Review: Only the Brave

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

PLOT: The true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew of firefighters dedicated to fighting wildfires all over the United States.

REVIEW: Watching ONLY THE BRAVE I couldn’t help but think that twenty years ago this would have been a Jerry Bruckheimer-level A-list tentpole summer release. It’s so seemingly commercial it hurts. It’s a star-laden movie with an interesting, based-on-fact, premise, amazing CGI effects, and tons of human interest to tug at the heartstrings. Yet, in the modern film landscape, ONLY THE BRAVE is so dicey a prospect that one company (Lionsgate) actually sold it off to another (Sony), and despite mostly positive reviews, no one’s expecting it to make a dent at the box office. In the nineties, this would have been another TWISTER.

Whatever its commercial reception is, ONLY THE BRAVE is a thoroughly compelling action-adventure, with the added appeal of being based on a true story. Its genesis lies in a GQ article (check it out) that’s well worth a read – but only after seeing it as not knowing the outcome undoubtedly gives it more of a kick.

Directed by TRON: LEGACY and OBLIVION’s Joseph Kosinski, it’s a solid attempt by him to make something a little more grounded, and good practice for his upcoming TOP GUN sequel, with it actually sharing some thematic similarities to that ’86 classic. An unabashedly patriotic, macho “men-on-a-mission” movie, Josh Brolin stars as the grizzled chief, who has enough quirks to avoid becoming a cliché, with him sporting eye glasses (it’s so rare you see a bespectacled action hero outside KINGSMAN) and carrying prayer beads that suggest he’s a Buddhist. Miles Teller is the Maverick character, a recovering crack-addict who tries to shape up for his infant daughter by joining the hotshots, only to find both a calling and a BFF in Taylor Kitsch’s likable joke-cracking fireman.

The ensemble is completed by Kosinski’s old TRON: LEGACY star, Jeff Bridges, less ornery than usual as Brolin’s mentor (he even gets to warble a country tune), and Jennifer Connelly, offering some much needed female perspective in a gutsier-than-usual part as Brolin’s wife (although the line, “it can’t be easy sharing your man with fire” is a bit groan worthy). Kosinki’s film benefits from his usual crew, including Joseph Trapanese, who delivers a solidly propulsive score that avoids maudlin territory, and ace DP Claudio Miranda. Brolin anchors the whole thing with his sturdy, heroic performance, while Teller reminded me of a young Sean Penn as the screw-up turned hero.

One area ONLY THE BRAVE easily bests TRON: LEGACY and OBLIVION is in the scripting, with Ken Nolan (BLACK HAWK DOWN) and Eric Warren Singer (AMERICAN HUSTLE & HER) delivering a well-written vehicle for all involved, making this far less cookie cutter than it could have been. While still more of a traditional actioner than the docudrama-esque DEEPWATER HORIZON, ONLY THE BRAVE (which formerly had the more appropriate title GRANITE MOUNTAIN) is a great piece of entertainment. The pace never lags and all the performances have an air of authenticity that makes this one a cut above. Were the movie biz fair, this would be a blockbuster.


8
Source: JoBlo.com

About the Author

Chris Bumbray began his career with JoBlo as the resident film critic (and James Bond expert) way back in 2007, and he has stuck around ever since, being named editor-in-chief in 2021. A voting member of the CCA and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, you can also catch Chris discussing pop culture regularly on CTV News Channel.