Ladder 49

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2:25

Ladder 49

PG-13

Released Oct 1, 2004

1h 54m

Drama

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

162 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

After saving the life of one of the civilians inside, firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself trapped in a burning warehouse with a broken leg. As his friend and mentor, Deputy Chief Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), tries to negotiate a rescue from without, Jack flashes back to various events in his life: the first, awkward days on the force, meeting the woman (Jacinda Barrett) who would become his wife and saving a small girl from a burning building.

Critics Consensus

Instead of humanizing the firemen, the movie idolizes them, and thus renders them into cardboard characters.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Unabashed love letter to firefighters everywhere.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 25, 2010

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 2/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

Heartfelt, predictable, and finally surprisingly poignant.

Rated: B-

Mar 24, 2005

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

The List

Gail Gilchriest's witless script leaves Phoenix with little to do but flex his muscles, while Travolta rarely steps outside the realms of cliché in his role as a supposed mentor figure.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 23, 2019

Full Review

Megan Basham

National Review

If looked at as a tribute to our way of life, as opposed to an action blockbuster, it could resonate with audiences in a way no other film touching on the subject has to date.

Feb 6, 2018

Full Review

Joshua Starnes

ComingSoon.net

Except for Jack no one else in the film is very well defined, and it often falls back onto types. The actors are good, and make the best of what they've got, but what they've got is very thin.

Rated: 6.5/10

Mar 29, 2011

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Andrew S

Coming from a family of firefighters this is one of the best firefighter movies of all time And I genuinely don’t understand the low rating As for me and my family it will always be one of the best and a true classics

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/02/24

Full Review

J C

So I've been a FF both career and volunteer for going on 16 years now. I was going through my fire academy and we all went to one of the guys houses to watch this movie and I fell in love even more woth the profession. The action scenes aren't perfect because a lot doesn't transfer to the big screen very well but the brotherhood and the moments between the guys, the personalities and the families is dead on. Everytime I watch movie this I fall in love all over again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/26/24

Full Review

Seth D

Almost 20 years on and Ladder 49 still holds up as a wonderful Firefighter movie… remember the critics are just that and have never ever put their lives on the lines for US!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/20/23

Full Review

Evan A

Ignore what the clueless critics say about this movie. Ladder 49 is EXCELLENT. Ask any fireman who's seen this film, they will tell you that it nails the brotherhood and life of many firefighters. The movie pulls you in and makes you feel for the characters, by the end you will be bawling over the hardships they face and the sacrifices they make in order to save innocent lives. 10/10 highly recommend

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great movie, it's no backdraft but its an awesome film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Joel C

A very "by the numbers" Hollywood version of the lives of firefighters. A lot of recognizable faces amongst the actors, that in itself makes the film enjoyable, plus it's all-round well made. Just a bit overly happy and romanticized, but of course that pays off in the end.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/24/21

Full Review

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Jay Russell

Director

Joaquin Phoenix

Jack Morrison

John Travolta

Chief Kennedy

Jacinda Barrett

Linda Morrison

Robert Patrick

Lenny Richter

Morris Chestnut

Tommy Drake

The Guardian

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80%

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Ladder 49: Trailer 1

2:25

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Synopsis

After saving the life of one of the civilians inside, firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself trapped in a burning warehouse with a broken leg. As his friend and mentor, Deputy Chief Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), tries to negotiate a rescue from without, Jack flashes back to various events in his life: the first, awkward days on the force, meeting the woman (Jacinda Barrett) who would become his wife and saving a small girl from a burning building.

Director: Jay Russell
Producer: Casey Silver
Screenwriter: Lewis Colick
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Beacon Communications, Touchstone Pictures, Fantail Films Inc., Beacon Pictures, Casey Silver Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Intense Fire/Rescue Situations)
Genre: Drama, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 1, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $74.5M
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)