Quest for Fire

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Quest for Fire

R

1981

1h 37m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In the prehistoric world, a Cro-Magnon tribe depends on an ever-burning source of fire, which eventually extinguishes. Lacking the knowledge to start a new fire, the tribe sends three warriors (Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi) on a quest for more. With the tribe's future at stake, the warriors make their way across a treacherous landscape full of hostile tribes and monstrous beasts. On their journey, they encounter Ika (Rae Dawn Chong), a woman who has the knowledge they seek.

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Critics Consensus

Its characters can't do much more than grunt, but that doesn't keep Quest for Fire from offering a deeply resonant -- and surprisingly funny -- look at the beginning of the human race.

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Dwight Brown

Sepia

Aug 10, 2022

[An] innovative work.

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Oct 22, 2018

Quest for Fire contains a uniqueness rarely seen in the homogenous product of today's film industry.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

An engaging prehistoric yarn that happily never degenerates into a club and lion skin spinoff of Star Wars and resolutely refuses to bludgeon the viewer with facile or gratuitous effects.

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Mar 9, 2024

3/4

If the viewer is able to buy into some of the more ridiculous aspects of the movie and cope with the absence of intelligible dialogue, Quest for Fire emerges as an engaging adventure film.

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Phil Edwards

Starburst

Jul 28, 2022

A movie so rich in entertainment and genuine emotion which seems to race through its hundred minute running time like an express train.

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Larry Vitacco

Philadelphia Gay News

May 27, 2020

4/4

Quest For Fire is thrilling and awesome in its individual and collective achievements.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 13, 2026

Quest for fire = a *4* star Movie!

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canoeman1961 T

@RT91925226 Apr 21, 2026

Although the film conjectures on interactions of species at that time, recent anthropology has shown that a greater likelihood of such interactions and hominid variants around that time could be closer to the how the film portrayed them. This is refreshing, since I absolutely loved the film and its boldness to try and piece together a society that was so removed from ours.

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Andrew Y

@RT62397389 Feb 22, 2024

Think, Bristol - circa 1978……..

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KUSH 2

@RT35791063 Feb 21, 2024

great movie about pre humans

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Alec B

@Alec97 Jan 10, 2024

The plot is actually fairly predictable however you do have to admire the effort that when into this and the bold choice of having no intelligible dialogue for the entire movie.

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dan b

@jbutler53 Jun 24, 2022

it was one of the dumbest movies I have ever seen, like a cult type movie, I spent 3.99 I think, just to watch them jump around and grunt, funny but dumb

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Jean-Jacques Annaud

Director

Everett McGill

Naoh

Rae Dawn Chong

Ika

Ron Perlman

Amoukar

Nicholas Kadi

Gaw

Gary Schwartz

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Synopsis

In the prehistoric world, a Cro-Magnon tribe depends on an ever-burning source of fire, which eventually extinguishes. Lacking the knowledge to start a new fire, the tribe sends three warriors (Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi) on a quest for more. With the tribe's future at stake, the warriors make their way across a treacherous landscape full of hostile tribes and monstrous beasts. On their journey, they encounter Ika (Rae Dawn Chong), a woman who has the knowledge they seek.

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Belstar Productions, International Cinema Corporation (ICC), Stéphan Films
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 12, 1981, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround

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