Fireproof Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Fireproof Blu-ray Movie Review

This inspirational film arrives on Blu-ray with a good transfer and several extras.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 18, 2009

You never leave your partner.

The highest-grossing Independent film of 2008, Fireproof sizzled at the box office, not doubling, not tripling, but making 67 times its $500,000 gross domestic budget. Proving that The Passion of the Christ was no flash-in-the-pan box office buster, Fireproof drew Christian audiences to theaters like few other similarly-themed films before it. Nevertheless, Fireproof isn't Transformers or Harry Potter; it's not the sort of film that's made to entertain and make money, but instead to change lives. Fireproof was made possible thanks to both the success of Sherwood Baptist Church's previous effort, the wonderful and wonderfully meaningful Facing the Giants, and the devotion of a church body eager to share their passion for Jesus Christ with the world. An endeavor that reaches past the church sanctuary and into the hearts and souls of people all around the world, Fireproof proves a bit more subtle in its spiritual message than Giants but no less meaningful as a starting point for what it takes to save a marriage and, just as important, a soul.

Caleb learns about God's place in his marriage.

Albany, Georgia fire captain Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron) never lets his fellow firefighters down, but when it comes to his marriage, well, that flame's long since extinguished. Caleb and wife Catherine (Erin Bethea) find that not only are they no longer in love, but that they can hardly stand the sight of one another. After a particularly gruesome argument, Catherine expresses her desire to get out of the marriage. As her marital status fizzles, her prospects begin to sizzle when she catches the eye of a young doctor named Gavin Keller (Perry Revell), beginning a flirtatious series of encounters that eases the burden of her separation from the man she can no longer love. Caleb's best friend and fellow fireman Michael Simmons (Ken Bevel) and Caleb's father John (Harris Malcom) both offer to him Godly advice on how to save his marriage, the latter challenging his son to commit 40 days to "The Love Dare," a program designed not only to save a smoldering marriage, but to revive the soul with God's love. Caleb is at first hesitant, but agrees to try the program as a last-ditch effort to save both face and his marriage. Though Catherine doesn't respond to Caleb's changing ways, Caleb's father nevertheless continues to encourage his son to see the program through to the end, no matter how badly it hurts.

Aside from the obvious differences between Facing the Giants and Fireproof -- one centers around football and the other a fire captain coping with the smoldering remains of a burned-out marriage -- there are also more subdued differences in the delivery of a message that's superficially different but spiritually identical. Fireproof makes its point a bit more subtly than does Facing the Giants by giving it a slightly more narrow focus, though both films share in common the message that placing God above all else can work wonders in every aspect of life, not just on the gridiron or in a marriage. Of course, neither the journey nor the message of Fireproof's "Love Dare" begin and end with the spiritual ins-and-outs of marriage; there are other lessens to be learned or, as the case may be for some viewers, reinforced through the characters' journeys and spiritual growth as they endeavor to compare and apply their earthly principles to those asked of man by God. It's no accident that Caleb is a firefighter; he saves lives, but to do so, he must work as part of a team -- a single unit made up of several men all counting on one another to not only complete the job but to make a difference by doing so -- and commit to the principles that allow them to succeed within the covenant they share and hold dear that makes them one. Firefighting isn't a one-man job, and neither is a marriage. In Fireproof, Caleb makes use of own life lessons and advice from both his father and his closest friend -- both Christians -- to come to learn what it is that's the single most crucial element in a marriage and in life: God.

Fireproof may be superficially about "The Love Dare" that Caleb undertakes, but the movie never loses focus of what it is that makes the dare work: a commitment to and faith in God. Fireproof equates a husband's love and responsibility to his wife with God's everlasting love for man. The dare's most crucial phase -- its halfway point -- reinforces the notion that, as the Bible says in First Corinthians, love never fails. Even in the darkest of times -- when a marriage seems all but over or when one's faith in God has all but vanished -- true, spiritually-focused, Godly love remains. As Caleb works his way through the dare, he sees no results; in fact, his wife believes he's up to no good, putting on a false front for his own benefit in their pending divorce settlement. Almost abandoning hope, Caleb's father reaffirms the importance of incessant and pure love even in the face of spite, hate, and absolute rejection. Scripture equates a husband's love with Christ's love for the church in Ephesians chapter five, and Fireproof retains that theme throughout, building both the dare and Caleb's subsequent spiritual journey around the Godly principles that define what Biblically-based marriage is all about, namely loving through the good times and the bad, a difficult task accomplished through a husband's and wife's relationship with God that lasts for the entirety of their journey together through life.

