User Reviews

It was thirteen years ago that Ron Howard's ode to firefighters hit theaters with 1991's Backdraft. This was before Howard went on to direct such popular fare as Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. This was before Kurt Russell figured that Captain Ron might a good idea, and most importantly, this was before September 11, 2001.

To say that our impression of firefighters changed that day sounds, well, awkward. Firefighters have always been held in high regard. They run into burning buildings while everyone else is running out. They put their lives on the line to save others. It is a courage that most of us would like to think we have, but few of us are ever put into a position to test.

On September 11, we watched in awe as the buildings collapsed and 340 firefighters were taken from us prematurely. Although the loss of lives that day included thousands of innocents, we warmed to our heroes and it brought their efforts and incredible bravado back to our attention. Immediately after the tragic events, it was not uncommon to see people wave or salute firefighters in the most remote regions of our country. On CNN we began to hear stories of the personal lives of these men. Their support. Their sacrifices.

It is not surprising therefore that our newly energized interest was translated into big screen emotional powerhouses. In 2002, Anthony LaPaglia and Sigourney Weaver played a firefighter and a writer to prepare eulogies for those fallen in the attacks in The Guys. Now, in 2004, red-hot Joaquin Pheonix and John Travolta have teamed up to bring us the highly effective Ladder 49.

Ladder 49 starts with a fire in a large Baltimore factory where multiple firemen have charged to look for survivors and extinguish the posing threat.

Lead by seasoned veteran Jack Morrison (Pheonix), the firemen are able to rescue a helpless employee before the floor gives way trapping Morrison within the building inferno. As Jack lays there helpless awaiting the rescue from his peers, we are sent back in time via the Hollywood standard flashback to understand what brought Jack to his present peril. We see Jack as he enters the fire hall for the first time and meets Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) who takes the new probie under his wing and over the years develops a bond that includes being there when Jack gets married, has kids and steps into the shoes of a search and rescue firefighter who perishes when a roof gives way during a routine house fire. We learn how the firemen bond, how they drink together rather heavily and regularly and how when they lose one of their own, the emotional impact on them and their families

Don't get me wrong, all the above drama plays out while buildings burn, people are rescued from skyscrapers and people are saved from what would be sheer death if not for the charging brave souls of the local Fire Department. There is enough action to keep the younger audiences looking for the quick rush occupied while enough firemen running around in tight t-shirts to keep the women equally transfixed.

But it is the story that sets this film apart from any other firefighting film in memory. We get a good glimpse into the lives of the men and portrait of a young man learning the ropes and growing within the culture and environment that can be sometimes loose and playful only to become serious and deadly at the sound of a bell. Director Jay Russell (My Dog Skip) packs an emotional punch that doesn't try and suck it out of the audience with an unexpected end. Instead, we see Jack being trapped in the opening sequence and we can pretty much see the writing on the wall before the tragic events play out before our eyes.

For all the focus played to the rising star Pheonix, it is the supporting cast that really stands out within the confines of the 105 minute running time. Travolta seems comfortable in playing a supporting role and is effective and powerful in his portrayal as the Captain of an efficiently run firehouse. Also standing above the average fare is Jacinda Barrett who plays Jacks wife. Yet another beautiful Australian actress, Barrett has the largest load in the film as the anchor that questions why her husband and father of her children would risk his lives for others ignoring his own well being. She both shows anxiety and support in her understanding of his passion and it is her strength that gives the film its heart.

To compare Ladder 49 to Backdraft would be unfair. Backdraft did little to bolster our impression of the firefighting community while Ladder 49 shows them for what they deserve to be recognized as – heroes who at the sound of an alarm will put themselves in harms way to help others.

A terrible blaze traps a firefighter (Joaquin Phoenix) in a Baltimore building. As his co-workers (led by chief John Travolta) try to figure out a way to help him escape, Phoenix thinks about the last 10 years of his life. Through those years of fighting fires he experienced triumph (meeting and marrying the love of his life, Jacinda Barrett) and also living through several tragedies (deaths and injuries to fellow firemen). "Ladder 49" is comparable to a legendary athlete, it is not always great but it is great when it has to be. The movie has many shortcomings. There are dead spots galore and watching firefighters getting drunk in wild bars and playing silly pranks on one another do not always put them in a favorable light. However, the film's final act is excellent as we learn what Phoenix's fate is. In many ways an homage to those brave individuals in New York who sacrificed all during the terrorist attacks of 9-11 and also a deceptively smart character study. Travolta is excellent and Phoenix is nearly as good. Members of the supporting cast all have their moments and by the end "Ladder 49" climbed high enough for me. 4 stars out of 5.

