Ladder 49
May 2005 Reviewed by: Vince Hanada Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

A tribute to firefighters, Ladder 49 is set in Baltimore and opens with the spectacular fire of a 20-story industrial building. After rescuing a man, Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) is trapped in the building. While Jack awaits his own rescue, we see his life through flashbacks, in a style similar to that used for the baseball movie, For Love of the Game. Through these flashbacks, we follow Jack’s life -- from being a rookie at firehouse Engine 33, to his ascension through the ranks, to being a veteran Search and Rescue member. As portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, Jack Morrison is such a likeable character that I couldn’t help but care about what happened to him. Another subtle and credible performance is that of John Travolta, who plays Captain Mike Kennedy, the firehouse leader.

The audio statement on the DVD case says that Ladder 49 has an enhanced home-theater mix. How this compares with the theatrical release, I don’t know. All I can say is that the sound quality is excellent. There are many deep bass effects provided for the numerous fire scenes. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track will give your subwoofer a workout. Dialogue intelligibility through my center-channel speaker was excellent too. The surround speakers get ample use as well. The audio mix uses the surround speakers aggressively. There are many discrete effects, such as the gong that announces the next emergency. The surround-sound mix in Ladder 49 is a great example of how a good soundtrack can make a movie so much better.

For the most part, the video quality is excellent. The opening fire scene is jaw-dropping in scale and detail. The filming of the fire scenes throughout was very well done, with dark interior details visible along with the bright fire, a difficult feat to achieve. My only complaint with the original filming was the use of a handheld camera in a few scenes. This technique was used sparingly, but it looked out of place in the scenes where it was used. It became a distraction that lessened my enjoyment of the movie.

The extras included with Ladder 49 are documentaries on the making of the movie, deleted scenes, a Robby Robertson music video, and a documentary titled Everyday Heroes. This last shows actual Baltimore City Fire Department firefighters as they talk about their lives and jobs. It is an excellent supplement to the movie and shows how touched John Travolta was by his role.

The goal of director Jay Russell was to create a realistic film about firefighters, which he succeeded in doing. This drama was slow-moving at times, yet interspersed with scenes of intense action, much like the lives of firefighters. It gave me a greater appreciation for the difficult work that firefighters do.

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