Since his Oscar win for best actor, Denzel Washington has produced only one
hit movie, with the overrated John Q., and a string of letdowns.
His most recent movie to hit DVD shelves, Man on Fire, was
able to gross its budget (barely), but still did not meet the financial expectations
set on it (nor will The Manchurian Candidate). And although
it may be just another in a recent frustrating line, Man on Fire
is better than advertised.
With a recent wave of kidnappings running throughout Mexico, Lisa (Radha Mitchell)
and Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony), hire a former marine/CIA assassin, Creasy (Denzel
Washington), as a bodyguard for their daughter, Pita (Dakota Fanning). Creasy
has a tainted past that has turned him into an alcoholic with no purpose in
life. However, reason and faith are restored for Creasy as his relationship
with Pita grows. This newfound purpose is shattered when Pita is kidnapped,
leaving Creasy in the hospital. Even though he is not fully healed, Creasy embarks
on a journey of revenge vowing to find and kill anyone who was involved or profited
from the kidnapping, and destroying his reason for living.
Man on Fire takes a little while to fully develop, but once
it hits its stride the movie flows very smoothly. Not trying to mask itself
as a mystery, the story is a straight up in your face quest for revenge (although
not as great as Kill Bill). There is one plot twist, but it
is not the focus of the movie, just a discovery Creasy stumbles upon that is
rather surprising. This style of action is a pleasant change from some other
recent movies which try too hard to hide a major plot-twist instead of focusing
on the story (Taking Lives, Twisted).
There were some parts of the movie that were a bit unsatisfying. Creasy makes
reference to whether or not God will forgive him for what he has done, but what
he actually did is never fully developed. Being a former assassin, it is easy
to conclude what he has done, but presumably there would be one event that precipitated
his apparent manic depression. It would have been nice to know what that was.
Also, Creasy is tracking down an elitist group of crooked cops and professional
kidnappers, and does so with relative ease. It just didn’t seem realistic
enough. Also, be sure to watch out for some of the more graphic scenes in the
movie. Not that there is a problem with them, but be ready.
Denzel Washington gives another excellent performance in Man on Fire.
He gives an endearing and compassionate performance that captivates the audience
with understanding to his torn character. The problem is that the character
of an assassin protecting a young girl has been done before by Jean Reno in
The Professional. As a movie, Man on Fire
is good in its own right, but pales in comparison.
Taking a big step into the spotlight is Dakota Fanning, who despite her A-list
counterpart steals the show (while she is in the movie). She may be young (only
10 years old!), but her talent shines far beyond her age. Expect to see more
of her in years to come.
The running time for Man on Fire is 146 minutes. This may
sound long, but the smooth flow of the movie makes it feel as though it is much
shorter. Unfortunately, you don’t get the same depth in the special features
as only one comes with the DVD:
- “Audio Commentary:” A cast and crew mix commentary by director
Tony Scott, producer Lucas Foster, screenwriter Brian Helgeland, and co-star
Dakota Fanning. Notably missing is the main star Washington. This commentary
is decent, and gives an all around insight with the assortment of those involved
with it. It can become a bore with the long running time of the movie, and the
lack of Denzel keeps this from being top notch.
A recent run of unsuccessful movies causes worry since Denzel Washington sure
hasn’t been a Man on Fire. Undeserving of a disappointment
label, Man on Fire is an action packed quest for revenge with
good story and delivery that definitely entertains. A few plot inconsistencies
and superior comparable movies are the only knock on an otherwise very admirable
movie. Too bad the DVD brings little extra to the table with a disappointing
set of special features. My final verdict: Man on Fire is worth
a rent, but lacks the extras to make it a must buy.
Movie: B
Special Features: D+
Overall DVD Score: C+
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