The hilarious thing about Man on Fire

[echo_bravo]

At the beginning of this movie, there was a statistic that stated that one child is kidnapped every minute in Mexico/Latin America.
Then at the end of the film, they thank Mexico City for being a "very nice and special place". LOL

Umm, the director just portrayed Mexico City as this dark and hellish place full of kidnappers, criminals, drug abusers, pollution, violence etc etc.

Anyone else notice this? My friends and I thought it was rather funny (well not the kidnapping part, but the backhanded compliment by the director).

[ilovemovies]

That's not as funny as some of Tony Scott's directing "style". Especially when he has ENGLISH subtitles when people are speaking ENGLISH!

I think it's depressing that Tony Scott butchered what could have been a really great, intense revenge thriller.

[Dimension]

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[Donnie_Darko]

I find it hilarious that people love this movie. It was okay... but mostly, just boring.

But yea, I agree with your observation... and also agree that while Mexico is a lovely place... it's also a dank, violent, scary hell-hole.

[Adornado]

Originally posted by Donnie_Darko
I find it hilarious that people love this movie. It was okay... but mostly, just boring.

This man speaks the truth. For an alleged action movie, it sure was lacking in the action department.

[echo_bravo]

Oh, Dimension I liked it. I just found that whole "we would like to thank Mexico City....a very wonderful place" to be pretty funny and ironic, thats all.

I love Denzel Washington. He kicked all kinds of ass in this film. It could of been a lot shorter of a movie, but no harm done.

My favorite scene was when Denzel put that bomb in that guys ass and they had the 5 minutes counting down in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Great shit

[morricone]

Originally posted by echo_bravo

My favorite scene was when Denzel put that bomb in that guys ass and they had the 5 minutes counting down in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Great shit

What...the...fuck?

[ilovemovies]

I have no quelms about the acting. Especially Denzel who was superb as usual. And the movie plenty of action. And I didn't think it was overlong at all. I really liked that they took the time to develop the relationship between Creasy and Pita. The problem is with Tony Scott's hamfisted direction. Once Denzel sets out to revenge Scott goes bizerke with all kinds of bizzare, "stylisticic" angles and headache inducing editing and a camera that wouldn't stand still for more than a second.

People criticize Michael Bay for some of this shit but he's calm compared to what Tony Scott does in this movie. He ruins the second half of the movie. And judging from the trailers, it looks like he'll ruin Domino too.

[eljefe15]

When I first saw this film, I wasn't sure if I like it or not. I mean I thought the movie was good but there were little things like: It was a little too long, the whole thing with the dad being a part of it felt anti-climactic and the editing was way over the top. But I've seen it on cable a couple of times since then and I gotta say, it has really grown on me. I'm definitely getting the SE dvd of this one.

Alrato!

[The Heart Collector]

Tony Scott is a massive cocaine addict. The evidence? THIS FILM.

[poopontheshoes7]

This film is great. This is what the Punisher should have been. violent, dark, moody, edgy, and all around entertaining. The movie also has a great emotional story as well. I was saying go get the fuckers the whole way through.
I found the ending a little heart breaking as well. It was a tad too long, I'll agree with that. But overall a great film.
9.5/10

[Shockwave]

While not falling intot he camp of LOVING it, i really liked it.

The editing really didnt bother me that much, if at all.

[HeavyFknMetal]

I enjoyed the film. I went into it expecting John Q 3, and was pleasently suprised. That and I loved the fact that Nine Inch Nail songs are spread throughout the film as well.

[Badbird]

I don't remember where, but when it came out, I read a review that made the same statement about the "Thank you" at the end - so I was ready for it, and did find it rather amusing.

"Your place is a shit hole - Thanks! LOL!" - Tony Scott

I saw Tony Scott's "Beat the Devil" BMW film before seeing Man on Fire - he does the same wacky editing and subtitle gimmick in that movie, so I wasn't bothered by anything I saw in Man on Fire. For once, subtitles are fun.

[Dimension]

deleted

[poopontheshoes7]

I saw the original. It wasnt very impressive. It had joe Pesci in it I think. It seemed very lackluster and was boring in some place. and the actress who played the little girl in the film cannot act.
I cant remember who playe Creasy, but he did a good job. The film lacked the emotional UMPH the remake had.
Slightly below average movie. 5/10

[LegionX]

man ol man. I thought this was one ( I repeat ONE) of Denzel's best movies. The movie to me was awsome and it had all the elements that to me made a great revenge movie. but then again thats just me.