For analogy, this is your basic regular American hamburger - not a whopper with added cheese. No spice. Not peppered up. The movie "Ladder 49" is brave in itself that the straightforward script included no foul language, no cliff-hanger action sequence, sappy melodrama or moral preaching. It's telling the life of a fireman as it is through simple everyday vignettes, the rookie fireman, the camaraderie at the firehouse, the family anguish - the profession of a fireman that many of us might have taken for granted. This can very well be a simple telling of the life of a policeman or a soldier in active duty overseas. Unless something disastrous really happens and drastically affects us close to home, we can be unaware of how lucky we are, being able to go about our everyday life, 'safely and peacefully' living in America, with local law enforcement, firefighting emergency services and homeland security efforts available to us.

There are visual effects of fires a-blazing and fire fighting scenes inside and outside of buildings, but there's no dramatic build up to 'glamour' dazzle you like other Hollywood (blockbuster) movies. The initial sequence of the movie suggests a 'hanging' question: will Joaquin Phoenix's character (Jack) survive? But the diverted flashbacks keep our interest: how this rookie fireman came to be a firefighter in action, building a family, the family strife around his dream of a 'riskier' role on Engine 33 team, the loss of lives, the saving of lives. The pace may be leisurely at times and the plot may seem mild to some. We get to see Joaquin Phoenix in a 'lighter' less demanding role (vs. "Gladiator" 2000, "Buffalo Soldiers" 2001 or "Clay Pigeons" 1998). John Travolta is in a supporting role (Captain Mike), giving lightness (smiles) and dignity to the fire chief he portrays.

This is not like "Backdraft" 1991. The apparent danger and risks of the life of a fireman and family is the crux of the storyline. This is a family fare for all - a tribute to the firefighters whose bravery we are grateful of. I appreciate the fact that death is treated as part of life and that we do not go about laying blame on others or beat ourselves up (we learn, stick together and go on). Ah, the firm gentleness in his direction, Jay Russell (who directed "Tuck Everlasting" 2002, "My Dog Skip" 2000) doesn't thrust anything in our face, yet subtly provides short gem moments, and the noteworthy words coming from Travolta, we would remember, won't we?

First, let me explain the movie title.

The firehouse featured in the movie has 2 vehicles. One of them is the more conventional fire truck you see around, the one with the water hoses. That truck is codenamed Engine 33 in this movie. Ladder 49 is its companion truck, the one with the mega-ladder. This truck comprises of the brave men in the fire department's rescue team, those who risk their lives going into burning buildings without water (unlike Engine 33's), for the sole mission of saving other people's lives.

Which raises the question everyone asks of emergency responders (police, fire dept, etc) - what makes them do what they do? In this case, also raised in the movie, what makes them rush into a burning building when everyone else is running out?

We follow the life of Joaquin Phoenix's character, Jack Morrison, whom we see from rookie firefighter (waterboy) to hero, from singlehood to fatherhood. This film, through his character, humanizes emergency responders, their lives, their camaraderie, their courage. It also explores relationships within their families, which is key, as family members struggle to understand the risks their spouses/fathers undertake everyday in their job.

Don't expect another Backdraft, which was more of an "arson-whodunnit", with spectacular beastly fires engulfing the screen. This film dwells more on characterization and drama, with well placed action set pieces between slow moments which will set you thinking, and at the end of the film, appreciating the courage of these brave men and the threats they face daily in their job.

