Ladder 49 (2004)
Genre: Action / Drama
Duration: 115 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Jay Russell
Stars: John Travolta, Joaquin Phoenix and Robert Patrick
IMDb score:
6,5 (60.891)
Releasedate: 1 October 2004
Ladder 49 plot
"Their greatest challenge lies in rescuing one of their own"
Jack Morrison is an ambitious firefighter who grows from a rookie to a seasoned professional. His dangerous and demanding job demands a lot of energy and is often at the expense of his wife and children. He finds support from his mentor and commander Mike Kennedy and from his second family 'De Broeders van de Brandweerkazerne'. But when Jack is surrounded by a blaze during a tough job, it becomes clear to him what life is really all about; family, dignity and courage. While his colleagues from Ladder 49 do everything they can to save him, Jack's life hangs by a thread.
Actors and actresses
Jack Morrison
Captain Mike Kennedy
Linda Morrison
Lenny Richter
Tommy Drake
Dennis Gauquin
Ray Gauquin
Tony Corrigan
Frank Mckinny
Keith Perez
Reviews & comments
Glennekeeeee
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- 304 messages
- 429 votes
very solid action drama that, despite the clichés, holds its own. The film begins with a fire in which the character of Phoenix gets trapped. While his colleagues try to save him, he sees his whole life flash by, which we as viewers can witness. In that area, Ladder 49 takes a smart approach. The main action is in that opening scene and is stretched nicely throughout the story. Budget smart and it works effectively in this movie too. What is unfortunate is the story. It is not disturbing in itself, but it is rather cliché, predictable and all in all it has little to do with life. It is therefore especially Phoenix who carries the film perfectly and gives the thin story more soul than it actually has. Travolta plays solidly but doesn't really get much to do anywhere and the connection with Phoenix is all in all carelessly worked out. Visually it does look good with a mix between very stable, flowing movements to rough found-foutage-like moments to give the rawness of the firefighters a little more. In itself I would give this film a 6, but I raise it to a 6.5 because of the ending. Because of the predictable cliché story, I did not expect that they would have the balls at the end to effectively work out the best ending and I'm happy about that. It gives something extra to what went before and gives a little more depth to this action film.
Ladder 49 is an entertaining action film with a strong Phoenix supported by an otherwise more than decent cast in a clichéd but not really disturbing story.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Movsin
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- 8264 messages
- 8426 votes
Action/drama that certainly emphasizes the dangers of the profession of firefighter and pays tribute to these people. Sometimes I thought about 9/11...
The sequence of events that take place in the film can be approximately predicted, but it does not prevent the entire structure from being of a neatly groomed level and, moreover, the acting performances of Phoenix (especially) and Travolta are quite OK.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Lovelyboy
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- 3906 messages
- 2920 votes
After seeing it many years ago, it was time to review it again. I could remember that the film didn't exactly live up to expectations at the time. I probably expected a bit more action from it at the time and was especially disappointed in the constant flashbacks that mainly outline the life of a firefighter and the whole run-up.
What strikes me especially in the first minutes is the eye for beautiful shots during the fire in the opening, but especially the excess of fire and explosions. In a 90s product such as Backdraft, for example, that is still acceptable, but knowing how this film will develop further harms the excess and I think the fuss is very exaggerated. If this had been executed more soberly, the film would have gained a little more reality in my opinion. But luckily that excess only lasts until the beginning and after that a very different kind of film develops quickly. A let's say drama 'light' as far as I'm concerned. There isn't much action left after that, but that doesn't matter. A very nice film with a fairly broad picture of what a firefighter encounters, what life is like and the social and private problems, unfolds.
All in all, a nice looker. And especially that first fire where Phoenix gets his baptism of fire, while extinguishing with Travolta in the burning living room, very nicely portrayed.
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