"Backdraft" has boffo special effects but a B-movie script.

[Howard] gives the fire fighting scenes a satisfying feel of terror. But the psychological portraits of the fire fighters and the arson mystery that dominate the film are flimsy, like an art student's dutifully crafted reproductions of the great masters.

Although the movie is unrealistic in its depiction of fircfighting, it's a stunning piece of cinematic storytelling.

A hoary melodrama in which the clichés are more plentiful than the flames.