If you’re not a fan of Denzel Washington or never had the opportunity to see any of his movies, now is the time to do so. Once again he has succeeded at the box office. However this time he is using a character that shows his “Superman” side. In “Man on Fire,” Washington, who plays John Creasy, is a government operative soldier who has pretty much given up on life. He travels to Mexico City to visit a friend and somehow agrees to take a job to protect a young girl named Pita (Dakota Fanning) whose parents Samuel and Lisa (Marc Anthony and Radha Mitchell) are threatened by a wave of kidnappings. He eventually becomes close to the child and their relationship awakens and rekindles his spirit. When she is abducted, his fiery rage is unleashed on those he feels responsible, and he stops at nothing to save her. This movie is based on the novel “Man on Fire” by A.J. Quinnell, which was previously adapted as a 1987 movie starring Scott Glenn (as John Creasy), Danny Aiello, Joe Pesci and Jonathan Pryce. Quinnell’s novel was reportedly based upon a true story. “A.J. Quinnell” is actually a made up name for an author that reportedly lives somewhere in the Mediterranean (hence the setting of this movie). The mercenary character of Creasy that appears in this novel is also the hero of several of Quinnell’s other books. There are rumors that the reason that Quinnell writes unidentified is that he is a real life mercenary and adventurer who writes about his own experiences, using the Creasy character Washington and Glenn play as a stand-in for himself.
Director Tony Scott does an excellent job at keeping the audience involved in what’s going on. Not only did he fill the movie with the most action-packed and suspenseful scenes, but also this was a movie you could actually follow and understand everything that was going on.
Overall, “Man on Fire” is one of those films that is both well-written and fun to watch. Despite some overdone effects and a bit too much violence, I’d highly recommend this movie for anyone over the age of 17 to see. Denzel may not earn an Oscar for this film, but another one has to be coming his way in the near future.