Ladder 49

Name: Ladder 49
Released: 2004-10-1
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Morris Chestnut, Robert Patrick, Balthazar Getty

Ladder 49

PG-13
1h 55m
2004

41%

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Academy Award(R) nominated stars Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta ignite the intense action in this heroic tale of ordinary men with uncommon courage! As part of a tightly knit brotherhood of skilled firefighters, Jack Morrison (Phoenix) grows from inexperienced rookie to seasoned veteran as he faces a dangerous job that makes him a hero to strangers but often shortchanges his wife (Jacinda Barrett) and kids. Then, when he becomes trapped in the worst blaze of his career, the things Jack holds most important -- family, duty, courage -- come sharply into focus.

Director:

Jay Russell

Producer:

Casey Silver

Writer:

Lewis Colick

Cast:

Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Morris Chestnut, Robert Patrick, Balthazar Getty, Jay Hernandez, Jacinda Barrett

Rotten Tomatoes® Score

TOMATOMETER®

41%

Critics Consensus: Instead of humanizing the firemen, the movie idolizes them, and thus renders them into cardboard characters.

Reviews

The List

Eddie Harrison

Gail Gilchriest's witless script leaves Phoenix with little to do but flex his muscles, while Travolta rarely steps outside the realms of cliché in his role as a supposed mentor figure.

If looked at as a tribute to our way of life, as opposed to an action blockbuster, it could resonate with audiences in a way no other film touching on the subject has to date.

Except for Jack no one else in the film is very well defined, and it often falls back onto types. The actors are good, and make the best of what they've got, but what they've got is very thin.

Unabashed love letter to firefighters everywhere.

A fairly routine firefighter drama, with burning-building sequences that more or less all look alike.

September 19, 2022

FULL REVIEW