[TheDeadWalk]

I liked the film but it gave me a headache.

It was as if the filmmakers ran out of money in the budget, so they hired someone's 13 year old cousin to sit in and try to hold the camera steady. Some of the scenes seriously just wobbled and shook for this excitement effect, but I just ended up hating it.


** SPOILERS **

The other qualm about this movie is the tacked on "extra ending" that seemed like it was created because the regular ending made test audiences cry.

The shot of the one police detective sluggishly pulling one arm up to sluggishly shoot the voice as he collapses back into the pool was ridiculous. The film should have ended with you knowing that they were hot on the trail of the voice just before Creasy dies.

** END OF SPOILERS **

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by echo_bravo
At the beginning of this movie, there was a statistic that stated that one child is kidnapped every minute in Mexico/Latin America.
Then at the end of the film, they thank Mexico City for being a "very nice and special place". LOL

Umm, the director just portrayed Mexico City as this dark and hellish place full of kidnappers, criminals, drug abusers, pollution, violence etc etc.

Anyone else notice this? My friends and I thought it was rather funny (well not the kidnapping part, but the backhanded compliment by the director).

Yeah, I caught that, too. Broke me up immediately.

I'm on record hating Tony Scott, but I rather liked this film. Maybe low expectations played a part, but it's stood up to several later viewings, too. Scott seems to have learned some new visual tricks, and unlike most of his earlier ones, I dug these. The stats that kept popping up and the redundant English subs worked for me as an aesthetic device.

Plus, I'm a total Denzel whore.

And the star of the original is the always cool-as-all-Hell Scott Glenn.

[Lazy Boy]

This had a lot more obnoxious editing than I originally expected...Tony Scott usually plays out scenes intensely but without the bells and whistles. True Romance and Crimson Tide were in a vegetative state; this was coked up.

Still, one of the better films of 2004. It surprised me. Knockout performances from Denzel Washington and (sigh) it must be said, Dakota Fanning.

[thedudeman69]

Originally posted by Lazy Boy
Still, one of the better films of 2004. It surprised me. Knockout performances from Denzel Washington and (sigh) it must be said, Dakota Fanning.

This coming from a guy that has a screencap of Dakota Fanning in War of The Worlds as his avatar. :D

Also, This is easily one of Tony Scott's best. It has great acting, cinmatography It was solidly well made and excuted greatly.

BTW, in my opinon, The Subtitles prove emphasis on what is being said.

[Lazy Boy]

Originally posted by thedudeman69
This coming from a guy that has a screencap of Dakota Fanning in War of The Worlds as his avatar. :D

Lol, you've got me.

I dunno, she bugs the hell out of me, but I find her to be a real pro, serious about her craft. It's that odd yin-yang contrast that puts me at odds with her yet never denying that she's talented.

[Badbird]

Originally posted by Dimension
Anyone seen the original? Its not that old, 1987 I think..

Watching paint dry is more exciting.

It had a good cast - Scott Glen played Creasy, but was just insuferably boring. Sooooo sloooooow.

[Cronos]

i thoroughly enjoyed the film and loved the style and camera work, it was also one of Washingtons best performances and one of the best films of 2004

[paul calf]

i thought this was a really good movie one of the best last year.
ok it was a little slow but i am not going to abuse anyone who actually takes time to give you a feel for the charictors and make you feel for them them,a good movie well made and well acted.

[XvoorheesX]

I was actually horrified that after all of the "I love this film!" posts, I realized that they weren't being sarcastic. I think this is one of the worst films to come out in recent years. I don't care about fancy camera tricks, and even good acting gets lost when the writing is this bad. Embarrassingly bad. Absolutely awful.

Seriously, what was wrong with it?

Spoilers, obviously.

In the first ten minutes, most of the expected things happen: Denzel Washington gets the word, travels out to Mexico, adapts to living there, meets the family, starts the relationship with the little girl.... But the inciting incident doesn't happen for over an hour into the damn thing!

