Review of Man on Fire (1987) by Pablo E — 07 Mar 2013
A soldier of fortune (Denzel Washington) has reluctantly taken the job of protecting a young girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City, Mexico. The two become really close, and he lightens his mood until she is kidnapped. He then goes on a rampage to find her -- by any means necessary.
This has to be one of the weirdest edited movies I have ever seen. There are way too many quick edits that can make scenes fairly confusing. There is also some of the most interesting subtitles I've seen in movies as they are not stuck at the bottom of the screen like normal.
Another problem is the lack of scenes that show the relationship between the girl and her parents. Also, Christopher Walken is not in the movie enough.
The performances of Washington and Fanning are two of the most enjoyable in the entire film. Fanning shines, but isn't seen much after the kidnapping scene. Washington's portrayal of a man obsessed with bringing the little girl home is one in a long line of great performances.
Another problem is the lack of a lead villian. You only catch glimpses of "The Voice", but the character has no development at all. I also don't remember any reasoning behind why he masterminds the kidnapping.
However, good performances and bad editing doesn't make a good movie. "Man on Fire" is a movie you can skip.
This review of Man on Fire (1987) was written by Pablo E on 07 Mar 2013.
Man on Fire has generally received positive reviews.
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