Backdraft (1991)
This blockbuster about fire fighters looks to have a lot going for it, Ron Howard directing and a cast including Kurt Russell, one of the lesser Baldwins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Donald Sutherland and Robert De Niro. Unfortunately despite having all this going for it we have a case of Hollywood cheese on our hands here. While the special effects (which won an Oscar) are pretty amazing that is about as far as I would go with praise for this film.
While there is a great cast De Niro has a third rate part and Sutherland plays a fourth rate Hannibal Lecter that went into arson over serial killing. If Backdraft had stuck to exploring the relationship between the two brothers that are the main characters it might not have been so bad but the arsonist plot is nearly stupid enough to be offensive and contains silly contrivances such as having sex on top of a fire engine that is then called out to a fire to get all the characters to turn up at the fire scenes. Even the scenes which show case the special effects are pretty lame and do not seem to show much about how fire fighters actually work.
Over all I think this is probably a 2/5, it is the big budget stupid rubbish that Hollywood likes to turn out and some how people pay to see.
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