For over a whole sixty minutes, Denzel Washington does nothing but drink a whole lot of Jack Daniels, hang around with the girl, et cetera. After about twenty minutes, they finally connect, he becomes nice and slows down on his boozing, she develops her little crush on him, he goes to her swim meets, coaches her into being a better swimmer, eventually she wins the big race or whatever. Then there's a few scenes with the girl and her parents where they talk about the piano, Washington drives her to piano lessons, and THEN there's a shootout where the kid gets kidnapped. Over an hour into it, the story starts now.

But now that the story has finally started, Washington lies unconcious in a hospital bed, and it follows some of the supporting characters for a while... And it just keeps going like this.
After about another period of time that felt like hours, a random newsreporter decides to help Washington track down the bad guys (the reason she decides to help him aren't really revealed, if I remember correctly), and SHE does all the work. The protagonist just goes around doing nothing but being a cliche movie tough guy while this new random character goes through the actions of completing his goal.

The third act is made up mostly of Denzel Washington torturing and killing off bad guys to fun pop tracks, which reminded me of the lame Tarantino rip-offs we're all so used to vomiting through... But it's not cool, or clever, because of how dominant Washington is over them. He's completely in control, there's no challenge at all, and once again, I'm bored to tears. No conflict = no drama. Add a few weak surprises twists, and that's pretty much the whole flick.

A passive protagonist, meandering sequences that are completely off the spine, a structure that's as about as strong as a house of cards... I'm usually against the opinion that says that good action movies died in the early 90's, but boy, does this ever make me miss those days.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by echo_bravo
Umm, the director just portrayed Mexico City as this dark and hellish place full of kidnappers, criminals, drug abusers, pollution, violence etc etc. . . . ow.

Anyways . . . I haven't seen MOF, I will though . . . I want to see this dark and hellish place full of kidnappers, criminals, drug abusers, pollution, violence portrayal.

And yes, I'm kidding. I am interested in Man On Fire, though.

[Terminal]

This was an okay film. Very pointless and Tony Scott's "directing" was incredibly mind-numbing, but I love Fanning. She's an amazing actress.

[Lazy Boy]

*Spoilers*


Despite my overall problems with the editing, I have to give it up to Tony Scott for having such an emotional powerhouse of an ending.

"I love you, Creasy. And you love me, too, right?"
"Yes, I do, Pita. With all my heart. Go."

[Shockwave]

I agree.

To me, this was the movie that THE PUNISHER should have been.

One of the better revenge movies in recent years. The editing was abit crazy at times but i actualy felt that it HELPED the movie, made it feel more like a desperate scramble.

The overall hard hitting power of what this one guy was willing to do to get back/avenge the one ray of light he had in an otherwise bleak and meaningless life was impressive, and pretty damn hellish.

Creasy became "wrath" in a way that probably only THE BRIDE has done in recent years.
8/10

[Terminal]

Originally posted by Shockwave
[B]I agree.

To me, this was the movie that THE PUNISHER should have been.

I disagree. I thought the Punisher was excellent. Perfect adaptation. They're both good films in their own right, but I'd take the Punisher since it has more of a story and less flash.

[cerealkiller182]

i thought the editing of this film was pretty unique and interesting. i thought it was wasted on such a thrilling, dramatic piece and should be kept for a more action oriented picture.

[Buck Turgidson]

Originally posted by Lazy Boy
"I love you, Creasy. And you love me, too, right?"
"Yes, I do, Pita. With all my heart. Go."

A perfect example of how two transcendently great actors can take a prosaic situation and make it fucking sing.

[Darth Schmoe]

Man on Fire was a very entertaining flick. Denzel Washington did a great job (as usual) and it's always nice to see the protagonist dishing out some fucking payback in a movie. And it's got a couple of great lines: "Forgiveness is between him and God; it's up to me to arrange the meeting.":D

[giftedinpants]

Man on Fire hate irks me like no other. One of my faves. Crazy ass violence and emotion in a time where R rated revenge movies are a rarity

[TheDeadWalk]

Originally posted by giftedinpants
Man on Fire hate irks me like no other. One of my faves. Crazy ass violence and emotion in a time where R rated revenge movies are a rarity

And it's become pretty common for flashy editing and shaky camerawork throughout to give me a huge fucking headache.

