User Reviews

This film is so much longer than it ought to be! Denzel is ok, but many of the the other actors are either poor or average at best. The story is fairly formulaic, and the twist is obvious from very early on! The direction is like a poor man's Jason Bourne film, and all the jittery editing really doesn't work. It's not terrible, but I doubt I'd watch it again!

Cements Dakota Fanning into the child actor hall of fame. The movie is almost nothing without her. I do think the editing eventually gets annoying and the middle hour is rough to get through and there is minimal intrigue and forward momentum in the plot.

la mejor de denzel, una prueba en vida de lo que valen los criticos de cine. un 47 en metacritic, estamos de broma?

Alright, let's talk "Man on Fire." You know I dig a good revenge flick, and this one delivers, even if it takes its sweet time getting there. The plot's simple: guy protects kid, kid gets snatched, guy goes on a rampage. It's the Tony Scott package, right? So, visually, it's a trip. Those fast cuts, the color flashes, it's like he's trying to give you a headache in the best way possible. Some people hate it, but it's pure Scott. Cinematography matches that intensity, gritty and in your face. Denzel, man, he just is Creasy. That quiet, simmering anger? Perfect. Dakota Fanning holds her own too, especially considering her age. The script isn't Shakespeare, but it gives Denzel enough to work with. And that soundtrack? Haunting. Those vocals from Lisa Gerrard, mixed with Gregson-Williams' score, really stick with you. Now, it's not a perfect movie. The first act drags a bit, setting up the relationship, but it's important for what comes later. It's a slow burn that explodes. It's also heavy. Really heavy. This isn't a light watch. It's dark, violent, and it doesn't hold back. But that's what makes it memorable. It's about redemption, even if it's a messy, brutal kind of redemption. Bottom line, "Man on Fire" is a solid action-thriller with a lot of style. It's got that classic Denzel intensity, a killer soundtrack, and a visual style that's definitely unique. If you like your action movies with a bit of emotional depth and don't mind a bit of visual chaos, give it a shot. Just be ready for a movie that's more about the feeling than the finesse.

İlk izlediğimde daha iyi gelmişti ama son izlediğimde ortalama ve altı bir yapım olduğunu rahatlıkla söyleyebilirim.

While the pacing and editing is flawed, almost everything else works. It tells a heartbreaking and emotional story, the characters are all pretty likable and interesting, the action is very good, and the acting is great, especially Denzel Washington's performance as Creasy. Don't let the negative reviews scare you away, this is worth watching

That's a pretty big deal to me. Right from the beginning it grabbed me with its cuts and colours. Such a good filter, I guess. It was a good fit for me. I liked that a lot. The first half of the film kind of story driven and more of a relationship building, but from the second half onwards there was some action which I enjoyed and then soon it was over and I was satisfied. I liked how it ended and overall I think it was a great action movie, but that's only from the second half of the movie onwards. Not much boom boom at the beginning but I didn't mind. It gradually built up and from a certain point on I thought it was really good and suspenseful. For crime fans I think it's great. For me, a great movie. Oh, and the soundtrack wasn't bad at times either.

Another brilliant performance from Denzel & ably supported by a very talented Dakota Fanning. The intensity of Mexico City was very well captured.

Average thrills with a superior cast, direction, production value and cinematography. Sadly the plot is unoriginal which is unoriginal in such an over saturated genre. An enjoyable if unfulfilling experience.

I think it's a pretty good movie. It released in 2004, and for some reason every movie and video game that came out between 2004 - 2006 had to have some piss yellow filter applied over the top of it. Movies from that time period in particular also had to all be edited so that every scene was glitched out, stuttery, and superimposed on itself multiple times.

A good story, well produced and on the top Denzel performs as always like a boss

Man on Fire isn't a bad thriller with drama elements featuring Denzel Washington. A simple linear plot, as in most films involving Washington. The plot is read literally from the first minutes, you should not wait for any twists in the film.

