Fighting Fire With Fire- Top 5 Coolest Movie Firefighters

The fire continues to burn on Casper Mountain, and our firefighters are working their tails off to get it contained. It's going to be a long, arduous journey but we have no doubt that our guys will lay the smack down on the Sheep Herder Hill Fire. In the meantime,  we've composed a list of the Top 5 Coolest Movie Firefighters.

#5- Chuck Levine (Adam Sandler in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry)

Adam Sandler's Chuck Levine is a NYC firefighter who pretends to be gay in order to make sure his friend Larry gets a proper life insurance agreement. They enter into a civil union, and all sorts of shenanigans follow. I like Chuck because (keep in mind, Sandler produced this) he is a suave womanizer that ends up hooking up with Jessica Biel. But, he's also a loyal friend, and there's a moment in the movie where he does save his friend's life.

#4- Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix in Ladder 49)

Ladder 49 is almost THE definitive firefighter movie. It displays all the pitfalls that come with being a fighter of fire- the emotional, physical and mental tolls that this job takes are numerous and this movie does a good job conveying them. It also does a good job of making us sympathize with Jack Morrison. Morrison is a firefighter who is trapped in a building that is burning down. He reflects on all of the things that led him to this point, and that's the basis of the movie. It's a cool story, but the moment that solidifies how cool Jack is, is when *SPOILER ALERT* he is searching for a safe spot his partner told him about to exit the building, sees that it's burnt up, and orders his partner to send the rest of the men back, so as not to harm anyone else. This act of martyrdom seems trite via the written word, but Phoenix's performance makes this an  extremely memorable and heartbreaking moment.

#3- The Fireman (Charlie Chaplin in The Fireman)

Chaplin plays a fireman in this silent film from 1916. In it, Chaplin does his usual shtick of physical humor. If you've seen one Chaplin film you've basically seen them all. What's cool about this film is that even though he is a bumbling fool, he's a hero too! He even saves the villain! He climbs outside of a burning building to save a damsel in distress. Though it's a comedy, Charlie Chaplain does everything that a fireman should do- he saves someone that needs saving. End of story.

#2- "Bull" McCaffrey(Kurt Russel in Backdraft)

Backdraft may be the most butt-kicking firefighting movie of all time. There are a bunch of cool characters, an intriguing plot, and the fire itself is one of the main antagonists. Kurt Russel plays one of the main characters, a tough-as-can-be, no frills risk-taking firefighter Bull McCaffrey. He and his partners are on the trail of a serial arsonist. They end up finding out who it is and in a surprising moment *SPOILER ALERT*, McCaffrey dies in the line of fire, no pun intended. En route to the hospital, right before he dies, McCaffrey begs his brother not to reveal the identity of the arsonist, as it would tarnish the name of the department. That is dedication.

#1- Gordon Brewer (Arnold Schwarzenegger in Collateral Damage)

How could Schwarzenegger not be at the top of list. His character, Gordon Brewer, is a firefighter whose family is murdered by a guerilla commando. Brewer travels to Columbia to avenge their deaths. That's basically the premise, which really is more of a means to an end that sees Schwarzenegger doing what he does best- kicking ass and blowing sh*t up.