Barnes & Noble

This underrated film didn't last very long at the nation's multiplexes, but hopefully it will find a more appreciative audience as a DVD release. Ladder 49 is an exciting, suspenseful movie about heroic firemen and has everything you expect from such films: blazing infernos, daring feats, and last-minute rescues. But it's much more a character study than an action movie, and therein lies its appeal. Joaquin Phoenix plays Jack Morrison, a young fireman assigned to the dangerous search-and-rescue detail. His chief, Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), personally takes charge when Jack is trapped in a burning warehouse -- but there may not be enough time to reach the injured firefighter. In flashbacks we meet Jack's buddies (played by Morris Chestnut, Kevin Daniels, Robert Patrick, and Balthazar Getty, among others) and his wife (former Real World: London housemate {|Jacinda Barrett|}), and we learn how and why he volunteered for hazardous duty. We observe the day-to-day firehouse routine and marvel at the dedication and camaraderie these men exhibit. The characters are clearly and elegantly drawn, and we come to care about them. That counts for more than the visceral thrills provided by director Jay Russell (My Dog Skip) in the movie's unusually convincing fire scenes; the humanity of these men and their families lingers in memory long after the spectacular sequences have flamed out. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

An everyday hero recalls his life as he's forced to look death in the eye in this adventure drama. Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) is a young firefighter who is a member of Ladder Company 49, led by Capt. Kennedy (John Travolta), a tough but compassionate man who looks upon his fellow firefighters as a family. While battling a blaze, Morrison finds himself trapped inside a burning building, and as Kennedy and his men try to find a way to rescue him, Morrison looks back on his life and how he came to choose such a dangerous career. Ladder 49 also features Jacinda Barrett and Brooke Hamlin as, respectively, Morrison's wife and daughter. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 786936242638
• Source: TOUCHSTONE / DISNEY
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: THX-Supervised Mastering, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: Français, Español
• Time: 1:55:00
• Sales Rank: 4,683

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