"Man On Fire" simmers but rarely blazes . . .

Rating: 7/10 (22 June 2007)

The Denzel Washington movie "Man On Fire" (**1/2 out of ****) suffers from poor plotting and a bad ending. Hopelessly downbeat and riddled with clichés galore, this predictable but atmospheric abduction mystery thriller focuses largely on its charismatic star. However, alcoholic bodyguard John Creasy generates little of the charisma that most Denzel Washington heroes beam with blinding wattage. British director Tony Scott has cast his winsome Oscar-winning star against type as a depressed, low-key, guilt-stricken individual with few reasons to live. Although this self-pitying protagonist serves to stretch Denzel's acting range, very little about John Creasy as a character appears remotely appealing. By the way, a bodyguard who shuns body armor is asking a little too much in a shoot'em up saga. Bulletproof vests make or break this kind of crime genre picture. Furthermore, Scott and scenarist Brian Helgeland keep us at arm's length from Denzel's unglamorous character to make him look more credible. Incredibly, for a brooding, action-oriented suspenser with an antsy documentary flavor, the best scenes in "Man On Fire" occur when Denzel's washed-up ex-soldier Creasy carries on conversations with a delightful Dakota Fanning as the inquisitive child he shields from the evil kidnappers in crime-ridden, corrupt Mexico City. Mind you, the shoot-outs look great, and the middle part of "Man On Fire" resembles vintage 1970's Charles Bronson vigilantism with its cynical disregard for life, but the movie only comes alive when Denzel and Dakota are together on screen.
As John Creasy, Denzel delivers a thoroughly convincing performance as a former U.S. Special Forces anti-terrorist expert who has hit rock bottom and desperately needs a job. Creasy looks up an old buddy, Rayburn (Christopher Walken of "The King of New York"), in Mexico, and Rayburn lands him a job as a bodyguard for a wealthy Mexico City businessman whose young daughter, Pita (Dakota Fanning of "The Cat In The Hat"), makes a prime target for kidnappers. Early on, we're told kidnapping is rampant in Mexico City, and Samuel (Marc Anthony of "Hackers") hires Creasy, even though he knows Creasy drinks. Predictably, during the first half of "Man On Fire," Pita draws Creasy out of his self-destructive shell. She even names her pet bear after him. Before long Creasy gives up trying not to be Pita's friend and becomes her surrogate father. The scenes where Creasy trains Pita for a swimming match represent the high point of this uneven but entertaining opus. Predictably, kidnappers grab Pita and blow Creasy full of holes, not enough to kill him, but enough to slow down the movie. Again, where is the ubiquitous bulletproof vest? Half the action epics made these days stage the dramatic near-death scene where the resilient hero takes ten shots in the chest then sheds his shirt to reveal his slug encrusted body armor. Not Creasy. He doesn't wear armor, so we have to wait for him to recover from his wounds.
About two-and-a-half hours in length, "Man On Fire" lurches along under Tony Scott's self-consciously artsy, pseudo documentary style. After a while, the jiggling camera technique that gives the film its newsreel quality will get on your nerves. When the kidnappers are gunned down trying to retrieve the ransom, everything goes haywire. Not surprisingly, the thugs holding Pita say they have killed her. The rest of the movie follows Creasy as he hunts down anybody who had anything to do with the abduction. "Man On Fire" ranks Denzel's most savage film. In some ways, it resembles the Luc Besson man/girl thriller "The Professional" where a pre-teenage girl taught an adult male how to appreciate life. Refreshingly, neither Scott nor scenarist Brian Helgeland of "Payback" fame make up any excuses for their hero's murderous rampage. Creasy kills each of the kidnappers without remorse. Along the way, Creasy uncovers a ring of corruption in the Mexico City police that defies imagination. Nearly every cop is on the take and they live in terror of assassination.
When Tony Scott makes good movies, he helms memorable classics like "Top Gun," "Beverly Hills Cop 2," "The Last Boy Scout, ""True Romance," and "Spy Games." When he makes bad movies, he cranks out crap like "The Fan," "Revenge," "Days of Thunder," and "Crimson Tide." Sadly, "Man On Fire" belongs to the latter category. If "Man On Fire" weren't bad enough for Helgeland's half-baked script, it turns out this movie is a remake of an abysmal Scott Glenn movie from 1987 called "Man On Fire!" Aside from Denzel's superb performance, "Man On Fire" simmers but rarely blazes.