SnoopyStyle The movie starts in Chicago 1971 when Brian McCaffrey witnesses his fire fighter father's death on the job. 20 years later, Brian (William Baldwin) returns home to be a probie working under his brother Stephen (Kurt Russell). The brothers don't get along. Stephen has moved out on his wife Helen (Rebecca De Mornay). Jennifer Vaitkus (Jennifer Jason Leigh) knows Brian from the past and is now working for ambitious alderman Swayzak (J.T. Walsh). There's an arsonist loose in the city and arson investigator Rimgale (Robert De Niro) is on the case. On his first fire, Brian rescues a mannequin but is mistaken with a heroic rescue. Stephen is knocking heads with Swayzak over cutbacks. Swayzak offers Brian a job to work with Rimgale.Director Ron Howard is showing that he has technical skills. The fires actually look beautiful. The action looks great. There are good stunts. There are great actors around. The action scenes are incredible. However there is a little too much unnecessary family melodrama. Then there is the criminal arson case and political intrigue. This is a case of less is more. It doesn't need all the complications. Kurt Russell is great but William Baldwin slinks around without much charisma. De Niro is doing his thing. Generally this is an over-written movie with some great fire action. The crime investigation is fine but it feels like an extension of the firefighting movie. This movie is just overloaded.

FlashCallahan As a child, Brian McCafferty watched his fire-fighter father die.He joins his brother, Steven in the force by becoming a fire-fighter. There is a history of conflict between the two that is heated up by working together.A series of suspicious fires are set, each made to kill a specific person. After becoming unnerved during a fire, Brian pulls strings to get into an investigative office.But he is now not putting out the arsonist's fires, but trying to track him down.....It's the cinematic equivalent of Baywatch, fire fighting is sexy and cool, but makes the person a little edgier, because it's dangerous.And at the end of the day, every goes to a bar, and gets drunk and acts really happy. Because they are. They have beautiful homes, beautiful families and life is just peachy.Or so Ron Howard would have you believe.It's the type of film where the lead character has a boat, and you will find him there drinking beer.It's the kind of film that guest stars Robert De Niro, because he's prolific, but on the wain slightly.Add a silly sub plot involving arson, and you get a decidedly average movie.At least the flames look good, and Russell is on fire (ha ha), as usual.

rbirge-1 This is one of Ron Howard's best movies, but it is viewed by many as one of his worst. The fact is, it is indeed one of his best. The characters are perhaps a bit simple, with simple perspectives, but this a movie about firemen. From Ron Howards perspective, these are simple people who risk their lives because they love the rush. But within this community there is one individual who starts fires for the rush. Who and why? That is the challenge for the viewer and the answer is the whole point of the movie. Most critics miss the point of the whole movie and think this is a movie about two brothers who don't get along and are in competition. Then the movie is indeed superficial and not all that interesting.Treat this movie as a mystery, and you will appreciate the plot. The acting is excellent, the music is superb and the scenes involving fire are unique and engrossing. Enjoy the movie for what it is. Don't complain about what it was never intended to be. Anyone who looks at this movie as Greek tragedy deserves to be disappointed. This is great entertainment.

tbills2 Backdraft is really good, in a cheesy, unrealistic, hard to believe, still really good way. A Hollywood adaptation of firefighting that doesn't portray firefighting in completely believable light. In Backdraft, the way that these firemen fight the fire dead head on is really incredible to watch, even if it is unrealistic to a certain degree. I agree that these firefighters would probably be burnt up into a crisp within the first two minutes of the job. They're way too busy hanging out next to the fire not paying attention to it, not focusing on their gear or the task at hand, too busy smiling, posing for the camera, slicking back their hair in the hydrant water, busy racing each other carrying hoses up staircases, rescuing mannequins out of burning buildings, too busy picking fights at the company ball and lighting up cigarettes at the scene of the fire. I don't know if these guys are superfirefighters or supernitwits. But it all works well, and it's a real lovely film. Backdraft excels during the firefighter action sequences. The firefighting moments are about the best parts of Backdraft. They're really, really good. Ron Howard brings Backdraft to life, doing an excellent job directing the camera, especially during those firemen versus the blazes scenes. Robert De Niro is one of the great actors. When Robert De Niro's character appears in Backdraft, Backdraft turns up the heat and gets much better. I can easily say that De Niro's character is the single polished piece, while all the other characters are too one dimensional. Credit De Niro as well as the superior written character. The main character played by William Baldwin is really rather weak. Kurt Russell is a real likable hero as his character was much easier to get along with. Donald Sutherland as well as De Niro's character are both a step above in quality and in so they seem relatively out of place in their roles. Backdraft has really bad female characters. The firemen are playing grab ass with each other so much that it could have used some female dynamic, really. I'm all for a movie for the guys, and grab assing, but Backdraft misses the mark in that respect. Jennifer Jason Leigh is good in her poor part and Rebecca DeMornay is the closest thing to a significant female presence but not very close at all. Backdraft lacks good, insightful dialogue and has bad character development and interaction. Not much wrong with Backdraft, just a really good movie. Backdraft is a common man's classic. Backdraft is easily accommodatingly favorable to the audience. I feel how people can relate to Backdraft and really love it, especially firemen, and I'm there with them. Backdraft is the best fireman film. It's completely agreeable and an absolute success, a thumbs up, wait no, two thumbs way up! It has a good soundtrack to it, and the story really jumps off the screen with larger than life characters that heavily hit home.