Mean-spirited; one of the year's 10 worst
Man on Fire (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:153
Fresh:59
Rotten:94
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: Man on Fire starts out well, but goes over the top in the violent second half.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language and strong violence
Runtime: 2 hrs 26 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:Apr 23, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $77,693,136
Synopsis: John Creasy (Denzel Washington) is a lost soul. A former government operative, he has become an alcoholic nomad, searching for inspiration and redemption. An old friend (Christopher Walken) who... John Creasy (Denzel Washington) is a lost soul. A former government operative, he has become an alcoholic nomad, searching for inspiration and redemption. An old friend (Christopher Walken) who lives in Mexico gets Creasy a job as a bodyguard for nine-year-old Lupita "Pita" Ramos (Dakota Fanning), the daughter of Mexican Samuel (Marc Anthony) and his American wife Lisa (Radha Mitchell). Creasy's primary job is to protect Pita from the kidnapping attempts that are an increasing menace to the children of Mexico City's wealthy. A man of few words and many secrets, Creasy initially balks at Pita's attempts to befriend him, but soon a bond grows between the precocious child and this lonely man who is tormented by his past. When Pita is kidnapped despite Creasy's valiant attempts to save her, he will do anything to bring all of those involved to justice. His fury unravels a net of almost unimaginable corruption and greed in the process. Director Tony Scott (TOP GUN, CRIMSON TIDE) builds the relationship between Creasy and Pita in the first half of the film in order to justify Creasy's violent actions in the latter half, and in the process he does a fine job of keeping the film's tension consistently high. [More]
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Giannini, Marc Anthony, Rachel Ticotin, Mickey Rourke
Director: Tony Scott
Director: Tony Scott
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland
Producer: Lucas Foster, Arnon Milchan, Tony Scott
Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
Studio: 20th Century Fox
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Reviews for Man on Fire
Tries to justify revenge by hooking it into the myth of redemptive violence -- it doesn't work.
[It suggests] that John Creasy -- J.C. -- is a Christ figure: scars, prayers, acting as savior. But where Christ overcomes evil with good, J.C. uses heavy artillery.
Seventeen years from now, we may well remember this version of the story -- just as one remembers getting hammered on the head repeatedly with a 2-by-4.
Washington's charisma and Fanning's old-soul charm hoist this revenge film above the rest.
[Scott's] fondness for intrusive, fake-stylish camera tricks -- jump cuts, speeded-up montages, abrupt changes in light, color saturation and focal depth -- has overwhelmed whatever story sense he once possessed.
...based on its ratio of production costs to quality alone, [Man on Fire] may prove to be the worst movie of 2004.
Heavy-handed and stiff, Tony Scott's film is longwinded and irritatingly reminiscent -- stylistically at least -- of the works of David Fincher.
State-of-the-art Hollywood production...Unfortunately, it also represents the nadir of Hollywood pandering to audience tastes for ever more titillating violence.
[E]xacts its most painful retribution upon the keisters of those assembled to view it.
At times, Man on Fire seems like it was filmed by a camera attached to a nervous hummingbird.
The chemistry between Washington and Fanning is the main reason why the story works. Without it, Man on Fire would just be a big dumb loud violent music video.
Latest News for Man on Fire
May 20, 2009:
Fox International Targets Local Markets ![]()
Looking to drum up new(ish) streams of international income, Fox is planning Russian and Japanese versions of library titles such as "Man on Fire" and "Working Girl." More...
September 24, 2007:
Denzel, Tony Scott to Take Pelham One Two Three
Pelham is about to be taken again -- and Denzel Washington and Tony Scott are doing the taking. More...
May 21, 2007:
Four Directors Up for the Next "Bond" Flick?
Curious to know who'll be directing the next James Bond flick? Join the club. One source has a short list of potential helmers, all of whom would be pretty ... distinctive. More...
November 21, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Halls" Spreads Little Cheer; "Déjà Vu" Intrigues; "The Fountain" Overflows; "Pick" Is Mixed
This week at the movies, we've got holiday mischief ("Deck the Halls," starring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito), a phenomenon known as déjà vu ("Déjà... More...
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