Customer Reviews
A PRE 9/11 HEROIC FILM - By: stuart, 19 Aug 2007 
Where were you on September 11th, 2001? A little over three years ago, the world stood still as people from across the world witnessed one of the bloodiest & most horrific attacks on American soil by a foreign power. Images of the airplanes slamming into the World Trade Center towers, survivors trapped inside jumping to the ground below, flames rising from the wreckage of the Pentagon, & brave police & fire department workers searching the piles of debris for the remnants of their fallen comrades are ones that will forever be engravedin the minds of the courageous men & women of this beautiful country. And as the nation enters into the public debate of who is the better man to lead the United Statesin this tumultuous timein our history, one has to question whether the left side of the political spectrum has chosen to blot out the memories of this defining moment of our livesin order to conjure up a false September 10th mentality for political advantage or, to the more unlikely affect, to demonstrate the extremely short memories maintain. Whatever the case, we, as a nation, can not believe the foolish rantings of 'disingenuous filmmakers' & their propaganda & simply ignore the memories of those that made the ultimate sacrifice - & further more to those that continue to lay their lives on the line for our protection.
The story for Ladder 49 centers on the eventsin the life of a firefighter who finds himself trappedin a horrific blaze struggling to escape & return to his family. Jack Morrison, just one of several dedicate firefighters of Ladder 49, one of Maryland's most prestigious & courageous firehouses, has spent the last ten years risking his lifein order to save others. Though he has much to be grateful for - a loving wife, two beautiful children, & a dedicated group of co-workers & friends - Jack can't put off the feeling that he may be taking too much of a chance with his line of work. When he first started off at the firehouse, training as a rookie, he couldn't wait to get the call & spring into action putting out blazes & feel that adrenaline pumping. Then after meeting his future wife, Linda, & getting married, he begins to slowly rethink his line of work after a series of tragic circumstances. During what seems like another normal fire, Jack has to coup with the loss of his best friend, & the brother of one of another firefighter, eventually taking on his fallen comrades duties as a Truckee, a far more dangerous job then working the fire hoses. After the birth of his two children, another comrade of Jack's has his face horrifically damagedin a split-second accident. He finds himself so emotionally drained by the event that he can barely bring himself to visit his injured comrade, let alone bring his wife along & having her worry further about him. Jack then begins to question himself over whether he still feels the same way about his job as he did nearly ten years ago or not & if he should taken the position of captain's aide that has been offered to him. When he decides to continue working as a firefighter & saving the lives of those that truly need him, he finds himself trappedin a tremendous blaze that could very well bring his life to a sudden halt. The story for Ladder 49 is simply nothing short of astounding. There are just so few words to accurately describe the vivid emotions presented through this film's brilliantly crafted script. The image of Jack Morrison lying on the ground surrounded by flames & debris immediately following his rapid freefall descent down several floors of the burning building conjured up some of the most fervent memories of the aftermath of September 11th - an effect the filmmakers definitively wanted crossing the minds of the audience. In order to fully realize the movie's heart-warming & inspiration message, one must see the film for themselves.
Once again here is a clear demonstration that you don't need a tremendous amount of A-list talent, let alone a still not world renowned leading man, to create a truly emotionally loaded feature film to life. Joaquin Phoenix, who appeared earlier this yearin the surprisingly disappointing The Village, without question immortalizes himself as a future leading man with his performancein this film. Though he had appearedin both Gladiator & Signs, two critically praised & publicly well-received blockbusters, Phoenix was known more as a co-star & failed to be seenin the form of a famous leading man up to this point. The entire performance of the film rests on Phoenix's shoulders, as the storyline focuses solely on the eventsin his characters life, & he never once faultsin his emotionally dedicated role. John Travolta, whose career seems to have hit a bit of a slump as of late, returnsin fantastic form with his role as Chief Kennedy, the captain of Ladder 49, who trains & watches over Phoenix's character over his ten year career. Though the film's primary focus is on Jack Morrison, the balanced mentor-protégée relationship demonstrated through the film's nearly two hour time span offers. And,in all respects, Travolta is the man who holds the firehouse together - he brings them together when they're fighting, comforts them when are at a loss, & lifts them up when they need it most - it may not be the most original characterin the book but, hey, why mess with success? The only disappointing aspect of the film when concentrating on the area of casting was the lack of originality when it came to each individual background character but this can easily be overlooked once you realize that Phoenix's performance is the only one that is suppose to have resounding effects.
