Creasy: The Michelangelo of Assassins

Rating: Null/10 (6 March 2005)

Denzel Washington is always watchable and compelling. In "Man on Fire," he plays a character named Creasy, a former secret ops assassin who is hired as a bodyguard to protect the young daughter of a wealthy couple in Mexico. At the time, Creasy is down on his luck, battling alcoholism and depression. While he reads the Bible and knows scriptural passages by heart, it turns out that the little girl named Pita (wise beyond her years) brings Creasy out of his funk.
From the outset, the film's premise is that Pita will be kidnapped and Creasy's skills as an assassin will be the main interest of the film. According to Creasy's friend Rayburn (played by a portly Christopher Walken), "Creasy's art is death, and he is about to paint his masterpiece." The best part of the film is the banter between Creasy and Pita. In the chauffeuring and the homework sessions, it is clear that these two characters formed a human bonding that resonated with lively, engaging dialogue.
Unfortunately, the film turns into a high-tech version of "Death Wish" with the Michelangelo of assassins proceeding through a string of brutal vendettas. The film is definitely not a promotional travelogue for Mexico; the only Mexican character with any ethical human values was Rachel Ticotin's journalist. For this story, was it really necessary to have 146 minutes filled with so many sleazy characters and violent scenes? And why wasn't there an explanation of the cause of the depression of Creasy, filling in the gaps of the mystery of his past. The film was skillfully and stylishly directed, and there was a strong supporting cast. But every time they mentioned Creasy's name, it sounded as if they were saying "Greasy." Denzel Washington is one of the finest actors of this era. But he deserves better film projects than this one.