Based on the real-life story of a band of courageous firefighters who tackled wildfires, Only the Brave is the film-making equivalent of the plaid shirt and denim jeans favoured by the men for their off-duty attire. It’s obvious, safe and as familiar as beer and banter. There’s nothing overtly terrible here, it’s just, well, predictable. Which is a pity because, in Miles Teller and Josh Brolin, the film has a couple of solid central performances. Meanwhile, Jeff Bridges, playing a grizzled firefighting elder statesman, has perfected a distractingly weird laugh that sounds like someone squeakily letting the air out of a balloon.
