Tremendously dull "Man on Fire" never ignites

Rating: 1/10 (20 May 2012)

There's a reason so many critics panned this movie (and many of those who didn't, were tepid in their endorsements) -- it ponders itself far too seriously, when in fact it is not much more than a poorly-mishmashed combination of paint-by-the-numbers elements.
The man who's hit rock bottom.
The cute child who gives him reason to believe again.
The "shocking" irony that caring about the child leads to her getting kidnapped (since she runs back into the danger).
The cold brutal revenge arc.
Redemption via narrative demand for it (because one self sacrificing act completely wipes out any other considerations).
Furthermore, the pacing is painfully slow; each act of the movie drags on until the inevitable transition to the next act is clearly telegraphed. When even the brutal action revenge segment is lethargic and dull, it's a sign of how little editing has taken place to tighten up the storytelling.
I can't give a movie credit for just trying to have a message when its storytelling credentials are so utterly lacking.