Man On Fire

All Star Rating
Acting (10)
Action (7)
Direction (9)
Drama (8)
Musical Score (7)
Storyline (7)
Thought (7)
Watch-ability (7)
Overall (9)
Crime/Gangster (9)
ASR TOTAL 80

Review
Man on Fire paints a very sinister tale of revenge in which Creasy (Denzel Washington), a former special forces operative now turned body guard, wields the grim reapers scythe against an organised kidnapping racket in Mexico, fighting terror with even greater terror.

Though rated 18, the certificate is geared more towards the adult nature of the film rather than the explicit content of gore. In fact director Tony Scott (Enemy Of The State, True Romance, Top Gun) chooses to more tastefully cut the camera focus away from the blood and guts, and instead bring greater emphasis on the actors expressions and emotional skills to pull off the various scenes of violence and butchery.

Denzel provides another commanding performance, proving again he is one of the best actors in the world. Indeed the only criticism, if any, is that he is type cast once again in a stereotypical role.

Christopher Walken has a relatively small role in the movie, as does Mickey Rourke and the famous Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini. Rachel Ticotin is probably underused also, giving you the impression that all these minor roles could have easily been played by any competent actor.

That being said the performances from Dakota Fanning, the young girl who gets kidnapped, and Radha Mitchell who plays her desperate mother, are both excellent. You cant help but warm Dakota’s sweet persona, and shudder at the horror and fear projected through Radha Mitchell when she learns the terrible truth.

But without doubt the film is definitely carried by the cold and almost sadistic performance by Washington, who’s demeanour and mood ground you firmly in your seat, filling you with dread and emotion throughout the entire movie. You get a real sense for the character and how dangerous and on the edge he really is.

Paul Cameron provides lots of kinetic photography and editing techniques to give the film a gritty visual style, and frequent symbolic references throughout, that are rarely shot in action movies, give the film a nice overall touch.

This film dares to go places that films of a similar ilk failed to do.