Man on Fire (2004)

Man on Fire (2004)

7/10

Starring

Denzel Washington

Dakota Fanning

Christopher Walken

Giancarlo Giannini

 

Directed by Tony Scott

 

When watching this movie again, I was already given a bad vibe by someone who said the movie was predictable and the violence was unneeded. I do agree that the movie’s editing was not so good, especially when the kidnapping happened. Also, the cinematography in some areas was not the best, but other than that, there was nothing predictable in the plot, and the violence was not unneeded.

This movie had the Taken feel, except Denzel’s character was not cut out for the violence. I think what critics and anyone who criticized this movie missed is that the character Denzel played, Creasy, was not a sadistic lost soul. He did not take pleasure in the violence and killings and did not make it all look cool with a one-liner at each killing, so you can always have something to quote. Here was a man who had made peace with his life and just wanted to get back at the people who stole away his friend. You may say the beginning part of the movie had the feel of "Well, seen this before." Here was a former soldier who is having difficulties getting back to being a civilian, so he goes to see an old friend in Mexico. He hooks him up with a job where all he had to do was be a bodyguard and not risk his life in the process.

In Mexico City, where his client, Mr. Ramos, lives, his ward, Pita (Dakota Fanning), has been plagued with a string of kidnappings. Mr. Ramos had to get a bodyguard for his daughter in order to extend the kidnapping insurance policy, so the plan was to get someone cheap. That someone was Creasy, who initially had issues with Pita, who always wanted to be friendly. He soon warmed up to her, and they became friends.

The kidnapping happened quickly and strangely. Creasy, being a former soldier, was able to take down four of the kidnappers before they caught Pita and shot him up really badly.

The ransom payment did not go as planned, and by the time Creasy woke up from the long recovery, he was hit with the sad news that Pita did not make it back to her family. He was crushed and decided to go hunting for the men.

Now, all of this may sound like something you’ve seen before, but the movie had a nice twist that you won’t see coming if you haven’t watched it before. It turns out the kidnapping and everything about it is not as clear-cut as it seems. The more Creasy hunted down the people involved, the more we got confused.

Man on Fire is a fantastic movie to see again.