Technically, Fireproof is a step-up form Facing the Giants. Though both were shot on a shoestring budget, Fireproof was afforded substantially more money from the get-go, and it's clear that the increased budget allowed for a more refined, spit-and-polished presentation. Likewise, Director Alex Kendrick -- who plays but a small role in Fireproof as opposed to the leading man in Facing the Giants and Flywheel -- here has the opportunity to focus his attention on his directorial duties, and there's more of a sure-handed feel to Fireproof. That's not to belittle Facing the Giants; Kendrick does an outstanding job there, too, and while he's missed in front of the screen as a lead actor in Fireproof, he solidifies the film from behind it. Replacing Kendrick as leading man is longtime actor Kirk Cameron. Himself a Christian, Cameron is able to bring a sincerity to the film and its message that solidifies the entire production. Like Kendrick in Facing the Giants, Cameron emotes a genuine spirit and belief in the power and importance of his character's journey and its ability to resonate long after the credits roll. Otherwise, the cast is made primarily of volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church, and while the acting is less than exemplary, it's fine considering the talent involved. After all, Fireproof doesn't set out to win Oscars, only hearts; and in that regard, the film is an unmitigated success.

Fireproof Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fireproof rolls onto Blu-ray with a bright and colorful 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. Shot digitally, Fireproof features solid resolution, color reproduction, and fine detail across the board. It's the film's color palette that stands out as the hallmark of this transfer. Colors are bold and bright, perhaps a bit overblown at times but generally taking on a pleasing and eye-popping appearance. Caleb's white Captain's firefighter shirt sparkles, as does the bright red fire engine, the stripes on an American flag, and the yellow firefighter's gear. Said gear, though colorful, also features a layer of grime and general wear-and-tear that lends to it a realistic flair, and the transfer allows for plenty of the small details in these uniforms -- and elsewhere -- to stand out nicely. Even long-distance shots feature sharp and finely-detailed objects. Black levels are suitably good, and flesh tones never waver from a normal shade. For a low-budget, digitally-shot movie, Fireproof translates very well to Blu-ray.

Fireproof Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fireproof fizzles with a passable but not at all sonically delightful Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a most basic soundtrack; it reproduces the dialogue adequately and tosses in a few sound effects, both of the more aggressive and the more mundane varieties. It's effective for what it is, but the action scenes leave little to talk about. Fire engines rumble down the street and their horns let out the occasional bellow but without any sonic pomp and circumstance. Perhaps the film's most aggressive action sequence comes during the rescue of a wrecked car that has settled on train tracks. With a train coming in the distance, workers struggle to move the vehicle and avoid the train; it blows through the soundstage with a halfway decent presence, but the same effect in a more action-oriented film with a larger budget would absolutely disappoint. The track does deliver some minor ambience across the front; a father-son walk in the woods in chapter four features the subtle sounds of nature placed here and there in the front speakers, but there's seemingly nothing going on in the back channels, an easily recognizable trait of this soundtrack. Considering the film's limited budget and status as a dialogue-driven Drama, it comes as no surprise that the soundtrack's rather weak, but it still sounds perfectly fine in context.

Fireproof Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fireproof makes its Blu-ray debut with a nice collection of bonus materials. First up is a commentary track with Writer/Director Alex Kendrick and Writer/Producer Stephen Kendrick. A fine but generally basic track, the brothers speak on shooting locations; some of the film's authenticities; the themes of the story; the actors, their performances, their characters, and more. Fans of the film will want to give this one a listen. Next up is a collection of 10 deleted scenes (1080p) and Firegoofs/Jokes and Pranks (1080p, 7:41), a series of lighthearted moments from the set. Fireproof: Behind the Scenes (1080i, 22:56) takes a sincere look into the production, showcasing the cast and crew's own spiritual beliefs, shooting some of the scenes both action-oriented and dramatic, the film's themes, and much more. Marriage Matters (1080i, 7:25) looks at what led the filmmakers to focus this movie on marriage and why it's an important subject for a Christian film. 'Fireproof' in 60 with Director's Introduction (1080p, 1:33) is a collection of the film's most important moments presented in but one minute and with a comic twist. Wayne on Wayne (1080p, 3:20) is a brief interview piece with one of the film's actors, Stephen Dervan, recalling his experiences on the film but in-character as Wayne Floyd. Love Dare Promo (1080p, 5:49) is a short piece that looks at the film's companion book. Filming a Movie in 30 Days: Fireproof Video Blog (1080p, 20:31) takes viewers behind-the-scenes and shows plenty of raw footage from the set in addition to cast and crew interview clips. Next up is Fun with Mr. Rudolph (1080p, 1:04), another comically-oriented piece that rounds out one of the film's characters. Wayne's Firehouse (1080p, 6:09) is another piece featuring Stephen Dervan in-character as Wayne Floyd. Also included is the music video "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns (480p, 5:22). Rounding out this supplemental package is is BD-Live functionality and a 1080p trailer for Facing the Giants.

Fireproof Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Powerful, meaningful, and enduring, Fireproof is the sort of movie that may be forgiven its technical shortcomings in favor of the importance of its story. Though the theme and message here are a bit more narrowly-focused than that of Facing the Giants, they nevertheless all end with the same conclusion: that God's love can conquer anything and man's trust in Him can both extinguish unwanted flames and rekindle old ones that seem forever lost but simply need a Godly spark to return them to an even greater glory than before. Sony's Blu-ray release of Fireproof serves the film well. Featuring a solid 1080p transfer, a lackluster but nevertheless adequate-for-the-material lossless soundtrack, and a very nice selection of bonus materials, Fireproof comes highly recommended to all audiences.