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Man on Fire Movie Review Summary

Actors: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Mickey Rourke, Dakota Fanning

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Man on Fire


Creasy, a hard drinking ex-government agent, goes to Mexico to visit his friend and former partner. His friend gets him a job as a bodyguard for a small girl in the kidnapping riddled city.
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At first, Creasy is frigid and just wants to do his job, but after he attempts and fails to kill himself he sees it as a sign and decides to turn his life around.
One day, Creasy is shot and the girl, Pita, is kidnapped.
The crooked cop messes up the money drop and Pita is supposedly killed.
Creasy vows revenge on everyone involved. He goes on a murderous rampage collecting information until he finds out who was in charge of the kidnapping. He gets the kidnappers brother to try to get to the kidnapper.
The kidnapper agrees to trade Pita for his brother and for Creasy's life.
Creasy agrees. Once Pita is safe Creasy turns himself and the kidnapper's brother over to him.
Creasy, having been wounded several times during his rampage, dies before the kidnapper can kill him.
The review of this Movie prepared by Brandon Swenson




On a first viewing, Man On Fire could seem to be your average revenge movie, with Creasy (Denzel) killing everyone who had a hand in the kidnapping of the little girl he is hired to protect (Fanning). But the reality of it is that Creasy has been saved by the little girl. A former special ops/CIA soldier of fortune, he has sunk into a haze of alcohol & hopelessness. He is also a religious man, but feels he has been lost along the way.
He takes a job as a bodyguard to the young daughter of a Mexico City businessman. Kidnapping for ransom is big business in Latin America, involving organized crime & corrupt police officers. Not wanting any personal involvement with the girl, Creasy just wants to do his job. Eventually Pita is able to tap into a place in Creasy's heart that he thought was long dead. He is once again able to feel human, to laugh, to care about someone.
Then kidnappers take Pita, severely injuring Creasy and landing him in the hospital. When the ransom drop goes bad due to an ambush, the family is informed that Pita has been killed. Even though his injuries are substantial, Creasy leaves the hospital. With the help of a friend (Walken) and a reporter for "Reforma", Creasy embarks on the mission of his life, to make everyone who had anything to do with Pita's kidnapping/killing pay dearly. The last third of the movie certainly has enough violence to satisfy any action movie fan, but in the context of the story, it is hardly gratuitous. The ending is happy and sad at the same time.
The review of this Movie prepared by Dawn Weger




John Creasy (Denzel Washington) is a professional bodyguard who has gone down a few steps in the ladder of his profession due to his drinking (alcohol). A friend in the same line of business (Christopher Walken) needs someone to guard a young lady for less than the usual fee. There are gangs in Mexico who kidnap wealthy and/or famous people for ransom. A guy (Mark Anthony) has a daughter named Pita (Dakota Fanning), he needs to safeguard to cover the insurance company's requirements. The plot evolves from their meeting each other (main characters), developing a certain rapport, kidnapping attempts and scenarios. A ransom payment goes bad through the interference of corrupt Mexican police. Creasy goes about identifying, questioning, and executing some of the bad guys who were involved in young Pita's kidnapping.
The review of this Movie prepared by Carlos M. Vazquez




An alcoholic ex-agent accepts a job guarding the daughter of an American family in Mexico. He does his jon he starts to connect with the girl and realize how great life can be. However one day he is shot and she gets kidnapped. As they negotiate for her release something goes wrong and she is presumably killed. After her bodyguard gets out of the hospital he seeks brutal revenge against everyone repsonsible.
The review of this Movie prepared by Jack Bauer



Script Analysis of Man on Fire

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book Actual chase scenes or violence 42.5%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 20%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 37.5% Time/Era of Movie:    -   present 2000+ Crime & Police Story?    -   Yes Crime story:    -   vigilante hunting down criminal(s)    -   criminal kidnappers Blackmail & Seduction    -   Yes Criminal enemy is...    -   drug dealers

Main Character

Identity:    -   Male Age:    -   40's-50's Ethnicity/Nationality    -   Black (American)

Setting

The Americas (not US):    -   Yes The Americas:    -   Mexico City?    -   Yes City:    -   Dirty, grimy (like New York)    -   dangerous

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   moderately messy visuals of dead Kind of violence:    -   guns Unusual forms of death    -   visually blown into pieces Any profanity?    -   Some foul language

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