बैकड्राफ्ट

off course, the story isn't too great. but the characters are strong enough and the effects are great. with a very dramatic score by hans zimmer i still get absorbed in the scenes with fire and drama.

stunning supporting roles for donald sutherland and robert de niro. I think this i a movie almost anyone could enjoy, even if it is not one of the socalled 'great movies'.

My recommendations!

Ron Howard's "Backdraft" is a true blockbuster in the 90's mold. Star-studded and full of spectacle, it did good business in 1991 while garnering mildly positive reviews. It was apparently remembered fondly enough to warrant a straight-to-video sequel earlier this year which, to it's credit, at least brought back William Baldwin & Donald Sutherland.

As for the original movie, the story is set in Chicago and it focuses on a pair of firefighting brothers (Kurt Russell & William Baldwin). The older brother is a seasoned vet while the younger brother is a rookie who has previously tried and failed at other professions. The two butt heads repeatedly as they work towards bringing an arsonist to justice.

There's plenty of action here but also a strong mystery angle as well. This provides a welcome change of pace when it kicks in about an hour into the movie. Generally, the script is pretty overwrought most of the time with the story often veering into melodrama and action movie clichés. However, the plot is fairly satisfying in the end, with a twist that's better executed than most.

Arguably the movie's biggest asset is its nicely assembled cast. Aside from Russell & Baldwin as the aforementioned brothers, a critical role belongs to Robert De Niro as an arson investigator. He unsurprisingly delivered the movie's best performance, despite the role being fairly limited. Donald Sutherland also makes a memorable appearance as an incarcerated pyromaniac. Other notable supporting players include Scott Glenn, Rebecca De Mornay, Jennifer Jason Leigh & the always dependable character actor J.T. Walsh. As for Russell & Baldwin, I wouldn't call this one of my favourite Kurt Russell roles but William Baldwin was surprisingly capable, considering that his career never really developed like his older brother Alec's.

The other strong point of the movie is the visual effects and stunt work. It must have been an insurance nightmare to achieve these kinds of visuals in the days before widespread CGI. There's no substitute for the real thing when dealing with fire, so the results speak for themselves. The movie justifiably landed a few Oscar nominations for both its visual effects and sound, which demonstrates the expertise that went into the technical aspects of the production. Overall, Ron Howard's direction is quite capable with a mix of dramatic scenes and multiple action setpieces. I will say, though, that the bookending songs by Bruce Hornsby & the Range haven't aged too well in my opinion. They're no "The Way It Is", that's for sure.

In the end, "Backdraft" is a bit overblown at 2 hours and 17 minutes. The producers were probably aiming for something a bit more intimate than "The Towering Inferno" but they ended up falling into some of the same traps anyway. So, I wouldn't count this among Howard's best but it's still worth watching, particularly given relatively small number of worthwhile firefighter movies.

It's weird to think that when I went to see "Home Alone" in the theaters, "Backdraft" was advertised right before the movie came on. The whole thing is a little grimmer than we usually expect from Ron Howard. It focuses on mutually hostile brothers Stephen (Kurt Russell) and Brian McCaffrey (William Baldwin), both firefighters in Chicago having to put aside their differences to fight an arson outbreak.

True, it doesn't really sound like much of a plot, but Howard knows how to keep everything going. Stephen is the sort of guy with a bad attitude whom you can't help but respect. Brian mainly shows that there was once a time when Alec Baldwin's brothers could act. As for the climax, that is really something that is likely to shock you royally. But don't get me wrong. This is a good movie. Maybe not any kind of masterpiece, but worth seeing nevertheless. Above all, it's not a disaster movie (the less said about "The Towering Inferno" the better). Also starring Robert DeNiro, Donald Sutherland, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Glenn, Rebecca DeMornay and J.T. Walsh.

Backdraft, proves once again, that Ron Howard is one of Hollywood's major contenders. This time around he explores fire through technical wizardry.

The movie itself is a tad bit overdone, story wise, but the effects are absolutely astonishing. And the acting, by mostly everyone is fabulous. It takes a lot to outdo Robert De Niro, but Kurt Russell manages to do so, especially in the end sequence. And even better, William Baldwin shows he can act.

Rating = 8 of 10

Backdraft is a movie definitely worth watching from famous director Ron Howard who continues to show his skill as a filmmaker with this one. Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, and Robert De Niro are great in the movie bringing to life these believable characters we see on the screen. The rest of the cast are admirable in their small roles including J.T. Walsh, Jason Gedrick, and Donald Sutherland. Its better to watch this movie without knowing too much about it because if you do than you're going to be in for a heck of a movie experience. The film tells story of two brothers (Russell and Baldwin) in the fire department whose bond is tested as mysterious murders begin to occur by a dangerous arsonist on the loose. Backdraft is an excellent story about fire fighters with realistic action for the most part, suspense, some humor, and a little romance that make for an enjoyable movie to watch. The film did seem to drag a little near the end but its one flaw so the good more than outweighs the bad. If you're looking for an entertaining movie to watch that's worth your time and money then see Backdraft. You can't go wrong with this film. It's definitely one of Ron Howards best movies on par with Apollo 13 and A Beautitful Mind. It's really that good.