Directed By: Ron Howard
Written By: Gregory Widen
Studio: Imagine Entertainment
Backdraft is a film about firefighters fighting fires, specifically the jockular heroes of the Chicago Fire Department Engine 17, who risk their lives on a daily basis to save mannequins and occasionally children from certain doom. Because saving mannequins isn’t very interesting, there’s also a subplot involving a serial arsonist who ignites a mystery for the jocks to solve. It’s probably the most successful film about firefighting ever made; this means we are about due for another.
There isn’t anything really deep about this movie. Kurt Russell and Co. put out fires while showing their pectoral muscles and possessing bizarre tough-guy alpha-male streaks apparently because only manly tough guys can coax raging house-fires into submission (to be fair, it’s 1991). There’s a little mystery element going on with the arson and ostensible murder that’s pretty fun to get into; Donald Sutherland chews some scenery as well, and there’s a little love-interest thing for the ladies to hang their hats on that uses Jennifer Jason Leigh to HEY! FUCK THIS REVIEW. THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT SEEING GODDAM EXPLOSIONS USING GODDAM EXPLOSIVE BARRELS AND EXPLODING FIREBALLS SON. IF YOU CAN’T APPRECIATE THE MAJESTY OF SOME GUY GETTING BLOWN TO SMITHEREENS THEN YOU ARE NOT EXPLOSIVE ENOUGH TO SEE BACKDRAFT PLAIN AND SIMPLE. THE EXPLOSIVE EFFECTS ARE WHAT MAKE THIS MOVIE THE MOST EXPLOSIVE FUCKING MOVIE IN THE GODDAM HISTORY OF THE WORLD. OPEN A DOOR? EXPLOSION. GET IN A CAR? EXPLOOSION. HAVE SEX ON TOP OF A FIRE TRUCK? EXPLOOOOOSION.
ThomFiles 