In Prescott, Arizona, Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin) is frustrated that his firefighters are kept from the frontline as elite Hotshots dismiss them. He and his wife Amanda (Jennifer Connelly) have a volatile relationship and a horse ranch. Brendan "Donut" McDonough (Miles Teller) is a young recruit struggling to deal with impending parenthood.
It treats the story with respect and the formulaic telling with competence. I'm less compelled by the individual relationships. I don't really care about the conflict in Marsh's marriage. Donut has some cute moments although the baby stuff is too cute by half. While there are some heartfelt scenes between the frat bravado, the firefighting is the epic heart of this movie. This would work better with them fighting the fire while flashbacks fill in the spaces in between. The structure of the film needs some more imagination. Overall, the subject matter is sincere and this is generally done well.
It treats the story with respect and the formulaic telling with competence. I'm less compelled by the individual relationships. I don't really care about the conflict in Marsh's marriage. Donut has some cute moments although the baby stuff is too cute by half. While there are some heartfelt scenes between the frat bravado, the firefighting is the epic heart of this movie. This would work better with them fighting the fire while flashbacks fill in the spaces in between. The structure of the film needs some more imagination. Overall, the subject matter is sincere and this is generally done well.