| Backdraft | | Cast : | Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland | | Director : | Ron Howard | | Studio : | Universal Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | May 24, 1991 | | DVD Released Date : | September 02, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 18, 2005 | | Summary | this movie is ok | Content
 | i like this movie i found it good my dad who is a new york city fire man (NOT a volenteer hes a real fire man) showed me that it was kinda corney the people always ran in to the fire with there jacket wide open (which if you did that in real life youd be dead in 2 seconds) it had a prety good story to it thought they never wore there oxegen masks thats what made this movie corney i didnt like one of the names of the fire man his name was john adcox he always ran into a fire always useing the hose in slow motion like james bond's moves he must of fought over the hose like a baby becuase he always got it this movie is kinda worth it. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 27, 2005 | | Summary | The curse of Baldwin | Content
| This really should have been a better film. The concept had lots of potential. When you visit the "Backdraft" soundstage at Universal Studios, they play a few teaser clips from the movie, including the exciting first conflagration sequence when the poor accountant opens his front door. Realized only too late that they had covered all the good parts of the movie in those few minutes. Otherwise...
William Baldwin should not be placed in front of a camera. This point cannot be over-emphasized.
Kurt Russell has a John Wayne complex, and isn't afraid to show it on the screen. Where was his acting coach during all this?
Blonde girls (Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rebecca DeMornay) provide the otherwise all-male firefighter's world with companionship, offspring, and a chance to make out on the top of a firetruck. Otherwise, women in this film are just decorative.
If fire really does eat, breathe, hate, and "look" at you, it can probably apply for resident alien status. Someone should explain to the knuckleheads in the script department that science can explain how and why fire behaves as it does, and nobody needs to fear the "flame demons", who just want to cause death and destruction.
Firefighters can't go into dangerous, smoke-filled infernos and still look "cool" with their coats undone and their helmets cocked at a rakish angle. As previously stated, they would be "cooked" and also "asphyxiated".
Given its lack of sophistication and some of the obvious plot twists, this could almost be a kids' film (if it weren't for all the mysterious deaths and bitterness between the main characters and the making out on the top of the firetruck).
Every movie has a chance to teach the audience one unfamiliar polysyllabic word. "Trychtochlorate"? Where's the fun in that? Give me "Hakuna Matata" anyday.
Post 9/11 problem: The "powerful" fireman's funeral procession at the end, as well as early movie dialogue about "fires in high rises really give me the creeps" are just too close for comfort to a world that had to watch hundreds of firemen perish in New York City. Maybe Hollywood will someday produce a film that truly defines the firefighter experience. This ain't it. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 14, 2005 | | Summary | Okay but not as good as LADDER 49 | Content
| I am a fire buff and I enjoy firefighters but this movie isn't as good as LADDER 49 because some of the firefighters didn't wear their SCBAs (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus). Also, Kurt Russell's coat wasn't buttoned all the way up. The trucks used in the movie are Engine 17 (1970 Ward LaFrance) Engine 24 (1978 American LaFrance)Truck 46 in the opening (1976 International Harvester with a Seagrave tiller trailer) truck 46 in the later parts of the movie (1972 Mack CF with customized lights) Truck 6 (1970s American LaFrance ladder truck) and Engine 51 (also a 1970 Ward LaFrance).
The fire used in this is digital and it doesn't look right in fire movies and Jay Russell tried using digital fire and so he had to use real fire in Ladder 49. Also, when Ron Howard made this movie he made things go overtime and almost burn Kurt Russell. I saw the making of it on a Ron Howard The Directors video. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 02, 2005 | | Summary | A little over the top, but enetertaining as Hell. | Content
| Ron Howard is a genius people. Not only did he get a Baldwin to finally act, he captured the grit and pain of firefighting. Yeah, we all know you can't see crap in a fire but for smoke and black, but hey it is a movie. If you didn't well up for a sec at the end of this, you have no heart or was sleeping. Wish Universal would remaster this, get the picture better, dts would be nice, and add some extras, overall a hell of an entertaining film. Kurt Russell is awesome in this, the man can act, check out Escape from New York, Tombstone or The Thing to see what I mean. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 01, 2005 | | Summary | Fire has it's own character | Content
| `It lives, it breathes and it hates'. This is the description made by Robert DeNiro's character in Backdraft, stating the volatile nature of something we all fear, but rely on; Fire.
Backdraft is a different movie, filled with characters who are flawed and angry with one another. There are many messages that go along with this movie. I'm not sure where Ron Howard was going with the relationships of the characters, maybe no where and that's ok. Why try so hard to make the relationships go somewhere in such a short amount of time when we can clearly tell that the issues between them are a result of a lifetime of hardships and disagreements. These are not the kind of disputes that get resolved in a short period of time, if ever. You can take away what you want from the movie in that respect.
The movie centers around Brian McCaffrey (William Baldwin), who returns home to Chicago after years of failed business ventures to make sure he doesn't follow the family line of becoming a Firefighter. After giving in and completing the Fire Academy, he is placed in his brother's company, one of the toughest. His brother Steven (Kurt Russell) is still a bit annoyed with him for not deciding to become a fireman right off the bat (Chicago firefighters have a stout tradition for family continuance and stubborn old fashioned fire fighting that has no room for progressive tactics). He seems determined to make sure Brian either stays with it and becomes as good as he is, or quits. Brian takes it personally at every turn. Sibling rivalry ensues.
Subplots abound as we learn that fire stations are being closed for political purposes and Brian finds he has feelings for childhood friend (Jennifer Jason Leigh). DeNiro plays Donald Rimgale, the Fire Investigator that is looking into the Backdraft murders (a phenomenon that causes a fire in a closed room to subside after using all the oxygen, but explodes when O2 is reintroduced from the open door), high level politicians and businessman are being killed with this method and it becomes an MO. DeNiro is solid in his role as the Arson investigator, spouting lines about loving fire and understanding it's nature. Kurt Russell is good as he swaggers through his role, a character who attacks fire, knowing for some reason that he won't ever be killed by it. Baldwin seems lost as usual, but the character himself is somewhat lost trying to decide what to do in his personal struggle. Leigh doesn't seem interested in her role but manages to get through and Rebecca De Mornay plays the small role she has as Steven's estranged wife with great world-weary realism. Scott Glenn, mercilessly put in a shaved down role, is good as well. The best character though is Donald Sutherland, playing Ronald Bartel, a pyro-psycho who is locked up in a mental institution. He comes up for release occasionally and Rimgale goes in and repeatedly proves just how insane he still is, no matter what he tricks the doctors and release board into thinking. Sutherland is obviously having the most fun with his part. His character is called upon to help find out who is behind the Backdraft murders.
The biggest character of the film though is the fire, and it is astounding. Even though the movie is over 11 years old, it holds up today. With a combination of real fire exaggerated with computer affects in some spots, the visual result is frightening and actually looks alive in some scenes. All in all, the movie is good, although there are a lot of elements squeezed in to make it somewhat epic, and even though it doesn't quite reach that status, it is a good all around movie with great action, emotion and special effects.
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