3rd February, 2005

TONY TOWNSEND

John Travolta stars as Mike Kennedy in a scene from LADDER 49, directed by Jay Russell. © TOUCHSTONE PICTURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Distributed by Buena Vista International. "Action sequences and special effects feature prominently but the movie is given balance with glimpses into personal realities."

Ladder 49 (M)

Ladder 49 is a journey in the life of Jack Morrison, a soft hearted but determined Baltimore firefighter played by Joaquin Phoenix. The film ends where it begins, with Morrison trapped and injured in a multistory building being engulfed by flames, and the story in between is presented retrospectively, with the audience given a glimpse of the defining moments in Morrison’s life. Action sequences and special effects feature prominently but the movie is given balance with glimpses into personal realities. Comradeship, relational tensions, practical jokes, marriage, fatherhood, grief, and death all make up the life of Morrison. John Travolta gives a stand-out performance as the fire chief and mentor of Morrison, John Kennedy. The movie sets out to show the courage and bravery that firefighters display which some of us already know but doesn’t hurt us to be reminded. Bear with the some of the predictable rescue scenes involving Morrison; they’re necessary to make a film of this genre. The end for some may prove unpredictable, perhaps even disappointing, but in some ways it’s fitting given the drift of the storyline. For those who normally give action movies a wide berth, there are moments here that will certainly capture your attention.