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Movie Review - Man on Fire
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Tony Scott |
| Starring: |
Dakota Fanning and some other people (such as Denzel Washington) |
| Rated: |
R (for language and strong violence) |
| Length: |
146 minutes |
| Genre: |
Action/Drama |
| Website: |
Man on Fire |
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PLOT
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Creasy (Washington) is a washed up old hit man who struggles with alcoholism and depression (well, more
"wallows in" than struggles). However, even washed up old hit men gotta make a livin' right? That's why an
old hit-buddy of his (brilliantly played, as always, by Christopher Walken) hooks him up with an
interview as a bodyguard for Peta (Fanning), the daughter of a Mexican automaker and his American wife.
You see, lately, Mexico City has been riddled with the kidnappings of children of its rich citizens, and
Peta's parents have had little success in finding a bodyguard who can deal with the situation.
When Creasy is offered the job, it's Peta's influence that gets him to open up more and drink less.
That's why he can't just let it go when Peta is kidnapped and presumably killed. Instead, he, with the
help of a reporter and her contacts, digs into the group behind the kidnappings and goes after everyone
involved. A violent, but not gratuitously so, revenge movie ensues.
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MS. CALI'S TAKE
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I'm not really a Denzel fan. To me, all of his movies are the same, but I adore Dakota Fanning, so of
course I had to see this. The story is solid, without dragging on. The action is consistent, but not
overwhelming. The acting is superb. Dakota and Denzel are a solid team, but that should not surprise
anyone who has ever seen Dakota in anything. She has a maturity rarely seen in actresses twice her age,
and it matches up to Denzel nicely. Despite my non-fanness of him, he really is a good actor, and it
shows in this movie.
There was one other acting surprise for me in this movie though. Dakota's father is well-played by
none other than Marc Anthony. If there is one Latin singer turned American pop star that I hate more
than Ricky Martin, it's Marc Anthony. Thankfully, his acting is much better than his singing. He really
should stick to that from now on. At least we know that he will have something to fall back on once
J-Lo dumps him for hubby #4.
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JOHNNY'S TWO CENTS
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I enjoyed this movie quite a bit, but I can't give it the same "5 mark" treatment as Ms. Cali. Personally,
I felt the movie ran a little long. I know Ms. Cali loves Dakota Fanning, and don't get me wrong, I think
she does a great job, but when I'm waiting anxiously for the revenge to start, there's only so much "Denzel
teaches young kid how to swim" action I can take.
I felt the first half was somewhat slow, and if about 25-30 minutes had been trimmed then the movie would've
been a lot stronger. But as soon as Denzel started on his mission of revenge, I was solidly along for the ride.
Revenge movies are tricky. It's a subject that is very prevalent in action movies, so for it to work you
really have to do something unique. What I really like about "Man on Fire" is that it doesn't shy away
from shocking, and some might say controversial, moments.
It isn't scared to walk on the edge of what's considered acceptable. In this movie, revenge doesn't
consist of somebody getting punched in the face and then voila, all is right. Revenge isn't a building
full of bad guys exploding and thank you Mr. Good Guy, problem solved. Nope, this is in your face. This
is Denzel making it painful for you to watch what he's doing with a bad guy's hand until he gets the
information he wants. This is Denzel finding creative orifices to insert a bomb. This revenge is truly
personal, and that's what I like about it. Is it extreme? Well, yeah, somewhat, and the easily offended
might be turned off by it, but this action fan loved it.
Unfortunately, the ending was a little disappointing. Don't expect to go home singing the "Joy in My
Heart" song. The movie ends on a dark note, and I understand many people will find it appropriate, but
I personally was left wanting something more. But feel free to ignore the film's flaws because the meat
of this story is worth the effort.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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The movie is rather violent, but it didn't really bother me. It fit into the storyline, and while it was
bloody, it didn't seem gratuitous. I tend to be pretty sensitive when it comes to gory, gratuitous
violence, and this one was okay for me. I wouldn't recommend this movie to the following people, however,
because of the violence: Johnny's mama, children, and the overly sensitive.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailer does a good job of setting up the movie. It lets you know that yes, there is gonna be lots of
action here, but there will also be some character development. It might not adequately prepare you for
how brutal some of the acts of revenge are, but if you're expecting hand buzzers and the ol' pepper-flavored
bubblegum trick, then there's really not much I can do to help you.
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THE GIST
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"Man on Fire" is a good revenge movie that isn't scared to take things to the extreme. The first
half of the movie is mostly concerned with character development, and many people will find it
slow-paced, but once Denzel starts to kick a few butts while jotting down a bunch of Mexican names,
you'll be along for the ride.
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