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Man on Fire (2004)
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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
"One of those rare treats -- an original and ingenious take on an otherwise formulaic idea."
I couldn't help thinking afterwards how harebrained the whole adventure was. Yet Washington is so charming, so charismatic, and so heroic in his role, he makes the movie.
Shamelessly manipulative and sadistically violent a new low for both Washington and Scott, and one of the nastier bits of business in quite some time.
Giving credit to Mexico City as 'a very special place' after spending two hours depicting it as the worst hellhole in the hemisphere shows how clueless the director can be.
For those who flinched at watching Denzel go crooked in “Training Day,” you may want to hide under your seat as he goes absolutely twisted here.
Em nenhum dos filmes de vingança produzidos recentemente a retórica eleitoreira e bélica de Bush tornou-se tão visível quanto em Poder de Fogo.
Helgeland's screenplay is too lazy to investigate Washington's viciousness. This promising movie winds up spinning its wheels in a conventionally dopey action plot.
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.
Exemplifies a widely-held mindset of its era, one that calls for simplistic, brutal solutions to highly complex, awful things that are happening in the world.
It has just enough weight and depth to feel like it means something. I don't think it actually DOES mean anything, but it gives the illusion of it nicely.
[W]hat may take the jaded viewer aback is the amount of time [Tony Scott] dedicates to character development before heading down the inevitable trail of bloody revenge.
Moviegoers have a duty to admonish Hollywood for turning the multiplex into a Two Hours Hate, asking us to cheer the fascist aesthetic of movies like Man of Fire.
Because of Washington's superb gifts and stores of charisma, he can be casual in the way he exercises them, even in a method of interrogation never seen on NYPD.
Character development consists of sticking a bottle in Creasy's hand.
At an excruciating 145 minutes...just an extended-play version of Walking Tall. Instead of the Rock exploding after a slow burn, it’s Denzel Washington’s turn.
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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