Ladder 49 introduces us to the life of Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix), a firefighter for the Baltimore City fire department. Jack is assigned to Fire Station 33 as a pipe-man for Ladder 49. (Note: The pipe-man holds the water hose nozzle and sprays water onto the fire.) As a new probationary firefighter, Jack is assigned all the little jobs at the firehouse. Station 33 Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), and the other veteran firefighters love to play jokes on the new rookies, including Jack. Captain Kennedy takes Jack under his wing to make him the best firefighter in the city. Time passes, and Jack is now a seasoned veteran on the rescue team. Ladder 49 has been called on a four-alarm fire to a burning 20-story building. Chief Mike Kennedy, his former Captain, is in command of the fire. Jack and the rescue team brave the fire to rescue anyone trapped inside. They save several people, and Jack continues to search for others. Jack finds a man and lowers him to safety, just before the floor collapses around him. Jack falls through the building into the middle of the inferno, and is rendered unconscious. When he awakens, Jack is able to radio to his men that he is alive. Now Jack is the one who needs to be rescued. Chief Kennedy coordinates the effort to save Jack. Awaiting rescue, Jack begins to relive his life with his wife and kids, and his career through flashbacks. If you like firefighter movies, you will like this one, because some of the rescue scenes are spectacular. The fire scenes capture the real dangers and unpredictability of a fire. One line in the movie states it all, 'Everyone is running out of a burning building and only the firefighters are running into the fire.' The movie shows how brave our firefighters are and why we should honor them. (Touchstone Pictures, Run time 1:55, Rated PG-13)(8/10)

Joaquin Phoenix gives a moving performance in "Ladder 49," playing a Baltimore firefighter who goes from rookie to 10-year veteran in the course of the story.

Although its chief selling point is its spectacular - but never hyperbolic - fire sequences, "Ladder 49" is actually at its most compelling when it focuses on the struggle firemen go through trying to balance their high risk occupation with their role as husband and father.

In addition to Phoenix, who brings a self-effacing strength and heroism to his character, there are fine performances by John Travolta as the captain of the station, and Jacinda Barrett as Phoenix's understanding but understandably concerned wife.

In the first half of the film, the screenplay threatens to erupt into a raging inferno of stereotypes and clichés, as the characters take an occasional time out from firefighting for puppy love romance at the supermarket, frat boy antics at the fire station and domestic squabbles involving neglected wives and children at the old homestead. But about halfway through the film, the deeper themes rise to the surface and "Ladder 49" begins to explore complex issues in a mature way. The quiet scenes between Phoenix and Travolta, and Phoenix and Barrett are surprisingly subtle, thoughtful and intelligently written.

It takes a while to get there, but "Ladder 49" turns out to be a tribute worthy of its subject.

This is a film that definitely looks at the day to day lives of firemen as it is primarily through the eyes of Jack Morrison. The film pretty much looks at how he starts off as a rookie, how he meets his wife and how his career progresses until that fateful night. The more I watched this film, the more it reminded me of a classic "Adam-12" episode entitled "Elegy for a Pig". The only differences between that episode and the film were the fact that it was only a half an hour as opposed to two hours for this film and the fact that the only person in that episode to have a speaking role was Martin Milner as his character Pete Malloy described his and his best friend's career from the day he joined the force to the night his buddy was killed in the line of duty. The only negative that I found with this film is that it tended to slow down in certain areas, especially in the scenes involving Jack's home life with his worried wife Linda and their kids. This is a solid if not spectacular film where the action sequences take a backseat to the human drama of day to day life.

Remember the classic Oscar-winning film, "How Green Was My Valley?" What made that film so great was the deep connections of a Welsh mining family and the people around them.

I felt that same deep connection when I saw Ladder 49. Here we see firemen interacting not only on the job but in their personal lives as well. We share their joys and their heartbreaks.

John Travolta shines in a supporting role as the commander of the firemen. Joaquin Phoenix is very appealing as firemen Jack Morrison, whose story is the picture.

While trapped in a burning building, flashbacks are well used to show his life from the time of his joining the fire department, his meeting with his future wife, his marriage and his heroic deeds.

The stalwart ending of the perseverance of firemen, in the face of tragedy, makes this a heartily recommended film.

I'll see virtually anything with John Travolta in it. And I have pretty much come to the same conclusion about Joacin Phoenix as well. Both great actors. 'Ladder 49' is a tremendous vehicle for both guys. With other actors, and maybe other directors, etc., this movie could well have been all macho. You know, the Brad Pitt, Christian Slater kind of winking at the camera, 'aren't we cool' kind of posing. This movie was different, and it caught me a bit off guard, in a pleasant way.

