Though handsomely mounted and efficiently staged, this mass of firefighter cliches swings wildly between heartstring-tugging melodrama, testosterone-fueled action and buddy comedy, weighed down by too many predictable twists and storytelling contrivances, starting with the fact that it unfolds almost entirely in flashback. After a harrowing, valiant effort to save a civilian from a blazing warehouse, Baltimore firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself trapped inside the crumbling cement building, fighting for his life. As he tries to battle his way to safety and Capt. Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) directs rescue efforts outside, Jack reminisces about t...
Released:
2004
Rated:
PG-13
Length:
105 mins