[The Heart Collector]

Originally posted by giftedinpants
Man on Fire hate irks me like no other. One of my faves. Crazy ass violence and emotion in a time where R rated revenge movies are a rarity

Watch Dead Man's Shoes for the real deal. I liked Man On Fire despite the editing, but the plot ain't all that. The bad guys are just a bunch of faceless assclowns who Denzel dispatches because he's pissed off, and with a detached coolness that, while enjoyable, is hardly emotional. While Dead Man's Shoes might not be terribly violent, it is infinitely more involving and isn't just an excuse to have a character to go a blood orgy rampage.

[Shockwave]

Watch Dead Man's Shoes for the real deal. I liked Man On Fire despite the editing, but the plot ain't all that. The bad guys are just a bunch of faceless assclowns who Denzel dispatches because he's pissed off, and with a detached coolness that, while enjoyable, is hardly emotional. While Dead Man's Shoes might not be terribly violent, it is infinitely more involving and isn't just an excuse to have a character to go a blood orgy rampage.

..but the bloody orgy rampage was what made it so enjoyable..


..but that being said, i love revenge flicks and have never heard of that one. Is it out on DVD Heart?

It sounds like i might enjoy it and DO wish they went deeper into Denzels past in MAN ON FIRE.

[thedudeman69]

Originally posted by Terminal
I disagree. I thought the Punisher was excellent. Perfect adaptation. They're both good films in their own right, but I'd take the Punisher since it has more of a story and less flash.

Hmm. Well, Man On Fire had both flash and a story. It was extremely better than The Punisher. Also, Man On Fire was more brutal than The Punisher. The Punisher was tame compared to this.

[Lazy Boy]

The movie was brutal in that it left me feeling cold and numb for a good hour and a half, starting from the point where Pita gets kidnapped. It's hard to describe, but I just felt an overwhelming sadness and numbness once I left the theater. There was enough emotion in the first half to counteract it for the most part.

[Nachokoolaid]

I loved this movie. It wasn't just a brainless fast popcorn flick. It actually took the time to build the relationship between Pita and Creasy, and I appreciated that.

[jaw2929]

LOVED this movie... And I quite thought the English sub-titles for the english dialogue was quite good... Definately added the extra emphasis on what was bein said for sure... Love the ass/bomb, prolly my favourite scene as well... Denzel was a nasty mother fucker in this one (not quite as nasty as his character in Training Day) but damn I loved this flick! :)

[Lazy Boy]

Has anybody seen the alternate ending?

*Spoilers*

Creasy gets taken to the home of the Voice, and they chat a bit, blah blah blah. All of a sudden, you see Creasy holding a triggering device in his fist, and you know what's going to happen next: the whole house blows up. I guess it meant he hid a bomb in his own ass.

I prefer the original, emotional ending.

[Shockwave]

I agree, im glad they went with the ending they did. Made it more emotional knowing that he threw himself to the wolves all for her and then died peacfully.

[giftedinpants]

This movie owned.

[bigred760]

I'll start off by saying that the movie is not based on real events - Mexico City doesn't have a problem with kidnappings and ransom demands like the movie states. Other cities and countries in Central and South America do however. That's what I think they meant by saying that Mexico City is a great place. (Just don't drink the water :D.)

That's not as funny as some of Tony Scott's directing "style". Especially when he has ENGLISH subtitles when people are speaking ENGLISH!

I think it's depressing that Tony Scott butchered what could have been a really great, intense revenge thriller.

As for the movie, I loved it. I gave it a 8/10; I liked the revenge story, the editing, and I found the English subtitles over English speaking cool and unexpected; for starters, they didn't do it over the entire movie, and secondly, Scott used it right after the characters spoke Spanish. Think of it as a continuity thing.


Tony Scott is a massive cocaine addict. The evidence? THIS FILM.

I hope you're kidding; that's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard/read.

[Lazy Boy]

I got what Scott was attempting to do with the editing, but it was so slipshod and ADD-ish, that you can't blame somebody for thinking, "What is this guy on??"

[bigred760]

Originally posted by Lazy Boy
I got what Scott was attempting to do with the editing, but it was so slipshod and ADD-ish, that you can't blame somebody for thinking, "What is this guy on??"

Okay, I'll give you that.