Po-faced, dull and sadistic, Man On Fire is a major disappointment from the
Crimson Tide team of Denzel Washington and Tony Scott. No amount of
hyperactive edits and flash camera moves can disguise the slightness of the
story, about an alcoholic bodyguard (Washington) wreaking revenge on
child-nappers in Mexico City. Nor can it excuse the moral hypocrisy of a
picture that couples brutal, over-the-top violence with a bogus message of
redemption.
Few filmmakers are as adept at combining bloody, wince-inducing action with
witty, wisecracking characters as Scott - just watch True Romance and The
Last Boy Scout. But here he seems intent on dealing with 'serious issues',
little realising one reason fans love his movies is they're not as
self-consciously important as his brother Ridley's can be. Thus, what could
have made a serviceable revenge thriller is weighed down by lots of moody
gurning, grim-faced regret and the idea that spilling the blood of others
can somehow cleanse yourself.
"ESSENTIALLY DEATH WISH WITH PRETENSIONS"
Washington, a superb actor, plays the one-note of his character
relentlessly, with nothing here to stretch him. And it says something about
how mean-spirited the script is that his 'tortured soul' earns little or no
sympathy. Mostly because he's torturing other people: cutting off fingers
or, in one risible scene, blowing up a butt. That we're supposed to not just
enjoy this (and, let's face it, plenty of us enjoy watching violence), but
approve of his gruesome tactics speaks volumes for where this movie's coming
from.
The film is essentially Death Wish with pretensions: nasty and brutish, but
sadly, not short.
Man On Fire (2004)
