Ladder 49
	Rated PG-13
	Runtime: 1hr 55min
	Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, Jacinda Barrett, Billy Burke, Jay Hernandez
	MFG Rating: 2/5

I had some pretty low expectations going in to see Ladder 49, and the movie still managed to disappoint me. Ladder 49 managed to earn 2 stars, one of them for the excellent fire effects, and the other… well, I can't tell you about the other.

Joaquin Phoenix is Jack Morrison, firefighter extraordinaire! The movie starts off with the burning building we've all seen in the previews, and Jack is running around inside trying to save people. In short order he finds himself separated from his buddies and wondering if he'll make it out alive. But wait! We're only 10 minutes into the movie, sounds like a good time for a flashback! That's right, this story is told via the tried-n-true “look at me in trouble and see what happened earlier in my life to get me here” method.

I hate flashback movies.

The other big name in this film is John Travolta who plays Captain Mike , and who does a damn fine job of it. Then, when does Travolta not do a damn fine job? Honestly, the acting in this movie is top notch with all of the actors turning in great performances. Whether they're goofing off at the station or running through a burning building, we totally buy into their characters.

The real star of this movie though is the fire as this movie has the best fire-effects I've ever seen. If you want to see a big fire, forget the rating on this movie and just go see it, you won't be disappointed. It's the “non-fire” scenes that I have a problem with.

This is not an action movie, this is a drama, and I'm ok with that. What I'm not ok with is how freakin predictable everything was. We get to see Jack on his first day as a rookie… Jack on his first fire… Jack meets a girl… Jack loses a friend… Jack has a career crises… Jack get to be a hero… blah blah blah. There are no real surprises here, as soon as you realize the movie is all a flashback you already know the main characters are never in any real danger and you're just waiting to get back to real-time. Quite annoying.

If you're really into firefighters then by all means, go see this one on the big screen. If you're into a mushy plot, then go for it! If you've just GOT to see the big fire and that's the only reason you want to see the movie… then I'll point out again that you see the fire in the first 10 minutes of the movie. Think about that information and do with it what you will.

Ladder 49 is one of the best 2 star movies I've seen, but it's still only 2 stars.

- John