The fire and fire trucks and the shouting and equipment and all of that--- it was fine. I was convinced enough to never think about it. It was also exciting, too. But what was more compelling for me were the people, the human beings. Jack Morrison's (the Phoenix character) wife, played by Whats-her-name (she's new, but will surely become a star), was so un-whiny and real that I swear know her (I don't, she's fictional, but you know what I mean). Travolta amazed, as usual. And all the supporting cast fit nicely under Phoenix and Travolta's skillful actorly wings.

The director also made one of my previous faves, 'My Dog Skip'. This movie is completely different, of course, but it is equally rich and authentic. After the recent disappointmets of seeing such fluff as the mediocre 'House of Flying Dragons', and the appallingly dreadful camp-fest 'Alexander', I found this a treasure. i am sure you will too, and that it will become a genuine classic. I gave it a 10 out of 10.

While eating Taco chips at my parents house, I began thinking about this film. I thought this film will be more Hollywood schlop.

I am very happy to be mistaken. This film gave me a feel of what the fire fighter experience is like. I can not say for sure, for my idea of putting a fire out is the flaming aluminum foil at the family barbecue. This film had romance, fear, joy, and comaradary all rapped in one. Well paced directing, and even better acting. I wish John Taverlota would pick better films, like this one, more often ; what a great actor. Watch in the cheap theaters, for it is gone on the big ones, before the film hits DVD. 7 or 8 pot of 10. I like John T as the drunk chief.

Don't believe the negative hype being thrown around at this movie at all. It is quite simply one of the most extraordinary tributes out there without all the Hollywood-ization that you find in a lot of movies like this. This is as close to real life as you can pretty much get. While I wouldn't say this was a perfect movie nor did it revolutionize anything, I definitely liked it a lot! I thought the flashback sequence was pretty cool and that it panned out well in the end. There were some sad parts and just like in actuality they usually have to go right back to work the very next day. While John Travolta can put on some terrible performances as of late, he carried on tremendously throughout, especially during his speeches. Joaquin Phoenix is always somewhat good even if he's in a lackluster role which fortunately wasn't the case here. It was also great to see Robert Patrick in another civil service role (as it seems to be that he usually gets stuck with) as he is a vastly underrated actor. Overall a great film, I hope it gets a couple Oscar nods next year!

Final Count:

Movies: Worth the ticket price in every way!

DVD Purchase: Possibly, but it'll mean different things to different people.

Rental: Abso-positvely-lutely!

"Ladder 49" is by no means a bad movie and as a matter of fact, it's a professionally made production, with some good actors in it, but it's just that everything in the movie is very formulaic and all the typical clichés you could expect in a movie about firefighters are present here. The movie has no real surprises in it and because of that none of the emotions come over as real. Also compared to "Backdraft", this movie is totally obsolete. It adds nothing to the firefighter movie genre (..as if that even is a genre). "Ladder 49" and "Backdraft" are two similar movies in several ways but "Backdraft" is the better one simply because it has better emotions, character building and sequences featuring fire. It however is of course not fair to compare this two movie just simply because they both are about firefighters. I understand that "Ladder 49" and "Backdraft" are two different movie made with different intentions. However "Ladder 49" is self to blame for this constant comparisons. It copies elements and scene's from "Backdraft" and obviously tries to top the movie in every way possible. Mission failed though...

The storytelling isn't done in the best way. The non-linear storytelling wasn't the best choice for this movie. If the story was told in a more 'normal' way, the emotions and the ending would perhaps had worked better for me. I wasn't exactly grabbed by the story and its character and both were lacking. Not really the actors fault, blame it on the cliché filled script instead. It's obvious that the movie makers wanted to portray the firefighters as true heroes. If the script hadn't been filled with so many clichés, they might had succeeded in this.

The fire sequences were nicely made but to be honest they weren't anything thrilling or exciting. The true essence of the movie is on the characters and the dramatic moments but since the movie isn't exactly successful in this, the movie as a whole also quite isn't.

The musical score by William Ross was better than anticipated and Joaquin Phoenix is a wonderful actor. This truly were the two best elements of the movie.

