Man on Fire

Rating: 5/10 (18 March 2009)

From director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State), I was hoping this action thriller film would be more enjoyable. Basically a wave of kidnappings have swept in Mexico City, and Rayburn (Christopher Walken) has brought ex-CIA operative/assassin John Creasy (Denzel Washington) to be the bodyguard of nine year old Lupita' Pita' Martin (War of the World's Dakota Fanning), daughter of industrialist Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony) and wife Lisa Martin (Silent Hill's Radha Mitchell). Creasy is against it at first, and when he does accept with nothing better to do, he is at first in no mood to socialise with Pita, but she does slowly get him to open up to her. But Creasy's new found purpose is taken away when Pita is kidnapped, and he is now out to kill anyone involved with or profiting from the kidnapping. Also starring Giancarlo Giannini as Manzano, Total Recall's Rachel Ticotin as Mariana, Jesús Ochoa as Fuentes, Mickey Rourke as Jordan Kalfus and Angelina Peláez as Sister Anna. The friendship between the ex-assassin and the little girl hits the right notes, but I agree with the critics that the film slips into absurdity Washington is out for revenge, and only a few explosions and some violence keep you hooked. Worth watching, at least once!