Backdraft was actually not a bad movie. The plot wasn't amazing mainly because it never really gets suspenseful and it just seems kind of stupid how trained firemen keep getting killed by the same type of fire. But I don't think the plot is what made the movie interesting. The relationship between the two brothers (Baldwin and Russell) keep the viewer watching. This is actually one movie where I said "gee, Kurt Russell can actually act". Possibly the only time I'll say that. This was a stretch for him and I really liked it. Baldwin's character is OK for me, nothing amazing, but decent. I really liked Donald Sutherland too. Even though he was thrown in as a rip-off of Hannibal Lectar (crazy criminal who tells them who the killer is if you talk to him about your past blah blah blah). Even though he led them toward the wrong people, possibly on purpose, and it was almost meaningless to have in the plot, I like Sutherland no matter what he's in. Robert De Nero as always is too cool. You have to like him, even though his part wasn't as big in this one. All in all, decent flick, worth watching, and possibly better than Ladder 49, as far as firefighter movies go.
