Ladder 49 (2004)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Jay Russell

Writer (WGA):

Lewis Colick (written by)

Release Date:

1 October 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A bond forged by fire is never broken.

Plot:

Under the watchful eye of his mentor Captain Mike Kennedy, probationary firefighter Jack Morrison matures...

Plot Keywords:

Firefighter | Fire | Irish Catholic | Catholic Church | Warrior

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Joaquin Phoenix	...	Jack Morrison
John Travolta	...	Captain Mike Kennedy
Jacinda Barrett	...	Linda Morrison
Robert Patrick	...	Lenny Richter
Morris Chestnut	...	Tommy Drake
Billy Burke	...	Dennis Gauquin
Balthazar Getty	...	Ray Gauquin
Tim Guinee	...	Tony Corrigan
Kevin Chapman	...	Frank Mckinny
Jay Hernandez	...	Keith Perez
Kevin Daniels	...	Don Miller
Steve Maye	...	Pete Lamb
Robert Lewis	...	Ed Reilly (as Robert Logan Lewis)
Brooke Hamlin	...	Katie Morrison
Spencer Berglund	...	Nicky Morrison

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense fire and rescue situations, and for language.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

India:UA | Iceland:10 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40479) | South Korea:12 | Sweden:7 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The original script, written before the terrorist attacks on the USA of 11 September 2001, set the events in New York.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jack is lowering the victim from the warehouse in the beginning of the movie the rope is wrapped around the metal construction. However, when the explosion occurs to his side we can see that the rope is no longer wrapped around the metal but simply lying across it.

Quotes:

Chief Kennedy: It's never an easy thing, saying goodbye to a brother firefighter, it's not. And this time, particularly is difficult for me because I watched Jack grow into a, well, into one of the finest firefighters I've ever known. He joined this department because he wanted to help people...

Movie Connections:

Edited into Underdog (2007)

Soundtrack:

Big Sweet Life

Ladder 49 is a great fire-fighting movie in a post 9/11 world. These are the real heroes put into a movie.

Ladder 49 is directed by Jay Russell and stars Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, and Jacinda Barrett. Ladder 49 is the story of Jack Morrison (Phoenix), a firefighter and his life. These are the real heroes of life and it's great to see another firefighter movie, this time in a post 9/11 world.

The movie may look bad from the trailers and it looks like the climax is predictable but the movie is put in a way that keeps you hooked and interested, making it a pleasant surprise for me this year.

Jack Morrison is a firefighter and starts out as a rookie at the Baltimore Fire Department known as Ladder 49 and Engine 33. He goes through the tough moments and the fun moments as a firefighter and starts to love his job and his fellow co-workers including Captain Mike Kennedy (Travolta). They become a family and you see Jack go through his life, his Catholic life (I'm impressed). He learns more, meets a woman (Barret) who he ends up marrying and life is good. Accidents happen though as they go through tough fires. The fire that happens at the beginning is the climax but is gradually explained throughout the whole movie.

Overall, Ladder 49 is a great firefighter movie filled with intense and thrilling fire-fighting action. It's filled with buddy comedy and a good dose of drama too. Again, these are the real heroes of life and the movie well portrays what real firefighters have to go through. Great performances by Phoenix, Travolta, even Barrett and all the other supporting actors. It's one great movie and it shouldn't be missed.

My Rating: 8/10

Eliason A.