When people think of 'Man on Fire', they think of this 2004 film but some probably don't realise it's a "remake" of a less critically well received 1987 film. If asked which from personal opinion is better, it would be a hard choice. As an adaptation of the source material, author AJ Quinnell would choose this easily. It is easy to see why that is the case, there are more lines in this version lifted from the source material and more of the spirit is there, apparently Quinnell intensely disliked the 1987 film going as far to saying that he couldn't recognise any of what he wrote in there. On its own terms, it is not an easy pick. Both films are uneven but both films are also very worthwhile (yes, will admit to liking the 1987 film despite it not being a great film), they have a numerous amount of strengths but both have quite a few faults. Talking about this 2004 film, it's uneven with some things that stop it from being as on fire as its lead performances. As said above though there is a lot to like and enough to make it more than watchable. Visually, 'Man on Fire' has its moments. The locations are both stunning and gritty and there is evidence of a slick atmospheric stylishness and director Tony Scott providing a few inventive touches. The film is hampered quite severely however by Scott excessively going overboard on the visual style, too much of it is more gimmicky and self-indulgent than it is clever and imaginative which is a real shame. 'Man on Fire' has a haunting and cool music score that really adds to the film and drives the action well. The script has wit and tension. Storytelling, like with the production values, is more problematic. It is very successful in the first half, the central chemistry between Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning is truly heartfelt and beautifully written. Really liked that the care and trust were realistically gradual and not evident straight away. In the more action-oriented and thriller-like second half, the action is well-choreographed and suitably uncompromising, it's fun and suspenseful and it makes more consistent sense than the 1987 film. It is let down sadly by the pace being drawn out in places while the ending is more logical, more exciting and more emotional in the 1987 film, it's a bit of an illogical fizzler here. The film is sadly rather too overlong too by about twenty minutes, this could have been cleared up by tightening the pace in the second half. Denzel Washington excels in the lead role as does a charming and beyond her years mature Dakota Fanning. Their chemistry is one of the highlights of 'Man on Fire'. The supporting cast is more uneven, with a fun if underused turn from Christopher Walken and a strong Radha Mitchell but Mickey Rourke especially is wasted in a role little more than a throwaway. The villains too could have been more threatening. Scott's direction succeeds in the action and direction of the actors but is really messy visually. Overall, worthwhile but not the on fire film it could and should have been. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Tony Scott (QEPD) tal vez no era un director tan talentoso como su hermano Ridley. Lo que sí es cierto es que supo cómo hacer de esta historia lo más potable posible con el menor número de clichés. Si le hubieran editado unos cuantos minutos al primer acto estaría un poco mejor.

przeciętna naparzanka z Denzelem w roli głównej dostaje ode mnie +1 za Meksyk i +1 za to że jestem uzależniony od naparzanek

The first fifty minutes or so of the movie is quite slow and is all about John's relationship with Pita, which could be seen as boring to some, if your only after the large special effects and action scenes but I think it is worth it to properly set the scene for whats to come, for the characterisation/development and to make you really root for John as he sets out to discover who was behind what happened. You can tell that John tried to keep a distance from Pita as not to get attached to her personally or to lose focus on his job to keep her safe and secure but it turns out that they form quite a bond as friends, with Pita often asking John about himself. Once the action starts, its quite suspenseful and there are some pretty impressive special effects, mainly explosion scenes as well as some brief black and white flashback scenes. It does become quite fast paced and the story isn't sacrificed for the action either, the plot thickens as John discovers more about the underground organisation behind many of Mexicos kindappings and there are some real twists in the plot, to keep the viewer guessing. The performances are all good, Dakota Fanning in particular, playing a very clued up little girl. The story is quite believable and gritty and although it is quite long at over two hours and ten minutes, it had enough suspense and action to keep me watching, indeed I found it quite absorbing, in such a way as that I was glued to the screen and I didn't feel that it was too unrealistic, that there was too much 'violence for violence sake' (as there is a fair bit of violence but it didn't seem overly excessive, given the plot). I thought that it was, at times, quite an emotional movie, in that you do care for, or about, the main characters. The lighting used at times (dark and grainy) gives a gritty feel that I thought worked quite well too. About the only downside (other than the slow start which might bore some impatient people perhaps) is that the ending may be seen as a bit too 'Hollywood' by some but I'll say no more about that, so I don't give too much away. Oh and also there are alot of Spanish subtitles too, so be aware of that too, if reading many subtitles in a movie really puts you off then this may not be for you, although thats not to say that there isn't English dialogue but the movie is set in Mexico... there is more English spoken than Spanish but there were still quite alot of subtitles. The subtitles themselves were shown on screen in a dynamic way with the words swooping onto the screen sometimes, rather than just appearing statically, at times.

Acción y emoción en México; tiene una trama decente y la actuación de Denzel Washington es muy buena; es recomendable.

Creasy wants forgiveness for his violent life and then proceeds to hunt down and kill people in the most sadistic ways.

Disgraced former special ops officer is hired to protect a rich man's child. He grows to love her like a father and vice versa. Then she's kidnapped and he sets out to get revenge. Great cast. Denzel is always good. Dakota Fanning is smart and adorable as the rich man's daughter. Christopher Walken is good but doesn't have much to do here. The film is split in two. The first half showing Denzel getting Redemption because a child has faith in him. The second half is all Revenge. Which of course we want to see, but it's far less interesting. I think it would have been better to see some pain and loss in his vengeance. But it's mostly just generic killing.

While it is predictable and generic, Man on Fire is a a fun and entertaining movie filled with great acting performances, impressive action sequences and a sad ending. If you like action movies or if you are a fan of Denzel Washington, you will undoubtedly appreciate this movie.

This is an excellent film with outstanding performances. A lot of tension and unexpected turns

Man on Fire isn't the best Denzel Washington movie I've ever seen, but it does give that guy an effort for at least trying. Watch if you want, but don't expect much anyways.

This film is awful, truly terrible. It uses every cinematic gimmick known to man which only serves to make the film even worse. Plus corny, melodramatic ham acting. All these reviews gush about it because it isn't PC to be critical of a film with Washington in it. But it ****.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Truly an underrated movie, Man on Fire is great movie that is loved by fans but not so much by critics. Even thought the editing of Man on Fire looks odd, this movie does such a great job with the chemistry between Denizel Washington and Dakota Fanning and characterizing Washington's character.