Overall, Ladder 49 successfully draws Americans back to the emotionally draining days of three years ago when we saw the most courageous & dedicated individuals amongst us risk their livesin the pursuit of fulfilling their civic duty knowing full well that many of them weren't coming back. Though the issue of September 11th, & more specifically the deaths of the three-hundred & forty-three firefighters that were lost on that horrific day, is not dealt with specificallyin this film, Ladder 49 does achieve its goal of bringing public awareness to the rigorous careers of those that put their lives on the line everyday to ensure our safety & by that creates renewed aspiration for its audience. There are those that are going to criticize the film for its lack of originality, which, frankly, is astounding considering a majority of critics praised Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow barely two weeks ago despite nearly the exact same flaw. Besides, any film that consistently & thoroughly has audience members either on the verge of crying or flat-out balling their eyes out, not only at its climatic ending but sporadically throughout the feature, should be given credit for pulling off an achievement that is so rare at the box office these days. At long last, firefighters are given the proper treatment on the silver-screen they have so long deserved, The job may not be the easiest, it may even be quite draining not only for them but for their loved ones as well, but,in the end, it is usually those occupations that turn out to be the most fulfilling because they know that they are doing something goodin the world.
A film about why men run into burning buildings. - By: Mr. Stephen Kennedy, 02 Aug 2007 
You can just tell that this movie has oodles of good intention oozing from every pore, & taken as a whole, it does work as a tribute to the noble profession of firefighter. However, the story arc covers no new ground, & cannot really be describedin any way as multilayered - what you see is what you get. Having said that, the director treats these predictable scenesin a sensitive way that involves you more than you might expect.
What you do get, is Joachin Phoenix' character injured & trappedin a large burning building, & as he waits for his rescue, we see his life unfold through flashbacks to key events, starting from when he first walks into the fire station as a probationary fire officer. Told just that about the movie, you can probably guess where it goes... boy meets girl, boy marries girl, boy has first kid, boy has second kid, boy has bad things happen to colleagues, boy wonders if he isin the right job considering he now has family, boy realizes he loves his job & stays. It's not particularly clever, & yet, at the end of the movie you will have an appreciation for the life of a firemanin a typical blue collar environment, which was surely the films goalin the first place. John Travolta plays the father figure Captain of the station, adding little depth to the role, but Joachin Phoenix does a passable job, gaining plaudits at least for his willingness to get right into the thick of the action & look the part. Apparently after training he became an honorary member of the firefighting team he trained with, even getting their tattoo.
If anything else raises the film from mediocrity, it is the firefighting scenes. Not just that that they have been created realistically, but that they have a real flavour of realism about them - these smack of realistic situations for firefighters, & not scenes that are chosen purely for dramatic value. The effects thankfully shy away from cgi, & the sound mix helps add to a feeling of being `inside' the fire. Best of all, the movie does not rely on these scenes to keep your interest, but they become part of the character drama.
Interestingly,in the extras the deleted scenes do add some value - one plot linein particular which has one of the firefighters dealing with the loss of his brother through sinking into a spiral of drinking, shows both the emotional & mental strain of the job & the toll it takes, as well as the camaraderie of the firefighters that help him get through it. Otherwise, the extras cover predictable ground, making of, tribute to firefighters etc. Some of the scenes showing the cast going through firefighting school are moderately interesting.
