Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Drama, Revenge, Murder, Kidnapping, Gore, Religion, Love, Blackmail, Suspense, Police, Hostage, Outlaws, Serial Killer, Tragedy
Tagline: A Promise To Protect. A Vow To Avenge
Plot: A wave of kidnappings has swept through Mexico, feeding a growing sense of panic among its wealthier citizens, especially parents. In one six-day period, there were 24 abductions, leading many to hire bodyguards for their children.Into this world enters John Creasy (DENZEL WASHINGTON), a burned-out ex-CIA operative/assassin who has given up on life. Creasy’s friend Rayburn (CHRISTOPHER WALKEN) brings him to Mexico City to be a bodyguard to nine-year-old Pita Ramos (DAKOTA FANNING), daughter of industrialist Samuel Ramos (MARC ANTHONY) and his wife Lisa (RADHA MITCHELL). Creasy is not interested in being a bodyguard, especially to a youngster, but for lack of something better to do, he accepts the assignment. Creasy barely tolerates the precocious child and her pestering questions about him and his life. But slowly, she chips away at his seemingly impenetrable exterior, his defenses drop, and he opens up to her. Creasy’s new-found purpose in life is shattered when Pita is kidnapped. Despite being mortally wounded during the kidnapping, Creasy is “a man on fire,” as he vows to kill anyone involved in or profiting from the kidnapping. And no one can stop
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 By concentrating on the emotional impact rather than the pyrotechnics, ammunition, and action/thriller elements, this comes across as an effective piece of drama, and it doesn't cheat us with a Hollywood cop-out ending. For what Man on Fire delivers, it's worth enduring Scott's hyperkinetic visual techniques.  --James Berardinelli (ReelViews)
Denzel Washington hacks off a guy's fingers one by one and treats another guy to an explosive suppository -- and he's the hero!--Stephanie Zacharek (Salon)
Tony Scott's "Man on Fire" employs superb craftsmanship and a powerful Denzel Washington performance in an attempt to elevate genre material above its natural level, but it fails. The underlying story isn't worth the effort.  --Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)
This movie, a 21/2-hour endurance test by Tony Scott, doesn't just exploit the premise that kidnappers are scum who deserve Old Testament punishment. It rock-and-rolls with it. There isn't a moment, it seems, that isn't stylistically jacked up.--Desson Thomson (Washington Post)
This character makes The Bride from Kill Bill look like Minnie Mouse, and it becomes a real guilty pleasure watching him do his dirty work. B+--Craig Younkin (Lee's Movie Info)
An overstuffed, pricey, and smashingly gorgeous bag for a variety pack of clichés, Man on Fire represents director Tony Scott taking somewhat of a step backwards after fun, spry thrillers Spy Game and Enemy of the State; but damn if he doesn’t try his hardest to make it all mean something.  --Chris Barsanti (FilmCritic.com)
Man on Fire is the film The Punisher should've been. Raw and unflinching, it's a gripping story of revenge that doesn't pull any punches - anchored by an electrifying performance from Denzel Washington.  --David Nusair (Reel Film Reviews)
No amount of plastic surgery can save the plot or the creaky ending of this plodding, overwrought meditation.  --Blake Snyder (MovieWeb)
This movie is a lesson to any aspiring filmmaker. It has a very nice script, acting and direction. But if you want to know how NOT to do subtitles, this is the movie to watch...  --Brian Gallagher (MovieWeb)
Instead of getting the epic massacre promised, we get a couple of really lame twists and a spectacularly unsatisfying ending. --Kevin N. Laforest (Montreal Film Journal)
At almost 2 1/2 hours, the Oscar winner's latest has to go down as one of the longest, dumbest and most savage revenge fantasies extant.  --Glenn Lovell (San Jose Mercury News)
I damn sure noticed the film's kinetic style, brilliant portrayals and balls-out, gripping and insanely visceral sense of rage, passion and most acutely...revenge! For anyone who thought Frank Castle's game of musical chairs with fire hydrants was impressive, wait until you see what this veteran of all things terror-related does to his victims when the shit's on the line. 8/10--'JoBlo' (JoBlo.com)
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| Directed by |
Tony Scott
Top Gun, True Romance, Enemy of the State |
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| Music By |
Harry Gregson-Williams
Shrek 2, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Kingdom of Heaven |
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...where Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" radiates freshness and vigor, "Man on Fire" feels vaguely like something left over from the 1980s, when action heroes were one-note tough guys methodically picking off baddies.  --Megan Lehmann (New York Post)
Tony Scott’s new film, Man On Fire is a visual razzle-dazzler from start to finish that features some solid performances from those who can’t seem to deliver anything but, and a couple of cool little surprises from actors not much is expected of. 7.5/10--W. Andrew Powell (The Gate.ca)
...a highly watchable action thriller with one big flaw: It feels like two different movies aimed at two different audiences.--Paul Clinton (CNN Showbiz)
Man of Fire had great potential, with a strong cast, a good script, and some nice camerawork. Unfortunately Scott virtually kills his film by overdirecting and underediting. 5/10--Aaron West (Movie-Vault.com)
There’s a competent vigilante film underneath all of Scott’s excessive and pretentious camerawork, and one-notch-above-blitzkrieg editing, but no reason whatsoever to sort through the visual muck to get to it. The film will get your attention, that’s forsure, but someone should’ve stopped Scott in the editing room before he turned his film into something resembling a cinematic strobe light. D---Brian Orndorf (FilmJerk.com)
Exemplifies a widely-held mindset of its era, one that calls for simplistic, brutal solutions to highly complex, awful things that are happening in the world. 56/100--Brian Webster (Apollo Guide)
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