Should give a little contribution , knowing that Denzel Washington Dakota Fanning nanny is not fair , but it was a good movie plot , criticism is a fickle mother.

Denzel Washington & Dakota Fanning display an amazing performance, from the beginning to the end. The music fits the atmosphere, the dialogue can make you cringe, and or feel sorrow for the main characters. P.S -critics are stupid.

AWESOME movie this one has abit of age now but is still one of my favourite movies, Washington and Fanning do a fantastic job and it has a great story.

Man on Fire is a pretty basic revenge tale, although I enjoyed the movie. I felt as if the movie did a good job at building the relationship between the two main characters, and took the needed time to do it. My largest complaint about the movie is that it utilizes too many frame-effects for crucial scenes. The director was trying too hard to be artsy. Although the effects fit in certain scenes, it was over done. Plot: 7.5/10 Acting/Cast: 8/10 Script/Dialogue: 8/10 Visual Effects: 6/10 Soundtrack: 10/10 Themes: 8/10 Overall, I would recommend this movie. It is worth a watch.

" Denzel Washington's performance is Action pack , fun the best film in his career ". It's obviously that Washington is the legend of acting in all of his films which critics like it or not. I love it when Denzel is in one of his dramatic action pack thriller's Training Day , The Equalizer , Inside man , american gangsters , and Flight. Also good directing from Tony Scott. Denzel Washington made it happen and director Tony scott made it happen to. Grade A+

Gritty, violent, and action-packed, Man On Fire showcases Denzel Washington's acting talent. Maybe it was a bit too violent, but it's an R-movie. The acting and cinematography was great. Reminds me of Taken.

As always, Denzel Washington delivers, but where this movie fails is in the direction. The jarring effects shown at times is a major turn off and leaves the viewer wondering if it is worth it to go on. However, for an action movie, it is pretty good and provides some good thrills and suspense along the way. Sure, it's not a cinematic masterpiece, but it's still entertaining and overly criticized by the critics.

Another master-class movie with Denzel Washington as the movie's biggest highlight. He plays as Crease, a skilled combatant entrusted with the task to protect a little girl; Pita. He is a force that should be feared; especially when you don't give him answers. It's clear that most professional critics are cynical They see a man sadistically brutalising kidnappers for answers; I see a man doing the right thing. Those people were criminals. Plus, if you were smart, you would realise that not once did he take pleasure in torturing his targets. In fact, he was more hesitant in doing so. He merely took the measures that were required. If someone you cared for; Pita in this instance, was taken away by these sick ****, would you just try to talk to them for information? Treat them nicely? Don't kid yourself, I'm sure you would result in brutality out of desperation. In saying that, Man On Fire is an excellent movie for its dramatic depth and moral.

This truly is one of the most touching and best movies of all time! Denzel does a great job along with the rest of the cast. This movie made me ball. Lisa Gerrard does a excellent job with the music! I love this movie

an amazing movie that critics under rate dont listen to them giving it average it was perfect buy this movie on blu ray you and see what you think ok

An amazing performance from Denzel Washington makes what would have been an all right movie, into a movie that will be memorable for time to come. This amazing true story of a mans love and retribution inspire and entertain to the end.

Beside the annoying editing and shaky-camera effect, Mr. Denzel's portrayal of a tormented man seeking revenge make this a worth watch.

This was a good story, and they could have done so much more with it. I found this movie to be quite slow and boring. The character development is terrible, a lot of the acting is poor, and the cinematography, just makes things that much more confusing. I love Denzel Washington and when he teams with Tony Scott, it's usually magic, but they missed the mark in a big way on this one.

Featuring a moving performance from both Washington and Fanning, "Man On Fire" proves to be a frenetic, violent, and engraining experience.

John W. Creasy's masterpiece may well be death but Tony Scott's masterpiece is Man on Fire. This is a movie that makes you so upset and furious with the villains that you want to start smashing things. Then it unleashes a growling Denzel Washington to do just that. I can't think of any other movie that uses extreme violence as a tool for such deep catharsis. That actually sounds impossible but Man on Fire is so well constructed that every bullet fired makes you want to shed another tear. Absolutely perfect.

This has become one of my favouite movies of all time. From the great soundtrack, the awesome cinematography/editing and the performances of the actors this film ticks all the boxes. Dakota Fanning is unbelievably good for her age and Denzel lives up to his usual standard. The first half of the film is quite slow but it is required in order to create the backstory of the Creasey/Peta relationship. Once the action kicks in the film really takes off. If I had one criticism, which I'm finding hard, it's that the film could be more violent. The first act of revenge is the most violent so after that it's a bit of a letdown. The ending could have you in tears.

Powered with beautifully frenzied cinematography and poignant performances by Fanning and Washington, "Man on Fire" is a unstoppable train advancing to the audience with mighty, brazen force.

Very surprised that the critics gave such low reviews for a classic Denzel film. Saw this a couple of weeks ago for the first time, was shocked I missed this. Great plot and always nervous of what will happen next.