unt , ▁but ▁that ▁doesn ' t ▁keep ▁Qu est ▁for ▁Fire ▁from ▁offering ▁a ▁deeply ▁reson ant ▁-- ▁and ▁surprising ly ▁fun ny ▁-- ▁look ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁race ." ▁ ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁three - and - a - half ▁stars ▁out ▁of ▁four , ▁writing ▁that ▁he ▁saw ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁" border line ▁comedy " ▁in ▁the ▁opening ▁scenes , ▁" But ▁then ▁these ▁characters ▁and ▁their ▁quest ▁began ▁to ▁grow ▁on ▁me , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁movie ▁was ▁over ▁I ▁c ared ▁very ▁much ▁about ▁how ▁their ▁lives ▁would ▁turn ▁out ." ▁Gene ▁S isk el ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁awarded ▁three ▁stars ▁out ▁of ▁four , ▁stating ▁that ▁" you ▁may ▁be ▁tempt ed , ▁as ▁I ▁was , ▁to ▁shout ▁wis ec ra cks ▁at ▁the ▁screen . ▁But ▁then ▁the ▁basic ▁appeal ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁begins ▁to ▁work , ▁and ▁every ▁so ▁often ▁we ▁find ▁ourselves ▁asking ▁ourselves , ▁' I ▁wonder ▁if ▁that ' s ▁the ▁way ▁it ▁did ▁happen ?' ▁And ▁when ▁that ▁happens , ▁' Qu est ▁for ▁Fire ' ▁has ▁you ▁hook ed ." ▁Jan et ▁Mas lin ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁" more ▁than ▁just ▁a ▁h ug ely ▁entertain ing ▁science ▁less on , ▁although ▁it ▁certainly ▁is ▁that . ▁It ' s ▁also ▁a ▁touch ing , ▁fun ny ▁and ▁susp ense ful ▁drama ▁about ▁pre hum ans ." ▁She ila ▁B enson