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

40%

Tomatometer

161 Reviews

81%

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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.

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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

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

Heartfelt, predictable, and finally surprisingly poignant.

Rated: B-

Mar 24, 2005

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Ben Kenigsberg

Village Voice

A serviceable testament to the firemen who would bravely risk their lives to protect the safety of others, etc., etc.

Oct 6, 2004

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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

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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

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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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Ed .

I didn't really like this film overall, but give it credit for demonstrating just how powerfully central the church was in the lives and communities in this time period. If you 'religiously' went to the church your fellow neighbors did, and if you socialized with your neighbors, you wouldn't have much time to meet or socialize with people from other faiths or walks of life. Your world was smaller but tighter, for better in many ways and for worse in others.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

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thiago s

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom, e o drama ajudou um pouco a melhorar o filme.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/31/25

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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

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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

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

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Audience Member

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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

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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)

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