Backdraft: Movie Review

[El Vaquero]

Just watched again after having not seen it in 10 years or so. A lot of great things in this movie. I cannot say enough great things about special effects. As in real fire 🔥. It actually has a decent story line involving politics and budget/fire station cuts and corruption, etc. Very refreshing to see so many scenes which were real and not CGI. Kurt Russell does a bang up job as the older brother/fire fighter lieutenant. Bobby D does a nice job as the arson investigator and can’t forget Donald Sutherland as the crazy imprisoned arsonist Ronald and Scott Glenn as Axe. William Baldwin is pretty 90’s cheesy and so is Jennifer Jason Leigh. Rebecca De Mornay looks pretty hot in her small role as well.

Can’t forget all the classic one liners either. “You see that glow flashing in the corner of your eye? That’s your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear.” “You go, we go.” “Look at him go. That’s my brother god damnit.”

Was directed by Ron Howard and I think was his first big hit. Also made everyone want to be a firefighter so they could save people and have sex on top of fire engines.

Solid movie by today’s standards. Holds up extremely well and would be a hit today. Can’t say enough about the effects. Check it out when bored.

[devildogljb]

great movie I agree. We use those same exact quotes in my fire station almost daily. But the ending scene where he's pretty much having a one on one fight with the fire.... lol Kid me blown away. Fire Fighter me now... tad bit cringy. But still a enjoyable watch. Wish they still made movies like this.

[Disciple]

Was directed by Ron Howard and I think was his first big hit.

Not to be contrary, but Splash, Cocoon, and Willow seem to have done pretty well, and Backdraft didn't gross nearly as much as Apollo 13 or Ransom, so I wonder how you are figuring "first big hit."

[markm]

Never could get myself to sit through a movie about firefighting. They have one cheeseball series on TV now with the cliche brotherhood lines, etc. Just garbage.

[Krazykarl]

Backdraft and Always are both terrible with a Hollyweird interpretation of a profession that is neither glamorous nor understood by the elites.

[AKDoug]

Backdraft and Always are both terrible with a Hollyweird interpretation of a profession that is neither glamorous nor understood by the elites.

This. This movie came out when I was a FF and none of us really cared for it. I suppose a real movie about the job wouldn't be all that interesting.. medical calls upon medical calls, rehabbing some crack head shit hole meth house and worrying about what chemical exposure you were getting this week, and rolling/cleaning/packing all that damn hose.

[Krazykarl]

We get asked all of the time by civilians on what TV show or movie depicting Fire/EMS that we sit around and watch. None of them get screen time. Well, there is one exception. Tacoma FD is actually pretty close to life in a fire house. Some of the jack jobs are spot on.

[El Vaquero]

Not to be contrary, but Splash, Cocoon, and Willow seem to have done pretty well, and Backdraft didn't gross nearly as much as Apollo 13 or Ransom, so I wonder how you are figuring "first big hit."

All true. Thanks for the fact check. Hence why I preference with “I think”. Clearly “I thought” wrong. Ha