Backdraft 2 – Blu-ray Movie Review

A sequel to the 1991 hit movie Backdraft. Fire investigator Sean McCaffrey, son of the late Steven “Bull” McCaffrey, is now working at the same Chicago firehouse along with his uncle Brian (William Baldwin). When Sean is assigned to investigate a deadly fire, he and partner Maggie soon realize that they are dealing with something much more than a routine fire.

The 1991 film Backdraft was a terrific and original action movie when it was made. Backdraft 2 is quite a bit less than that, but it is watchable and it does include some of the cast from the original, including William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland.

There’s a lot of talk and not enough action for the first hour or so, but then things pick up as the plot moves from simple arsons to an international terrorist operation. The original Backdraft team of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are back as exec producers, but my guess is they were there to approve the rights. It doesn’t look like this film is going to hit theaters, it appears to be a direct to video and cable type release. Viewers expecting the excitement of the original Backdraft won’t be rewarded, but Backdraft 2 is still a diverting film. The effects aren’t as dramatic, and given the years between the two films I would have expected more. Shot on the cheap, most locations are in Canada and Romania.

Backdraft 2 looks great. The colors pop, and the outdoor scenes are sharp and vibrant. Indoor night shots are a bit murky, but rendered OK in high definition.

The 5.1 surround is not an aggressive mix. There are some ambient effects and I heard some sirens behind me, but mostly the audio mix is a missed opportunity.