Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Man on Fire (2004)

Average user rating

5 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Extended scenes of boozy washed-up bodyguard Denzel Washington bonding with his precocious ten-year-old charge (Dakota Fanning) see the running-time of this revenge saga touching 150 minutes, when it’s obvious to you, me and Tony Scott’s cigar butt that they’re mere formalities before the girl’s inevitable kidnapping and the bit we’re waiting for: Denzel taking out the bad guys. Since the Mexico City setting is already established as a hotbed of iniquity, we can expect this to be pretty chewy, and so it is, as Denzel launches into a virtuoso display of scumbag-wasting. Basically, it’s a Steven Seagal flick decked out to the nines, with the protagonist adopting the tooled-up Bushian approach of decimating the opposition first, then asking questions. It ought to be seriously unpalatable stuff, yet there’s something so cherishably naff about Scott’s jumping-bean cutting and hokey-cokey camerawork that it’s almost a guilty pleasure, hitting inspired heights of ridiculousness when wailing Lisa Gerrard on the soundtrack and lingering close-ups of Denzel’s St Jude medallion try to convince us of some spiritual redemption. There’s steely support from distraught mum Radha Mitchell, while Special Ops buddy Christopher Walken keeps a straight-ish face through lines like ‘his art is death and he’s about to paint his masterpiece’. Yes, it’s juvenile fan-boy gubbins (Tarantino’s a fan), but Scott’s still the daddy of sleazy Mexicano sadisto-flash trash.

Author: TJ

Time Out London Issue 1781: October 6-13, 2004

Email Tweet Share

User reviews of this film

Thomas Noctor said...

Posted on Sep 05 2009 13:28 Puts The Bodyguard to shame.

Report as inappropriate
Thomas Noctor said...

Posted on Sep 05 2009 13:27 Best film in a decade cant speak highly about it. Denzel at his best as usual.

Report as inappropriate
phil said...

Posted on May 21 2009 17:21 This film is one that i watch over and over again and dont get bored. Denzel is awsome and you really believein his character. The wrighting is amazing the cinematography is top, everything about this film is good. Watch this film. Anyone with kids will understand what this is all about!

Report as inappropriate
firman said...

Posted on Apr 24 2009 16:02 great film

Report as inappropriate
Matt said...

Posted on Mar 16 2008 11:03 This has to be one of my top ten films. There are some classic scenes (the man the explosive and the car is one of the most classic scenes in cinematic history!). It is about the bad man gone good, Cold blooded revenge for a honourable reason (to rescue the girl in his charge) against people you can feel don’t matter (the kidnappers). So it is escapism to allow your aggressive streak to enjoy the violence outside and without the guilt of the ethical constraints of everyday life.

Report as inappropriate