Man on Fire (2004)

Memorable, crazy movie

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Despite the film's predictability, thanks to Denzel Washington's presence, it manages to stay interesting throughout. A typical revenge story here, with Denzel playing a mysterious bodyguard, who, seeking redemption for his past sins, accepts a job offer to guard rich parents' (Radha Mitchell and Marc Anthony) daughter named Lupita (Dakota Fanning) in the midst of a highly active kidnapping the rich kids season in Mexico City. What makes this film standout from amongst it's genre peers is the level of intensity, which isn't lowered from beginning to end, with a few minor coffee breaks here and there. It is well acted, with Washington stealing the show with his portrayal of this complex character, with barely any backstory, but still interesting enough to root for. The supporting cast consisting of such well-established names in Hollywood as Christopher Walker and Mickey Rourke felt kinda misused, and their screen time is extremely short. Especially Rourke. With his charisma, there could have been so much more to his lawyer character then we got. I absolutely loved direction and effective editing, with it all being flavored by an awesome soundtrack. The plot, though, could have been better structured then it is done here. The antagonist is an empty space. As sad as it sounds. I did not buy into the whole "plot twist" either. The script just seemed unfinished, as if it was completed as they were going. Overall, the film is more then watchable. The ending is surprisingly satisfying, and the production is top notch. But the story and it's main concept was a huge ditch, leaving much to be desired. I'm scoring it 7/10. It's a great film, but could have been so much better.

For all calling this an action flick, there were hardly any shootouts, any hand to hand combat, any car chases. When I am watching a movie I dont care about acting, yes it helps but the acting itself helps does not make a movie good. The girl and Denzel put in good performances which make the movie watchable, but it still was a waste of my time. The hero in taking revenge hardly encounters any trouble, kills only a few people to get his revenge and seems to function well for 2 hours after being shot right in the centre of his chest. There is zero action, just some novel torture scenes where the hero elicits information, and voila we get to the end. The girl is cute and the bonding between her and Denzel is the only worth watching part. Walkens is massively wasted.

While traveling to Mexico City to visit an old friend, an ex- assassin gets a job as a bodyguard for a small girl. After she gets kidnapped and he's badly injured, not waiting to recover, he sets out to eliminate the ones responsible, one by one, hoping to get to the bottom of this despicable act.It's a brilliant thriller which focuses on Denzel's character as he unwillingly starts to bond with the little girl he's being paid to protect and the entire killing spree that follows after her kidnapping. Although apparently long, it manages to be very interesting throughout its entire length, without a single dead moment or event which shouldn't have been there. We're about to find out a big conspiracy which slow unravels, one killing at a time, ultimately leading to a highly unpredictable but very satisfying finale. Creasy is excellently played and described, making the whole atmosphere even more tense and thrilling as time goes by. The plot is also very well thought and complex, creating a great and unique atmosphere in which the whole action can be displayed in its entire beauty.I have to admit that I am a big fan of Denzel, his acting really being top-notch in all movies I have seen with him, especially in leading role, as he manages to transmit a lot of emotions and feelings with everything he depicts. He has a great ability to transpose into his characters, especially in this type of movies, making almost all of them one of a kind. It's a true pleasure to watch him act and this movie is no exception. On the contrary, it's one of the best! As you might have guessed by now, I was really impressed by this movie, its characters, action and plot, making it another great which provided two and a half hours of awesome cinematography.

True Sacrifice.Although most of the movie is quite superficial, the atmosphere presented by the help of excellent audio effects, along with an unforgettable ending - one cannot avoid empathy.I don't consider myself as an emotional guy, but this movie as simple as might be, brings it out of me every time.Denzel Washington at his best.