00s Movie Review - Man on Fire

Director: Tony Scott  
Genre: Actie/ Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 146 minutes
Year: 2004
Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Marc Anthony, Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke

Description: In Mexico City, a former CIA operative  (Denzel Washington) swears vengeance on those who committed and unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.

Review: “Man on Fire” is an intense, stylish action film directed by Tony Scott. It’s one of my favorite films starring Denzel Washington. He plays a traumatized bodyguard who seeks revenge in Mexico City after the kidnapping the young Pita, daughter of the family he has to protect.

My favorite thing about the film is the emotional bond Washington’s John Creasy forms with Pita. When Pita is taken, that makes Creasy’s quest for revenge even more intense. The film has a grim and gritty atmosphere.

Denzel Washington, but also his young counterpart Dakota Fannings are both very strong. The visual style is typical for Tony Scott. It fits the film. The film has a very quiet, emotional build-up and  has a violent, action-packed second half. The film is a tad too long with its 2,5 hours, but “Man on Fire” is a great piece of cinema.

Rating: 4/ 5

Netflix Friday - Volume 99

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: The Ice Road (2021)
After a remote diamond mine collapses in far northern Canada, a big-rig ice road driver (Liam Neeson) must lead an impossible rescue mission over a frozen lake to save the trapped miners.
 

Drama: All or Nothing (2002)
In a poor working class London home, Penny’s (Lesley Manville) love for their partner, taxi driver Phil (Timothy Spall), has run dry when an unexpected tragedy occurs, they and their local community are brought back together.
 

Comedy: Life of Brian (1979)
Born on the original Christmas in the stable next door to Jesus Christ, Brian of Nazareth (Graham Chapman) spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.
 

Animation: Castle in the Sky (1986)
A young boy and girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
 

Romance: Hello, My Name is Doris (2015)
A self-help seminar inspires a sixty-something woman (Sally Field) to romantically pursue her younger co-worker (Max Greenfield).
 

Horror: Shelter (2010)
A forensic psychiatrist (Julianne Moore) discovers that all but one of her patient’s multiple personalities are murder victims. She will have to fins out what’s happening before her time is finished.
 

Science Fiction: Paul (2011)
Two English comic book geeks (Simon Pegg, Nick Frost) traveling across the U.S. encounter and alien (Seth Rogen) outside Area 51.
 

Crime: Man on Fire (2004)
In Mexico City, a former CIA operative (Denzel Washington) swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
 

Thriller: Windfall (2022)
A man (Jason Segel) breaks into a tech billionaire’s (Jesse Plemmons) empty vacation home, but things go sideways when the arrogant mogul and his wife (Lily Collins) arrive for a last-minute getaway.
 

Documentary: Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (2022)
Examining the months since the tragedies, which caused global pandemic in March 2019 after two new aircrafts crashed within five months, killing 346 people.

Family: Here Comes the Boom (2012)
A high-school biology teacher (Kevin James) looks to become a successful mixed martial arts fighter in an effort to raise money to prevent extracurricular activities from being axed at his cash-strapped school.

Netflix Friday - Volume 80

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: Desperado (1995)
Former musician and gunslinger El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) arrives at a small Mexican border town after being away for a long time. His past quickly catches up with him and he soon gets entangled with the local drug kingpin Bucko (Joachim de Almeida) and his gang.  
 

Drama: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Two imprisoned men (Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman) bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.
 

Comedy: Daddy’s Home (2015)
Brad Whitaker (Will Ferrell) is a radio host trying to get his stepchildren to love him and call him dad. But his plans turn upside down when their biological father, Dusty Mayron (Mark Wahlberg), returns.
 

Animation: Sausage Party (2016)
A sausage (Seth Rogen) strives to discover the truth about his existence.
 

Romance: Clueless (1995)
Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the tp of her Beverly Hills high school’s pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other.
 

Horror: Bone Tomahawk (2015)
In the dying days of the old west, an elderly sheriff (Kurt Russell) and his posse set out to rescue their town’s doctor from cannibalistic dwellers.
 

Science Fiction: Star Trek (2009)
The brash James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) tries to live up to his father’s legacy with Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.
 

Crime: Man on Fire (2004)
In Mexico City, a former CIA operative (Denzel Washington) swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.

Thriller: Gone Girl (2014)
With his wife’s (Rosamund Pike) disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man (Ben Affleck) sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent. 

 

Documentary: Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
A behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of “Man on the Moon” (1999).
 

Family: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
The adventures of writer Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before harry Potter reads his book in school.

Netflix Friday - Volume 73

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: The Revenant (2015)
A frontiersman (Leonardo DiCaprio) on a fir trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
 

Drama: Sully (2016)
The story of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks), an American pilot who became a hero after landing his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight’s passengers and crew.
 

Comedy: The Truman Show (1998)
An insurance salesman (Jim Carrey) discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.
 

Animation: Whisper of the Heart (1995)
A love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.
 

Romance: Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
A complete graduating class, consisting of beautiful girls, geeks and promising footballers, assemble at a rich classmate’s residence for a party. Interesting developments follow at the get-together.
 

Horror: Crawl (2019)
A young woman (Kaya Scodelario), while attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.
 

Science Fiction: Jurassic Park 3 (2001)
A decidedly odd couple (Téa Leoni, William H. Macy) with ulterior motives convince Dr. Grant (Sam Neill) to go to Isla Sorna for a holiday, but their unexpected landing startles the island’s new inhabitants.
 

Crime: Man on Fire (2004)
In Mexico City, a former CIA operative (Denzel Washington) swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
 

Thriller: Gone Girl (2014)
With his wife’s (Rosamund Pike) disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man (Ben Affleck) sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent.
 

Documentary: Schumacher (2021)
Through exclusive interviews and archival footage, this documentary traces an intimate portrait of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher.

Family: Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
The gang is back, but the game has changed. As they return to rescue one of their own, the players will have to brave parts unknown from arid deserts to snowy mountains, to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

Movie Tip #14 - Man on Fire

Director: Tony Scott

Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Rhada Mithcell, Marc Anthony, Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke

Description: In Mexico City, the former CIA assassin and presently an alcoholic decadent man John Creasy (Denzel Washington) is hired by the industrialist Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony), with the recommendation of his old friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken), to be the bodyguard of his young daughter Pita (Dakota Fanning) and his wife Lisa (Radha Mitchell). Pita changes the behavior of the cold Creasy, making him live and smile again, and he feels a great affection for her. When the girl is kidnapped Creasy swears to kill each one responsible for the abduction.

Review: If you think about it, Denzel Washington hasn't been in any flops (at least not that I know of). He is in fact one of the most contstant actors. He proves it again in "Man on Fire". The plot seems simple and unoriginal. This is so much more. It's a realistic story, with strong characters and top class acting. Washington and Fanning are wonderfull (together and apart). The story is suprising and mind-blowing. Go see!!!