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Man on Fire (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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607 comments in total

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266 out of 322 people found the following comment useful :-
Riveting viewing!, 4 January 2005

Author: (sblenkharn) from United Kingdom

Certainly one of the finest movies I have seen for quite some time. Exquisite direction and flawless acting make this a very entertaining and often moving film. Denzel Washington plays one of his most engaging and emotional roles to date, and the rest of the cast perform beautifully. Christopher Walken is of course superb in his part although he did not appear as often as I would have liked. A story of ultimate greed that backfires is offset against a childs innocence and love. This is also a film for action movie lovers as it has its fair share of bullets, rockets and revenge. The location of Mexico City adds a feel of seediness and corruption which in itself is an eye opener. All in all, a truly gripping film from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

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233 out of 301 people found the following comment useful :-
Perfect...Just Perfect. Do yourselves a favor and watch it but..., 16 March 2005

Author: kourgon from Greece

...dont read any plot summaries because in words the plot might seem trivial, brain-dead and pointless. The film is excellent, the acting by both Denzel and Dakota (she will go sky high, trust me on that)are just fabulous, and the plot is mind blowing. Actually "fabulous" is a small word to use for such talented actors. The film is just based on actual facts and some characters are not fictional, a fact that adds up to the shock that i was having during and after the film. If you are fond of both actors and of somewhat deranged films, you still haven't watched your favorite one yet...Trust me, in the end you will have a weird and inexplicable feeling. The film is awesome, see it, rent it, buy it or whatever...just don't miss it

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229 out of 319 people found the following comment useful :-
Best film of the year, 12 February 2005

Author: Sam Deakin from England

This has to be one of the best, if not the best film i have seen for a very, very long time. Had enough action to satisfy an fan, and yet the plot was very good. I really enjoyed the film,and had me hooked from start to finish.

Added blood and gore in there, but brought the realistic nature of what happens to the front of the film, and even had a tear jerker ending for many people i should think.

It is a must watch for anyone. Seen many reviews, slating the film, but to be fair, most the films that get bad reviews, turn out to be some of the best. this proves it once again.

Rent this film, buy this film, just go out and watch this film. You will not be disappointed.

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163 out of 203 people found the following comment useful :-
Mexican Officials Should Be Killed, 25 September 2004

Author: E. Catalan from Sweden

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I loved this movie. I'm a Mexican and was in the least offended by it. In fact, I think this movie should be shown at police headquarters all over Mexico. It's a sad truth that our police system is as rotten as a 3 month old corpse. It angers me to read in the news how killers, kidnappers and other slime go free by paying a laughable fine or live like kings inside prison cells. We should have someone like Creasy, Denzel Washington's character. A bodyguard turned vengeful vigilante. Kidnapping is flourishing industry down here (at least in the big cities). I actually wish real life kidnappers could suffer the same fate as the one's Creasy did his fine job upon. That would be so marvelous (Sorry, I am THAT resentful!). MAN ON FIRE is a gripping film that you can't miss. It might be hard on some of you, if you aren't used to reading subtitles (Mexicans do that ALL the time while watching American movies) but the effort will be well worth it. Some of the editing is a bit fuzzy...kind of like TRAFFIC, remember? (another brilliant take on how corrupt Mexico is). The movie starts out a bit slow but the pace picks up frantically by the second half. I swear you'll be cheering as you watch Denzel Washington dispatch the wrong doers. His performance is nothing short of Excellent. The ending (no spoilers, OK!!!) is a bit sad, but I'm sure you'll like it anyway. MAN ON FIRE is one of the year's best movies. A "must own" for a DVD collection! 9* out of 10

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134 out of 191 people found the following comment useful :-
Outstanding Movie, 1 February 2005

Author: skiprodgers from United States

This is by far one of the better made movies and didn't leave me disappointed at all. The sound track along with finely shot hand-held camera work was exquisite . The are always chances a movie won't hold ones beliefs as well as another, but I felt that rhythm of this picture and the timing was excellent. Dakota Fanning is rapidly becoming a staple in movie that require a child with an old soul personality and she has never disappointed me with her talent. As for Mr. Washington and of course Christopher Walken they both exceed the challenge of showing the darkest sides of humanity trying to move to the light.

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111 out of 167 people found the following comment useful :-
Retro-Exploitation Revenge Film Is Sensational, 31 December 2004

Author: Hal-900 from WA, USA

Mean-spirited, ugly, nasty retro-action thriller, about a bodyguard who is determined to find (and destroy!), the killers of the girl he was supposed to protect. This film is almost an anachronism in today's politically correct atmosphere. Director Scott doesn't have any desire to apologize for the inherently immorality behind the film's dramatic structure. Scott is either not aware or doesn't care for 30 years of social advances. I really don't think we will see a more violent film any time soon, so you better go and see this one while you can. Despite its relentless grimness, I think the movie is a powerful example of cinema at its most sinister, exploitative, and effective. Scott has a tough thing to sell, but I think I'm a buyer. The extraordinary technical aspects of this film are just too effective for me to ignore. Scott's directorial choices are simply astonishing, and he pulls a great performance out of Denzel Washington. Sensitive souls need to stay away from this one, but I recommended it to those viewers looking for a great, action-filled movie.

