Review of Man on Fire (1987) by Catherine H — 09 Oct 2016
Was curious to see what the score would be for Man On Fire... like the audience score, I loved this movie, and reading the critics' reviews makes me wonder if part of Tony Scott taking the high dive was because the Ridley comparisons are a easy, cheap fallback for lazy critics.
Denzel Washington is (as always) great as Creasy, a mercenary with a drinking problem who becomes a bodyguard for a child. The reviews ay things along the lines of, "well, the first half was fine, but the second half too violent".
.. Really ? Not to give away the story, but Creasy does what Creasy has been trained to do and do well. Extra props for Christopher Walken eccentric but concerned ex- merc, and Radha Mitchell as a pampered wife and mother who shows some spine when in crisis.
Dakota Fanning is nine(?) , and she is great... very naturally and adorable but also not too cutesy and her scenes with Washington are really, believable (Denzel obviously has kids of his own). I cry at the end of it every time.
This review of Man on Fire (1987) was written by Catherine H on 09 Oct 2016.
Man on Fire has generally received positive reviews.
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