Man on Fire

Review by Clint Morris

For such an allegedly nice guy, Denzel Washington does a lot of nasty things in his new film.

But like intermittently having an orange instead of a cola, sometimes experiencing something different can be quite revitalising and Man on Fire is definitely a different brew than Washington’s use to.

A remake of a 1987 film starring Scott Glenn, Man on Fire stars Washington as a burnt-out, undercover operative named John Creasy, who gets a job playing bodyguard to the nine-year-old daughter of Mexico City industrialist Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony).

Unlike most of the people whose path he crosses, the young girl, Pita (Dakota Fanning), takes to Creasy and they ultimately form a tight bond.

When Pita is kidnapped and later announced as murdered by her captives, Creasy sets out Punisher-like to seek revenge on his young friend’s behalf.

Man on Fire isn’t the type of movie that’s going to get Washington noticed by the Oscar board.

Considering he hasn’t done a slick enjoyable popcorn no-brainer for a while though, it’s due time Washington forgot about pleasing the old sods at the Kodak theatre and thought about the other type of cinema patron, the non tea-sipper. But while Tony Scott’s film is light years from say, Malcolm X, or, The Hurricane, it’s a popcorn thriller with class. Think Dirty Harry, not The Bodyguard.

Typically, Washington is still terrific in it. He’s just as credible as a revenge-seeking vigilante scattering bullets into baddies as he was the aforesaid political activist. Once again, the man proves his scope.

In addition, rising young superstar Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam) offers weighty support as young Pita, combining a performance of credible pragmatism with cutesy sentimentally and naive susceptibility.

Scott’s direction is pretty slick. At times, his constant trickery with the camera does get a bit annoying as we’re forced to go with him as he tries to outdo every wired MTV music director in the country, but for the most part, it seems to add something to the film’s rapid yarn.

Without Scott and the capable cast, Man on Fire would probably be a lot less entertaining than it is. But then, if it didn’t have a name cast, it wouldn’t have been made now would it?

3.5 out of 5

Man on Fire
Australian release: Thursday August 5th
Cast: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken, Radha Mitchell, Marc Anthony, Mickey Rourke, Giancarlo Giannini, Rachel Ticotin.
Director: Tony Scott.
Website: Click here.

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