Nicely made but as a movie not original enough and because of that also quite pointless. Just watch the Ron Howard movie "Backdraft" instead.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

I only mention Backdraft because the reason I never saw Ladder 49 in the theater was because Backdraft was one of those movies that I absolutely loved as a kid and I didn't think, that there was anything that a firefighting movie could do beyond that. If you think about it, there are not a lot of plot structures that are conducive to a firefighting film. Firefighting movies are essentially about the firefighters and the dangers that they face at work every day, but this one focuses more than usual on the family element. Backdraft was about firefighters losing family members in fires more than anything else, Ladder 49 is more about the people at home. Kind of like We Were Soldiers.

The thing that I appreciated the most about the movie was the way it was structured. Jack Morrison walks into a burning building with the rest of his team at the beginning of the movie, and then it cuts back and forth between that fire and the more than a decade that passed between when he joined the firehouse and when he walked into that building. It builds up the story and the tension and our knowledge of the characters in a way that stretches his involvement in that fire out so that we can learn about him and his family while he is fighting that one fire. It's hard to explain more without spoiling anything.

Joaquin Phoenix, who I am so used to seeing play pretty unenviable roles, or at least playing characters that don't have the best luck (see To Die For, 8MM, Gladiator, Clay Pigeons and, probably most of all, Return to Paradise), plays something a little different here. I enjoyed seeing him play such a contented character in this movie, even though he's very good at playing dirtbags and losers. He was happy with his work and he found a wonderful wife and they had a wonderful family, and the initial conflict arose from his wife, who was understandably upset at the very high chance that he could be killed at work. The guy is just a tremendous actor.

But the biggest difference that it has from Backdraft is that it is not an action film, it's a drama. It's not about heroes rushing into towering infernos and pulling out helpless children and pets (or mannequins, as it were), it's about what it is about firemen that makes them want to do what they do. I can't tell you how many times during the movie when I thought about how easy it would have been to change jobs had it been me in Jack Morrison's shoes, but I guess that means I don't have the same drive that these firemen have. I like to think that I have heart and am a good person, I guess I just would have put my family first in such a situation.

But there are men and women that are so dedicated to helping other people and saving lives that they will put themselves and their families second, and those are the real heroes that this movie is meant to recognize. The characters in the movie are not standard movie firemen or action heroes, they are real people with real thoughts who make real decisions that affect the progress of the plot more than the progress of the plot affects them.

Consider the character played by Robert Patrick. There is a point in the movie where you are sure he is going to be the one hardass fireman that gets in the way of Jack Morrison, the hero, and he does. But at that point he can either stay a hero and slink away defeated at the end or he can realize what a great man Jack is and come to his side at the end.

Well, what actually happens is certainly more one than the other, but it happens in such a way that presents his character as a person, not a movie villain or even a movie character, and that's true of everyone in the film. They are all people, not characters, and that's what makes this movie real.

Just how much cheese can there be in one film? How corny can drama become before the audience is forced to make a joke out of every scene? Is there a limit to the amount of clichés that can be packed into a film? And how can a film focus almost entirely on one character, and yet have the audience not know anything about him other than the fact that he's "courageous"? (Which we already know because he's a fire-fighter). All the questions and more are answered in Ladder 49; a great big cheesy, clichéd, hilarious train wreck of a film; masquerading as a serious drama. This is one of those movies that forsakes characterisation, and simply piles on the sentiment to such an extent that some people really will be fooled into thinking this is a good film. Not me, though. The story follows a fire-fighter who finds himself trapped in a burning building. We then follow this guy through his trials and tribulations since joining the fire service. In just a couple of years on the job, he does just about everything imaginable. He gets married, has two kids, gets a commendation, watches a friend get killed and another one injured, fights several fires and even manages to smash a window by swinging from a rope. We see all this, yet I just couldn't care.

