Ladder 49

You know the drill with these firefighter movies—tragedy, comedy, bonding, tragedy, comedy, John Travolta—and Ladder 49 adheres strictly to the blueprint. But no matter how shamelessly it tries to tug at your tear-ducts, it boasts enough blazing buildings to save itself. The story's told in flashbacks, as Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) lies trapped inside a burning 18-story building waiting for rescue units. While wandering in and out of consciousness, Jack revisits rookie hazing, meeting his wife, raising his kids, and above all, learning from his mentor, Mike Kennedy (Travolta) and his chin cleft. Despite rushing through the most challenging moments of a firefighter's life—kids worry, friends die, modern rock ballads play—the cheesy montages help you get to know the guys rushing into the wreckage. Plus, once introductions are out of the way, the action takes over, switching to first-person Steadicam and pumping violent volume into the crackling flames. Unless you're worried about tearing up in the theater—and if you've seen any of Travolta's other work, you aren't—Ladder 49 is worth a trip down the fire pole.