The saying “they don’t make ’em like they used to” became a cliche a long time ago, but it remains 100 percent accurate and highly applicable to a number of defiantly old school blockbusters, with Ron Howard’s Backdraft just one of many.
If the project was plunged into development these days, almost the entire thing would be shot against a green screen to fill in the fire-breathing gaps with CGI, but it’s the tactile and dangerous nature of the set pieces that’s seen it stand tall as one of the most purely entertaining and enjoyable action thrillers of the last 30+ years.
Aiming for some degree of realism in amongst the Hollywood razzle dazzle, the practical effects remain as impressive when viewing Backdraft today than they ever did, especially when decades of visual effects technology has failed to disguise the fact that fire is one of the most consistently terrible aspects of the CGI revolution. Not to name any movie in particular that hammers home that point, but we’re looking at you, Baywatch.
Howard’s rip-roaring adventure even secured three Academy Award nominations for Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects, and it would have been in with a shout of landing all three were it not for James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day, which ended up defeating Backdraft in every category.
Even now, the family drama masquerading as an action-packed thrill ride continues to draw in a crowd, with Backdraft lighting the touchpaper on a streaming renaissance, which has seen FlixPatrol name it as one of the most-watched movies on iTunes around the world.