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61 out of 80 people found the following comment useful :-
3 Denzels and 1 Dakota For Your Money, 4 November 2005

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

Here's a gritty, get-the-bad guys revenge story starring a relentless and rough Denzel Washington. He's three personalities here: a down-and-out-low-key-now drunk- former mercenary, then a loving father-type person to a little girl and then a brutal maniac on the loose seeking answers and revenge.

The story is about Washington hired to be a bodyguard for a little American girl living in Mexico, where kidnappings of children occur regularly (at least according to the movie.) He becomes attached to the kid, played winningly by THE child actress of our day, Dakota Fanning. When Fanning is kidnapped in front of him, Washington goes after the men responsible and spares no one. Beware: this film is not for the squeamish.

This is stylish film-making, which is good and bad. I liked it, but a number of people found it too frenetic for their tastes as the camera-work is one that could give you a headache. I thought it fit the tense storyline and was fascinating to view, but it's (the shaky camera) not for all tastes.

Besides the two stars, there is the always-interesting Christopher Walken, in an uncharacteristically low-key role, and a number of other fine actors.

The film panders to the base emotions in all of us, but it works.

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72 out of 105 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best thrillers in years; a hard-as-nails revenge flick with Washington in top form., 20 September 2004
Author: MovieAddict2009 from UK

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I hate preachy revenge flicks. I pay money to go see a revenge movie, I want revenge -- not some tough guy learning that killing is bad, etc. Seriously, if I wanted a sermon on the importance of turning the other cheek, I'd either go to church or rent an eco-friendly Steven Seagal movie.

I'm a big fan of the revenge genre, there's something about the build-up that gets my blood boiling. I love getting attached to characters and feeling their vengeance, which is why I love revenge movies that go all-out and feature TRUE revenge.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE is a good example of a movie that just backed itself into a wall. It starts as a revenge movie and ends as a message against terrorism, war, and violence. In an Arnold Schwarzenegger film? Give me a break.

So I had never expected to see such hardcore material in MAN ON FIRE -- it's an all-out action thriller that takes no prisoners. When Denzel stuck a stick of dynamite up a man's anus, then blew him up, I thought, "Wow, this movie really isn't afraid of offending people."

Washington's character isn't likable which is part of the reason this succeeds. Most revenge movies feature heroes who, magically, don't seem to want to kill anybody. However in this, Creasy (Washington) is a bodyguard who avenges the death of a little girl (Dakota Fanning) and he does so with more than mere vengeance. "I'm going to kill everyone," he says, and then does, with no pity and no remorse.

In fact this actually reminded me of the Tom Clancy novel "Without Remorse," only it's even better. Scott is at the top of his game here, revolutionizing subtitles along the way and adding an unmistakable grain to his movie that only helps it become more memorable as a gritty revenge flick.

It also features both Christopher Walken and Mickey Rourke -- the Kings of Cool -- in the same film together. That right there makes the film worth seeing.

I agree with Quentin Tarantino. This is one of Tony Scott's best films and a great, hard-as-nails revenge movie -- I had expected little and got back a lot. A definite must-see, and an Oscar-worthy performance by Washington.

One of 2004's most underrated films. How did this get 30% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes?!

4.5/5

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54 out of 71 people found the following comment useful :-
a genuinely good movie, 23 November 2005

Author: MrFunktastic from United Kingdom

i liked this film a lot. it's dark, it's not a bullet-dodging, car-chasing numb your brain action movie. a lot of the characters backgrounds and motivations are kinda vague, leaving the viewer to come to their own conclusions. it's nice to see a movie where the director allows the viewer to make up their own minds.

in the end, motivated by love or vengeance, or a desire to repent - he does what he feels is "right". 'will god ever forgive us for what we've done?' - it's not a question mortal men can answer - so he does what he feels he has to do, what he's good at, what he's been trained to do.

denzel washington is a great actor - i honestly can't think of one bad movie he's done - and he's got a great supporting cast. i would thoroughly recommend this movie to anyone.

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82 out of 128 people found the following comment useful :-
The Best Film of 2004!!!, 5 June 2005

Author: El Charro from Caracas, Venezuela

There are many reasons to watch this movie: to see the reality that whips Latin America with regard to the kidnappings thing, the police corruption at continental level, among so many realities that we live the Latins.

The performance of Denzel Wahington was brilliant, this guy continues being an excellent actor and that it continues this way. Dakota Fanning just by 10 years, an excellent actress has become and I congratulate her. The rest of the movie was of marvel, I have it in my collection.

I hope that they are happened to those producing of Hollywood to make a movie completely in Venezuela, where they show our reality better with regard to the delinquency, the traffic of drugs or the political problems. They have been few the movies that they play Venezuelan land (for example: Aracnophobia, Jungle 2 Jungle, Dragonfly) they should make more, as well as they make in Mexico.

The song "Una Mirada" I hope that it leaves in the soundtrack, it is excellent. My vote is 10/10

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