Verdict: Less of a drama than a tribute. 'Ladder 49' smolders more than burns. There's nobility, sacrifice, no real moral conflict, and no real characters in this fiery tale and sure it left me feeling thoughtful and sad, but that wasn't enough to leave me with the feeling that this fli is nothing more than a condescending and cloying melodrama, constructed around the almighty flashback and slick in pretending to tell the human story.