Wouldn't you just like to see stuff burning for two hours. Well, your wish is Ron Howard's command and the firefighting sequences in this movie are terrific and look uncannily realistic.
As for the story, it is only mildly interesting. Kurt Russell as one of the rival brothers McCaffrey does his most accomplished acting in nearly all of his career. It's weird to think that this is the same man who made such bombs as Graceland, Soldier and Executive Decision, although that one was still pretty entertaining.
Same goes for the other half, William Baldwin. Fair Game, anyone. It's weird to think that one little movie could pretty much ruin his whole career, except the bad press the Baldwin Bros. have always been subject to. Baldwin does come off as annoying, sometimes whiny and Jennifer Jason Leigh gives a surprisingly dull performance as his love interest.
The supporting cast is a director's dream. We got Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland and the very underrated J. T. Walsh who plays smarm as easy as breathing. Sadly, they don't add much to the proceedings. Donald Sutherland does have one big moment where he enlightens us about the attraction of fire to both firefighter and arsonist. Oh, did I forget to mention that. There is an arson on the loose and Sutherland plays sort of a mad scientist (if you consider arson a science) and De Niro plays the interrogator who knows just how to push Sutherland's buttons. Fun, but ultimately seen many times before. De Niro even looks like he didn't bother to shower for his 5 minute cameo.
So, we come back to the attraction - the flames. They are pretty, pretty dangerous and give the actors a chance to do something they probably enjoy, smashing stuff - who wouldn't? Ron Howard would change gears dramatically a few years later and become the respected director with something on his mind. Maybe he did have something on his mind when he made Backdraft but maybe it burned out.
As for the story, it is only mildly interesting. Kurt Russell as one of the rival brothers McCaffrey does his most accomplished acting in nearly all of his career. It's weird to think that this is the same man who made such bombs as Graceland, Soldier and Executive Decision, although that one was still pretty entertaining.
Same goes for the other half, William Baldwin. Fair Game, anyone. It's weird to think that one little movie could pretty much ruin his whole career, except the bad press the Baldwin Bros. have always been subject to. Baldwin does come off as annoying, sometimes whiny and Jennifer Jason Leigh gives a surprisingly dull performance as his love interest.
The supporting cast is a director's dream. We got Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland and the very underrated J. T. Walsh who plays smarm as easy as breathing. Sadly, they don't add much to the proceedings. Donald Sutherland does have one big moment where he enlightens us about the attraction of fire to both firefighter and arsonist. Oh, did I forget to mention that. There is an arson on the loose and Sutherland plays sort of a mad scientist (if you consider arson a science) and De Niro plays the interrogator who knows just how to push Sutherland's buttons. Fun, but ultimately seen many times before. De Niro even looks like he didn't bother to shower for his 5 minute cameo.
So, we come back to the attraction - the flames. They are pretty, pretty dangerous and give the actors a chance to do something they probably enjoy, smashing stuff - who wouldn't? Ron Howard would change gears dramatically a few years later and become the respected director with something on his mind. Maybe he did have something on his mind when he made Backdraft but maybe it burned out.