Allin all, a modest success, but one that somehow you can't help feeling should have had more to it, given the talent involved. What it does achieve, is tackling not an action movie, but a sensitive character study, & why a man will run into a burning building, when everyone else is coming out.
SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE... - By: Lawyeraau, 15 May 2007 
First & foremost, this is a drama, not an action film, about firefighters, with the focus on one firefighterin particular. The film tells the story about the life this one firefighter, whose life is revealedin flashback, when he finds himselfin a bit of difficulty while fighting a fire & engagingin a rescue. That singular momentin time is groundedin the context of his life as a firefighter. While the film may be said to be somewhat formulaic & predictable, it does not take away from the fine acting, the great fire fighting sequences, & the poignant & funny moments that occur throughout the film. In many ways it is reflective of life itself, with some highs & lows, as well as a ready, steady core of realityin which all is grounded.
The firefighter who finds himselfin a quandary is Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix), a firefighter at a Baltimore firehouse. The viewer sees Jackin his rookie days as he is initiated into the brotherhood of firefighters & begins the bonding process with his fellow firefighters, whereby they become "family". Some of those bonding scenes are quite funny, especially the one involving his initial meeting with the then Captain of the firehouse, Mike Kennedy (John Travolta). Others are quite serious & poignant, as the dangers of the job are brought home to the viewer, especially when Jack loses a member of the brotherhood that is near & dear to him. The film shows, as the years go by, Jack's progression through the ranks from rookie to respected firefighter. It is clear that it is a job that he loves, despite the ever present danger to life.
As the viewer sees Jack's professional life unfold, the viewer also catches glimpses into Jack's personal life, from the moment that he meets his future wife, Linda (Jacinda Barrett), to the moment of their wedding & the birth of their children, with the wife & children also becoming part of the larger firefighter family or brotherhood. The film also shows the tremendous pressure & stress that a firefighter's job can have on one's spouse & children with their ever present concern for the safety of that beloved firefighter. After all, firefighters go where others dare not, simply so that others may live. The film shows how firefighters & members of their families cope with this ever present sword of Damocles that hangs over their respective heads.
Joaquin Phoenix, who is one of the finest young actors of his generation, gives a low key, but poignant, performance as the salt of the earth kind of guy who wants to do the best that he can for those whom he loves,in a job that he loves, with those with whom he loves working. He gives a quintessential portrayal of a working class guy for whom firefighting & family are concepts at the central core of his being. John Travolta gives a humorous and, at times, affecting performance as Mike Kennedy, the firefighting official who clearly is not above playing a practical joke on his firefighters but who pulls out all the stops to ensure that none are left behind when fighting a fire. Jacinda Barrett is effectivein the role of Linda, the concerned wife who does her best to allay her fears and, over time, become supportive of her husband's chosen career. The rest of the supporting cast is equally effectivein their respective roles.
This is a film that those who would like to sneak a peek into the life of a firefighter will appreciate. It will certainly let the viewer see the everyday types of situations that may confront a firefighter, as well as enable the viewer to discern why firefighters form such close relationships with each other. After viewing this film, a viewer can certainly walk away with an understanding as to why firefighters are such a unique brotherhood & why they bond as they do. It takes a special person, indeed, to walk into a towering inferno. This film does firefighters proud, & my hat is certainly off to firefighters everywhere. It is with good reason that we,in The Big Apple, call our firefighters New York's bravest.
kellie - By: kelie, 28 Apr 2007 this film was so good from to start to finish, its strange how they keep you watching a film for so long about a man who is traped, but the fact that they keep throwingin flash backs really keeps you hooked, its got a bit of every thingin which always helps & trust me if you get this also order kleenex because you will cry so much x
Ladder 49 - By: Now You Know, 24 Mar 2007 hi, i was really looking forward to seeing this as i enjoyed backdraft. it has lots of fire scenes & shows us how greatful we should be towards fireman. the fires are relistic. graet picture & special effects. this also has some top notch actors in. an emotional action movie that you won't regret seeing. thanks.
