Ladder 49 was among the first fictitious movies based on the risks and personal lives of firefighters since 9/11. It attempts to showcase the trials and tribulations of a typical firefighter, their pride, respect, and brotherhood involved in their workday. Trying to make a picture that celebrates what these men do for citizens on a daily basis is a pretty daunting task, as firefighters truly are heroes, how does Ladder 49 end up?

Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) is the rookie firefighter in the Baltimore firefighting unit, Ladder 49. The movie opens with him attempting to rescue a man in a burning warehouse; there is an explosion and Jack is trapped, near dead. The rest of the movie follows the attempt to rescue him by fellow Ladder 49 firefighter Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) while flashing back to moments in Jack’s life, like meeting his future wife, the birth of his children, his first day as a firefighter, and his bonds with his fellow firefighters.

Ladder 49 manages to depict the daily life of firefighters in detailed and realistic manner, showcasing the daily risks these men and women encounter. Aside from paying homage to the career, it manages to be an entertaining movie with hints of comedy. John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix as always managed to impressively portray their characters most notably the ladder. It was also a treat to see Robert Patrick on the screen, as his acting is always impressive, and I hardly get to enjoy it.

Overall, Ladder 49 is solid movie; there are moments of joy, sadness, relief, and shock. Although it is nothing spectacular, it is a good movie to check out at least once if you haven’t already.

Video

Presented in a 1080p 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Ladder 49 has never looked this great. Colors are excellent; especially the reds of the fire truck but the scenes containing fire looked the best. With such clarity it gave the flames a 3D effect, almost as if the fire was flowing through the screen. Flesh tones and facial detail both looked impressive the for most of the film, however I found at times the picture to be a bit too soft when compared to other recent Buena Vista releases. This softness is apparent several times throughout the film but never becomes more then a minor issue. Aside from this, Ladder 49 still looks great and offers a vast improvement over its DVD counterpart.

Audio

Ladder 49 is fitted with two audio tracks, Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM, and both sound terrific. The film may be about fire, but most of the film is dialogue driven. Be that as it may, it still sounds great and the sound really picks up once that fire bell rings. The clear crackles and loud explosions of the burning building sounded great and made great use of bass and rear channels; this is where the movie really shines in terms of audio. It’s hard to knock any uncompressed audio track as they all sounds great, Ladder 49 is no different.

Special Features

We are given a decent amount of special features, all that should be checked out if you want to see how this film was made.

• Audio Commentary – Commentary with Director Jay Russell and Editor Bud Smith.
• Making of Ladder 49 – We are given twenty minutes of making of footage divided into three separate parts. As a whole they give us a good amount of information on the film’s production, ranging from the creation of the fiery buildings and training the films actors had to endure.
• Everyday Heroes – A fourteen minute look at the real heroes who risk their lives every day on the job. This feature gives us a closer look the Baltimore firefighters, their families and the dangers they face.
• Deleted Scenes – We are given five deleted scenes that are worth checking out for fans of the film. None really add to the film but I did find the 9/11 scene touching.
• Shine You Light Music Video By Robbie Robertson
• Movie Showcase

Final Thoughts

Ladder 49 looked and sounded great, which in itself is enough of a selling point for fans of the movie. The features were decent, but nothing extravagant enough to mention here. If you haven’t seen this movie before I would suggest a rental, as it was a good movie but nothing spectacular. If you’re already a fan of this movie then I wouldn’t hesitate buying it on Blu-ray because its impressive A/V.