMDb tt0800080 & many others..Also note Filming at the Glass factory for both Hulk and "Weapon" were taking place at virtually the exact same time. We had to work around the creation of the freshly green painted walls for the "military base" section due to scheduling conflicts.Oh also note.. While I poke fun at Nicolas and Robert as former stars.. it's only in fun and it is true they really are former stars at this point compared to their former status... and they both are still working away in the industry so applause for them on that point :)I'm sure both are very nice guys as have the vast majority of those I've worked with. (I was not on set for this production at all) And I'm sure they would both happily laugh at themselves and this review as well unlike idiots such as uwe boll (whom I'd happily accept his idiotic challenge btw just for the fun of deflating his absurdly over inflated ego)

I do admittedly get some novelty value out of SyFy's movies, though most of them are simply terrible. Fire Serpent is not their worst, but when I say that most of their movies are terrible Fire Serpent is not an exception. The scenery is bright and colourful, but that's pretty much it for redeeming values, because everywhere else visually the editing is choppy at best and the effects are mostly artificial-looking, if never quite Titanic II or Mega Piranha bad. The script and characters are cardboard-thin, with the script also cheesy and the characters, even with some attempt at back story and motivations, are still unengaging. Even worse is the story which is contrived and dull for the most part and lacking any sort of suspense or excitement. The actors seem to know the movie is bad and don't really seem to have their hearts in it. That's including Nicholas Brendan, who I liked in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In conclusion, too contrived and never ignited my fire, sorry. 1/10 Bethany Cox

The plot of FIRE SERPENT is somewhat intriguing - alien creatures emerge from the Sun and attack Earth . You could easily see this plot being used by a Hollywood studio where a couple of A list actors and actresses battle demonic creatures from Hell with the future of civilization at stake . Certainly it sounds like a very easy to market . Sadly the pitch was made to the sci-fi channel and not a major Hollywood executive From the outset we're shown that there's aliens involved but the characters don't realise this which means the narrative is very sluggish . If you're writing a script make sure the audience are as knowledgeable characters in the story or don't construct the story as a mystery . because it quickly becomes tedious when the characters are trying to unravel the causes of mysterious fire deaths while the audience knows whats happening The writers also fail to keep things tightly plotted with a few too many characters and subplots . There's some callous FBI spooks on the case along with a TV crew , not to mention the religious fanatic and a friendly sheriff . There's plot conveniences of the fire monster burning down a house but no one being around to see it . Why did the monster burn down the house ? Ask the writers because there's on screen explanation as to why That said the film could have been saved somewhat if they been impressive production values . A story like this would have greatly benefited from a big budget that would have included atmospheric night sequences . Sadly however it's made for the Sci-Fi channel which means all the sequences are shot in daylight and all the special effects are very obviously created with CGI

Because when you really think about it, all their stories have similar plots. Shadowy government agency creates CGI monster which proceeds to reek havoc.The plot line of this one begins in 1966, where a firefighter is making out with his girlfriend after putting out a forest fire. Forget that women didn't dress like that or wear their hair like that in 1966, or serve as firefighters, for that matter. No, we have to set up the plot here. She is possessed by the alien fire serpent and launches a sequence of really bad special effects.Anyway, flash forward to the present, where we have another forest fire, and a bunch of fires starting in mysterious places, being investigated by the Government Babe. (Note, a Sci-Fi channel original always has a government Babe or Hunk who helps the good guys!) the 1966 guy mysteriously shows up to watch the alien fire blow up the lunch wagon and kill a firefighter who tries to put it out.Well, along comes Robert Beltran of Star Trek Voyager fame. Yup, you can't have a Sci-Fi original film without a washed up Star Trek actor. Instead of playing his usual new-age Castrati, Beltran plays a shadowy government agent who happens to be a religious fanatic. The word "Miscast" comes to mind. He believes the fire serpent is here to start the Apocalypse, and just needs a little help. Like sneaking it onto the government's strategic oil reserve.The movie concludes with the actors running around unconvincingly fighting an imaginary CGI monster that is filled in later.