Ladder 49 Movie Review:


At one of the largest fires in Baltimore's history, fireman Jack Morrison (Phoenix) is trapped in the collapsing building fighting for his life. As Captain Mike Kennedy (Travolta) and the rest of the men from his fire station try frantically to save him, Jack starts to remember his life in the service, the lives he has saved and his wife Linda (Barrett).

Movies about the courageous men of the world’s fire departments are very few but can Ladder 49 show the work of these brave souls in the right light?

After the terrible events of September 11th, the profile of the fire service was the highest it has ever been. The men who lost there lives were rightly proclaimed as heroes and suddenly everyone wanted to know everything about the men and women who run into a burning building when everyone else would be running out. Hollywood took notice and brought us ‘Ladder 49’ but the problem is that they also brought far too much cheese to go with it.

The movie starts well, with an interesting premise and a likeable cast of characters. The film starts with riveting action sequence that sees Jack trapped inside the burning building. Then the filmmakers utilise the flashback sequence to show the ten years that Jack has been in the fire service. We see his probationary period, his first fire, meeting his future wife Linda, the times that tragedy hit the firehouse and the general ups and downs of the job. This is all promising stuff and the characters are strong enough to keep you engaged but there is something all too Hollywood about it all for the movie to be realistic.

One of the major problems is the soundtrack. The music is a mixture of corny rock and roll songs and an overly military-style score that just makes the whole film feel like its coated with a think layer of cheese. Another problem is the dialogue. The banter between the firemen is good but when it comes to the more dramatic elements of the script, the dialogue is sadly lacking and spirals into cliché. When you have Jack wife Linda saying lines like ‘You promised me that it wouldn’t be dangerous’, when she is talking about his job, you know that the script is lacking any sort of reality.

The performances are fine but you wouldn’t be amiss in thinking that John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix can do a lot better than this. The two big name stars seem to be on autopilot throughout, never quite giving their all to the production. The supporting cast fair a lot better however, with Robert Patrick as Lenny Richter and the beautiful Jacinda Barrett as Linda, getting the much better roles.

‘Ladder 49’ is a good premise that suffers from the Hollywood treatment. While the fire set pieces are good and some of the banter between the characters is how you’d expect it to be in a firehouse, the film is far too overly cheesy to make it truly memoriable. This is blatantly apparent in the overly sentimental finale that will have you feeling queasy. All of this combines to produce a very average movie that certainly won’t spark any interest.

Star Rating = * *

Jamie Kelwick

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After 9/11 we have all become more admirable of firefighters and the risks involved in their job. They are ordinary people that day in day out save lives; in my book they surpassed the realm of heroism.

It is hard to criticize a film like Ladder 49, which is a tribute to the everyday lives of firemen. As a tribute and nothing else it is an endearing film with glimpses into a fire company in Baltimore, Maryland. However, as an overall film Ladder 49 barely makes a spark due to lack of substance and story depth.

The film opens with the firefighters of “Ladder 49” arriving at a multiple story warehouse that is up in flames. The dedicated Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) makes his way to the 12th floor where he immaculately rescues a man. However, once the rescued being is lowered to safety an explosion erupts and leaves Jack trapped and injured deep within the inferno. Quickly to the scene is Jack’s mentor and boss Chief Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), who immediately begins to coordinate a rescue attempt.

The film then has Jack continuously flashing back through the last ten years of his life. Included is his first day as a rookie, his rise as a veteran fireman, and the jokes and camaraderie created with his fellow workers. Also revealed is how Jack met his wife (Jacinda Barrett), their wedding, as well as his family’s concerns with the risks that he takes each day. The fires come quick and often throughout the flashbacks, which include Jack being honored by the city as well as losing some of his buddies and others getting hurt.
Director Jay Russell (My Dog Skip) does what he set out to do with this film, which is pay tribute to all firemen. Though the jokes throughout the circle of firefighting co-workers are stale, their sense of respect for one another is identifiable. However, between the numerous fires and late nights at the bars, Russell hardly gives any depth to any of the firemen. Jack and his wife’s relationship is established, but we do not know anything about either before they meet besides Jack being a rookie firemen. It just seems throughout this film that nothing is progressed or looked into between Russell choices and the script by Lewis Colick. Where did Jack train to be a fireman? How did he get selected for the job at “Ladder 49”? What is his boss Chief Kennedy’s story? Characters also arise and just disappear with no explanation, such as Jay Hernandez’s character. The film ultimately lacks depth; it is as if there is a lot of sizzle, but no steak.

On top of being predictable from the first twenty minutes, Russell does bring energy to the intense fire scenes and there are also heartfelt rescues, including some with children. It is hard not to bring up Ron Howard’s Backdraft (1991) into the mix when talking about this film, even though both have their differences. Howard’s film had solid depth, especially with the relationship of the two brothers played by Kurt Russell and William Baldwin, something that is drastically missing in Ladder 49. However, the majority of real firemen did not overly like Backdraft, perhaps due to the scrutiny of the fire-starting Scott Glenn character.

Not having the juiciest of roles, Russell does get what is called for from his cast. As Jack, the reliable Joaquin Phoenix indulges screen with his bright eyes and real emotions. John Travolta is admirable as the understanding and dedicated Chief Kennedy, even though his encounter with the rookies on their first day is weary. Jacinda Barrett almost smiles too much in her first few scenes of the film as Jack’s wife Linda, but brings unsettling emotions throughout the second half of the film. Supporting veterans Morris Chestnutt and Robert Patrick also bring the usual goods to each of their roles.

Ladder 49 lacks a lot of things to be an effective and enduring film; for the most part it lacks story. On the other hand, the film does pay tribute to all of the courageous firemen in the world. Though hampered with problems, Ladder 49 does run high on emotions and is a film that will connect with most audiences.

Grade: C+

Bailey Henderson

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