Ladder 49

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Ladder 49 tosses aside Hollywood's superhero fixation in favor of the real thing in this Backdraft-lite firefighter drama. John Travolta stars as a seasoned vet who leads Joaquin Phoenix and the rest of Baltimore's bravest through an inferno of fireman clichés. Luckily, most of the DVD extras head into the flames with a focus on the rescue action. In "The Making of Ladder 49," Travolta, Phoenix, and crew discuss their intense training against a backdrop of burning building stuntman footage. "Everyday Heroes" interviews real firemen, their families, and, for some reason, Travolta, on the risks and rewards of heading into a house on fire. Too bad the technical featurettes throw water on the extras. The deleted scenes, including a sappy 9/11 scene, are uninspired, and a commentary track with the director and editor approaches pyrotechnics with all the zeal of Smokey the Bear.

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