MOVIE REVIEW: Man on Fire (2004)

Man on Fire is a thriller that I had been meaning to see for a long time. On first glance, it seemed reminiscent to one of my favorite films Leon: The Professional, and I was curious if this was the case and how it might expand on any similar themes. What I got was something good, but strikingly different from what I expected. Man on Fire brings a gritty, urban, mystery story along with some strong visual flair that evokes the style of John Woo; even the comic book-style subtitles needed at certain points are a precursor to the technique implemented in Slumdog Millionaire. It's all fine and dandy, but only by the time the film's second act begins.

In Mexico, John Creasy is an ex-CIA hitman hired by a wealthy Anglo family to serve as a bodyguard to their young daughter, Pita. As Creasy settles into his new home and job, he takes on an extra, unanticipated role as a father figure to Pita; something he never understood how to do at any point in his life. When Pita is kidnapped by druglords in exchange for a hefty ransom from her family, Creasy sets out to clean up the local drug cartel, and uncovers some dirt on his employers in the process.

Man on Fire has a slow buildup that consists of mainly seeing the developing bond between Creasy and Pita. While this seems necessary, it felt a bit perfunctory in front of my eyes, and in contrast to the rest of the film, almost like added scenes in a hypothetical "extended-version-DVD". The acting was pretty good, but the characters and writing seemed a little unbalanced at times. For example, while it's fun to see Creasy roast Mexican druglords into carnitas, he's surprisingly sloppy at times for an ex-CIA hitman. For starters, you'd think as a bodyguard, he'd at least wear a Kevlar vest after taking a max of three bullet hits to the torso and surviving the duration of the film...or maybe he's Chuck Norris? Also, I felt a little more exposition on his backstory would've been more appreciated, rather than resorting to making him a cookie-cutter, hardened warrior. Nevertheless, the film satisfied my action craving, but undoubtedly, there was still some room for improvement.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon