Editorial Review:Description:Hard-drinking, burnt-out ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Washington) has given up on life--until his friend Rayburn (Oscar winner Christopher Walken) gets him a job as a bodyguard to nine-year-old Pita Ramos (Dakota Fanning). Bit by bit, Creasy begins to reclaim his soul, but when Pita is kidnapped, Creasy unleashes a firestorm of apocalyptic vengeance against everyone responsible.
Amazon.com:Style trumps substance in
Man on Fire, a slick, brooding reunion of
Crimson Tide star Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott. The ominous, crime-ridden setting is Mexico City, where a dour, alcoholic warrior with a mysterious Black Ops past (Washington) seeks redemption as the devoted bodyguard of a lovable 9-year-old girl (the precociously gifted Dakota Fanning), then responds with predictable fury when she is kidnapped. Prolific screenwriter Brian Helgeland (
Mystic River,
L.A. Confidential) sets a solid emotional foundation for Washington's tormented character, and Scott's stylistic excess compensates for a distended plot that's both repellently violent and viscerally absorbing. Among Scott's more distracting techniques is the use of free-roaming, comic-bookish subtitles...
even when they're unnecessary! Adapted from a novel by A.J. Quinnell and previously filmed as a 1987 vehicle for Scott Glenn,
Man on Fire is roughly on par with Scott's similar 1990 film
Revenge, efficiently satisfying Washington's incendiary bloodlust under a heavy blanket of humid, doom-laden atmosphere.
--Jeff Shannon
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
-
Man on Fire
Good story that unfortunately can be true. Denzel Washington did as expected a great job. Very emotional story about how a hard case former intel officer with a questionable past softens by the affection of a little girl. A movie that is worth watching several times.. Try not to have any distractions while watching as there are many details that may be missed such as facial expessions and other manerisms.
Rating: -
Where are the extras?
This is one of my favorite movies, but I wish there were more special features. There aren't any on this disc except for a few previews, Other than that, movie is great. The transfer was done really well, not quite like transformers, but still good.
Rating: -
GREAT MOVIE
I LIKE ALL THE DENZEL WASHINGTON MOVIES.THIS ONE HAD A LOT OF EXCITEMENT AND SUSPENCE.THE PLOT HAD SOME SURPRISING TWISTS.
Rating: -
Trail of Blood
Academy Award winner Denzel Washington (Training Day) is the last man who you don't want to cross in the striking thriller "Man on Fire". In Mexico City, former CIA assassin John Creasy (Washington) is hired by a wealthy Mexican businessman (Marc Anthony) to protect his daughter Pita (Dakota Fanning). As Creasy forms a close friendship with the child, she helps him recover some of his humanity. When Pita is kidnapped and her ransom attempt goes wrong, Creasy resorts to brutal methods to punish those responsible for the kidnapping. "Man on Fire" is a gripping thriller from director Tony Scott (Crimson Tide & Enemy of the State). Despite the film's lengthy running time, the storyline holds out well and features some good twists. There are some pretty good action sequences and intense scenes of Washington's character torturing criminals to uncover the truth behind the kidnapping. Denzel Washington's top-notch performance is the film's biggest highlight. "Man on Fire" also stars Mickey Rourke and Christopher Walken.
Like many previous Blu-Ray releases from Twentieth Century Fox, "Man on Fire" falls short. The 2004 thriller is presented in a fine 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen format. Despite the presence of grain in some scenes, the video transfer offers rich natural colors, great detail and notable resolution. The DTS-HD audio is dynamic with some good surround effects. Unfortunately, the only extras in this Blu-Ray are the theatrical trailers for "Man on Fire" and other Twentieth Century Fox releases. If you're looking for special features, the 2-disc Collector Edition DVD is a better choice. Overall, "Man on Fire" gets a "B-".
Rating: 
-
Great movie, Poor blu-ray
I'm a big fan of this movie, and this release looks and sounds great. The special features, however, are non existent. No commentaries, no deleted scenes, no "making of", no special features at all. Either rent this, or wait for some kind of special edition to come out.
