“You see that glow flashing in the corner of your eye? That’s your career dissipation light. It just went into high gear. ” – Firefighter Brain McCaffrey
Number of Times Seen – at least 10 times (Theater in 1991, cable, DVD, 13 Nov 2001, 6 Jan 2014, 25 Mar 2020 and 4 Sep 2022)
Link to original review – Here and Here
Brief Synopsis – Two firefighter brothers try to emulate their heroic father but an arsonist in the city has other plans.
My Take on it – Such a fun and powerful film that shows firefighting in such an amazing light.
The film does a wonderful job of showing both the dangers of the job and the heroics all at the same time.
The cast is superb with Kurt Russell, Scott Glenn, Robert DeNiro, Donald Sutherland, Jennifer Jason Leigh, William Baldwin and J.T. Walsh.
The story has numerous threads that are tied together nicely as things move along.
The film at some points feels like a recruitment film for firefighting and there is much ‘firefighter porn’ in the way some of the action and training scenes are filmed.
Ron Howard does an amazing job directing this film and keeping it focused throughout.
The music is also so enjoyable to listen to especially the two Bruce Hornsby songs that show up.
Set Me in Motion and The Show Goes on:
Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Many of the extras were real Chicago firefighters. A casting call was put out in a Fire Department memo prior to the start of shooting. In addition, many suburban firemen participated in the funeral procession. (From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10) (no change from original review)
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