Man on Fire (2004)

“In the church, they say to forgive.” – Elderly Man

“Forgiveness is between them and God. It’s my job to arrange the meeting.” – Creasy

Number of Times Seen – Twice (3 Dec 2006 and 1 May 2019)

Brief Synopsis – A former assassin is hired to be the bodyguard of a young girl in Mexico City and must keep her safe from attempted kidnapping.

My Take on it – This is a film that does a great job of highlighting Denzel Washington’s ability to be an all out action hero and he still uses that persona even after 15 years.

He does a wonderful job with this role and brings so much to the role.

The story is unfortunately a bit overlong and draw out yet they still find ways to keep it entertaining and engaging despite a few lulls along the way.

I really liked the way that the Denzel’s character was trying to find a way towards redemption for things he did in the past yet as usually happens, he realizes how difficult it can be to run away from events and actions of the past.

The chemistry between Denzel and Dakota Fanning is what makes this movie work really well because it’s easy to watch their bond grow along with the story and that makes their friendship even more believable.

This is a move filled with lots of thrills along the way and it is constantly moving forward with things which doesn’t let the viewer catch his breath because it all is constantly in motion.

This film is far from perfect yet director Tony Scott knows how to make a fun thriller and keep it very enjoyable.

Bottom Line – Denzel is great in this film. Yes, the story is a bit overlong but it still finds a way to keep things entertaining and engaging throughout. The way that this film shows how a person can have so much trouble closing off the past when trying to turn over a new leaf in life. The chemistry between Denzel and Fanning is what makes this film work so well because we can believe how much they care for one another as we get to see the bond between them strengthen along the way. This film is filled with lots of thrills that keep on coming and doesn’t allow us to catch out breath as things are always on the move. Not perfect, but still done really well by Scott. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Writer Brian Helgeland first saw the original Man on Fire (1987) when he was renting videos in the late-’80s. He walked in to the video store where Quentin Tarantino was working, and asked what was good. Tarantino recommended Man on Fire (1987). (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)