It's a sad situation for an audience member to be in when only reason to care for the only "fleshed out" character in the film is because he's the lead. The lead character is basically just your average Hollywood fire-fighter; he's got courage, he feels for his fellow man, he's got a wife who doesn't like him doing his job blah blah blah. The film's message is (all to) obviously that fire-fighters risk their lives etc; and aside from being obvious, this is also rendered pointless by the terrible characterisation. When you can't care for the characters, it's hard to care for the film itself - and what's the point in a message when the audience doesn't care? The acting is absolutely average, with Joaquin Phoenix looking bored most of the time, and John Travolta on autopilot (yet again). Aside from failing as a drama, this awful movie also fails as an action film. Films dealing with fires will always have action in them; but the slow motion sequences and sentiment saturation ensure that the sequences that could have been exciting, are boring. On the whole, if you want to see a film about the trials and tribulations of fire fighting - don't see this one. I guess patriotic Americans may find something of interest in this film, but the best thing I can say about it is that at least me and my friends had fun laughing at how ridiculous it is.

'Ladder 49' pays tribute to the profession of firefighter and as far as I can tell it does a great job. In a film like this you expect heroes with heroic actions, not very plausible, but although there are rescues they were also handled in a plausible way. In the end I really felt for the characters, mainly because the film takes it time to let us know them.

The main character is Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix). We see him and his team of firefighters get into a burning building, climb up to the twelfth floor, help some people. There is one man left somewhere and Jack looks for him, finds him, saves him but is not able to save himself. An explosion drops him a couple of floors down. He is alive but in pain, not able to move that well, fires all around him. Then we flash back to the first day for him as a firefighter.

We see how he is introduced to his team of firefighters: Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) as the friendly and caring leader, Dennis (Billy Burke) who becomes his best friend, Tommy (Morris Chestnut), Lenny (Robert Patrick) and a couple of others with less screen time. We see how he fights his first fire and we see the group and how they act together. Remarkable is that the only villains are the fires. Of course the men have their differences but they are a close team and non of them turns out to be a bad man as we usually see films like this. Then we move back to Jack in the burning building again, where a rescue operation is started by Captain Kennedy.

Most of the film exists out of the flash backs, well chosen and at the right time. The second one introduces Linda (Jacinda Barrett), the girl he starts dating and eventually will marry. The scenes between Phoenix and Barrett are so good, they feel so real, I really hoped the best for the both of them. It is hard to describe their chemistry, but every single scene between them was right. The flash backs tell us a lot, happy moments and tragic moments I will not spoil for you. Neither will I spoil what happens to Jack in the burning building, but I can say the film makes the right choices.

Of course their are heroic deeds, but the film is not really about them. It is about its characters and the acting from all leading actors makes sure we care for them. It has been a while I enjoyed a Travolta performance this much. Again, Phoenix and Barrett find exactly the right note but not only in their scenes together. Besides the great acting we have the fires and the men fighting them. I did not know how the profession works but after seeing this film I think I understand it much better. It felt real, I cared about the outcome. This is a very good film.

I just saw this film with a couple of friends and I was entering in that it would be a decent movie but it was more than just decent. The character development for this film was superb and it really made you look into the character's eyes throughout the film. The story also was neatly planned out and the fire scenes were very intense and spectacular with great action added into it. The boring parts were also between the good stuff and that is, is that the scenes were mostly all the same. I mean it was go to work, get tricked by your friends, go to a bar, and then go to your family. It was always the same on every scene that just made some parts boring. Anyways a good film and at the end they will play a song that I really liked and I am sure that you will like about fire-fighting. I recommend this movie

Hedeen's outlook: 7.5/10 *** B-

I had no interest in seeing Ladder 49 when I heard about it, but my friend had it on DVD and told me that it was a very good film and that I should give it a shot. So, I figured what did I have to loose? Well, I just watched it and I have to admit that while it was very sad, it was so brutally honest and very well done on the truth's of being a fireman. We really don't give these men enough credit for all that they do for us, you know? Ladder 49 showed the pain and the courage that is part of being a fireman.

Jack Morrisan is a rookie fireman who has been through it all, he has witnessed and put out some of the most horrific fires. He's also lost his best friend and seen his friends badly injured. But he's also had the opportunity to meet his wife and had two beautiful children, while saving people's lives, and meeting some very wonderful people. But that may all come to an end when he's in a fatal situation involving being trapped in a burning building.

Everyone did a great job in this film and I really don't understand only a 6.5 rating, I thought it was an honest film with good intentions. After September 11th everyone was calling firemen and policemen their heroes, but I don't think anyone understood why, and this film showed us the utter horror but the courage it takes to be a fireman. The ending was really beautiful and I would recommend this film to anyone.

7/10