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Man on Fire | Year: 2004 Classification: Action/Adventure Directed: - Tony Scott Actors/Actresses: - Denzel Washington - Dakota Fanning - Christopher Walken - Jade Malle MTV influences ANOTHER movie I enjoyed this movie. It is dark, challenging and the performances are great. Denzel Washington plays a hired bodyguard and former assassin named Creasy who is to protect an adorable little girl named Pita, played by Dakota Fanning. There relationship is phenominal. Denzel slowly warms to her personality and finds a new purpose in life behind her. Denzel, once again, proves that he is one of, if not THE finest actor in hollywood. In MAN ON FIRE, he takes on 3 personalities and he flawlessly transforms from one to the next with ultimate believability. Revenge is ugly. Everything about the movie is entertaining and engrossing. Yet, one thing really set me off. That one thing was an MTV, flash image story-telling that frequently left me wishing they would just STOP and SHOW THE IMAGES! At times, it was okay, but at times it was frustrating and confusing. Is it art? Is there a point to it? Or is it just a way to be different? I don't know. From what I saw, much of it served no purpose other than to be artsy and NEW AGE. You know that instance where you GET IT? Where you're watching a scene and you know what is happening and you know what is going to happen? Many of these scenes were dragged on excrutiatingly long and longer to the point of frustration by bizarre closeups, flashes, overdramatization and slow motion. The movie's good. It deserved 4 stars, and if I hadn't gotten frustrated at numerous scenes throughout, I would have given it 4 stars. The ultimate revenge trip This screen adaptation of the A.J. Quinnell novel has received mixed reviews, but I found it remained generally true to the spirit of the book. Creasy (Denzel Washington) is a broken-down, alcoholic, ex-special forces assassin. Visiting his friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken) in Mexico City, he ends up taking a job as a bodyguard to make ends meet. A kidnapping spree has spread throughout Latin America and a wealthy young couple hires Creasy to protect their young daughter. Less concerned with her safety, their primary reason for hiring him is to fulfill the terms of a kidnap-insurance policy. Pita (Dakota Fanning)'s spunk and unabashed friendliness slowly penetrate Creasy's veil of pain and alcoholism. Soon, he's not only protecting her, but is also coaching her at swimming and helping with studies. Then, in the turning point of the film, despite Creasy's quick-witted defense, Pita is kidnapped from her piano lesson and Creasy left for dead with multiple gunshot wounds. Corrupt cops, mobsters, and other officials are all taking their cuts from the kidnapping game. As Creasy begins to recover, he sets off on the ultimate roadtrip of revenge. And all hell breaks loose. I rated this film four stars. Tony Scott has to tone down the nausea-inducing quick cuts, fades, over-exposures, and other tricks of the trade. When he gets into story-telling mode, he does his best work, as Fanning and Washington are nearly perfect in their roles. Do yourself a service and read the books. Nothing matches the entire Creasy series. Washington is Creasy Bear...storyline diverges from the book If you've read the book, the movie's storyline is a little disappointing. If you've seen the movie and haven't read the book yet... You really need to. It is most satisfying, and will give you a better understanding and appreciation of the character Creasy. The location switch from Italy to Mexico works well. Of course, we miss out on the Isle of Gozo. As with most novel-to-cinema adaptions, we miss out on a lot of subplot (Creasy's women). And as is inevitable with a major studio production, the ending has been "Hollywood-ized." (can't tell you more without giving away the ending... read the book). However, Denzel Washington does an excellent job portraying the character Creasy, as I knew he would. Dakota Fanning is Pinta, no question about it. Christopher Walken, always a good choice, was an excellent casting choice here. A.J. Quinnell would be proud. Marc Anthony...? Well, A.J. Quinnell would understand. Buy Man On Fire at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Man On Fire Search with the Priority Search Engine on Man On Fire This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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