Ladder 49: Good? Bad?

[Dorienne]

Okay, obviously, this thread is based on opinions of the new movie, Ladder 49.
I really, truly only wanted to see this movie because my cousin ended up getting a small role in the film, along with her husband, who is a firefighter. But then when I really got the feel of the movie (hehe after I was doing my inner-squealing because my cousin was in a lot of scenes I saw) and realized how important this movie is to see.
Firefighters have a dangerous job, that's obvious enough; but have we taken the time to realize just how dangerous it is? People lose friends, mothers, daughters, husbands, wives, sons, uncles, aunts, you name it. It's a way of life, but they have to move on from it, almost as soon as the death occurs. Can you imagine the pain of still having to go to work when you just lost a friend and colleague? I probably wouldn't be able to bear it.
And imagine the hard work of saving lives and risking everything to help people. That's a benefit for you if you survive and help someone in need, but it's not a good thing if you end up losing your life. But I really admire them, because it's a risk they take. And they are more than willing to take it, even if they don't even know the person they're saving or the house's owners.
Heh after that big ramble...any other thoughts? Any opinions about the movie? What did you like about it? Not like?

[Wayne Doenges]

I thought it was a pretty good movie. It balanced humor and seriousness. I've always thought John Travolta was a good actor.

*throws $.02 at kitty....Meow

Wayne Doenges

[Wetzel]

The IAFC liked and recommended it to firefighters, and Nextel got a bunch of tickets for the firefighters in Fairfax County. I wasn't home at the time so I didn't get a free ticket, but I'll go see it at somepoint, maybe this weekend.


Wetzel

[Ryan Albright]

*DONT READ IF YOU HAVENET SEEN THE MOVIE*

When i first saw the preview of this movie i really wanted to see it becasue i have alot of friends that are fireman and i was deciding if i wanted to be a cop or a firefighter. I know that like this was suppose to be a touching movie like all the others. How they made this it totally got me. How they are doing the flashbacks was unblievable it really got to you. Then the ending was totally unxpected. I expected to see them in some miraclous courage save him......but they didnt. Thats when my jaw dropped. I have honestly never had tears in my eyes about a movie, dont get me wrong i have been touched by a movie but just not to the crying point, but this movie was unblievable. O and i decided i wanted to become a police officer before this movie came out. I mean you look at anyone in this line of duty Fireman, Police, Military, they put there lives on the line for people they dont even know.

Such a great line in the movie


Why is it that fireman can run into a burning building when poeple are running out

[kjohnson]

Yes - other than the minor things like the hoods (I noticed that too) Ladder 49 was a great movie. Much better than Backdraft. It portrayed firefighting in large cities very well - all of the huge, empty buildings that they should just let burn down but they put them out because that is their job. It also shows people in small towns (like around here) how different things are in other places. We're used to volunteer firefighters who drop whatever they are doing to go save someones life. We don't get paid for what we do - but some people appreciate it more because of that. We are so far from a really good hospital that we have to call in a helicopter for anything serious. In Ladder 49 there were news helicopters taping things as they happened - we're lucky if some stuff even gets in the local newspaper. Its just two totally different scenarios - kind of hard to explain.

[MisterX]

Having accidentally deleted my first post when editing and unable to undo it as far as I can tell....
Other then them not wearing full PPE (hoods are part of PPE too boys) This movie was on of the best things based on firefighting I have seen! It had more realistic scenes then Backdraft (part of special effect technology though), and it lack the lewdness of Rescue Me which some find offensive (which season finale I am watching as I type)
I initially got involved with the fire service when I took an EMT class shortly thereafter September 11th. I then joined an Ambulance service based out of the same station as a fire company allowing me to hang out with firefighter while at the station. I have since started to classes on FFI to further pursue my career as a first-responder. Practically everyday I see these guys and witness their antics first hand, however when those tone sounds they take upon themselves a completely different demeanor. No longer are they the same guys that put shaving cream in boots but guys that pull on their boots and go into burning building putting someone else ahead of their own life. This movie does a fine job in my opinion of capturing this as we see Jack transform through his entire fire career from a boy to a man, and as we witness the real time transformation when the fearless, wisecracking, invulnerable Bad Boys garbage gets thrown out the bay doors and the mature man comes out with the realization of what he is about to do.
When I went to see this amazing movie I was blessed to me sitting amongst my fellow brothers allowing me to see their reaction to the movie as well. Between the whispers of “He should be sounding that roof, or “Where is his hood?” I realized just how much the script hit home. While a “Ladder 49” script was written prior to 9/11, the attacks forced us all to revisit the real definition of the word hero and how grateful we are of those “strangers who do the dirtiest, hardest, most stressful work in the world because they believe they should.” The director did I fine job realizing that because of what happened at the WTC we will never watch another fire-fighting movie without thinking about it, and he uses this information with out abusing it to the point it takes away from the situation.
*IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT YET (WHICH YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU HAVN’T) STOP READING*

Like Ryan stated, I too am not one to cry within a movie theatre however, this is one movie where I was not worried about what it would look like to cry. When Jack is trapped in a towering inferno having the floor collapsed all around him, and Capt. Kennedy is left with the difficult decision to pull the men out who were trying to save one of their own, all is hopeless for Jack having fought so hard to be pulled out. At this point in time I too along with the other boys I went to see the movie with all held a tear in our eyes. However, I do not think that we were crying because of the intensity of the moment but rather because of the reality of the moment. I bet everybody in the theatre at that point in time was wishing deep down that all the firefighters could pull there resources and in a brazen manner rush through the flashover and pull their man out with flames billowing out the door silhouetting themselves as they celebrated another victory. However, in reality not all firefighters are able to come out having entered while everybody else exited. Sometimes, firefighters must make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. It was this ending that caught us all off guard that the movie was able to catch this very non-Hollywood mentality. Despite all of our perception that firefighters are angel without wings, they are nothing but humans dancing where the devil walks and for this I applaud a fine movie!

Highly Motivated, and Truly Dedicated
Anywhere, Anytime, Any Job
To Protect Life & Property
All men are created equal… then some become Firefighters
We go in, while you go out
Hell hasn’t frozen over, we just put it out
We put the blue stuff on the red stuff
Always on-call
All in a day’s duty
Hot stuff, and we aint talking about the fire
We admire fire
We fight what you fear

[Cory]

I didn't read anything in here, because I didn't want to ruin it for myself, but personally, I don't think ANY movie, TV show, documentary, etc will *ever* do firefighters justice.

That said, I do look forward to seeing it, hopefully it won't disappoint.