Denzel Washington's Best Thriller Hits Harder Than Ever, And It's Streaming Now
Revenge is a dish best served cold in "Man on Fire," Tony Scott's excellent, violent thriller from 2004. The film is currently streaming on Netflix overseas, where audiences are seemingly keen to tune into the adventures of Denzel Washington's John W. Creasy. Creasy, we learn, is a damaged, miserable, unshaven former CIA agent and mercenary turned bodyguard. If that sounds like a demotion, it is — Creasy has a drinking problem that's pretty much destroyed his career. Now he can only find work guarding other people. He's also perpetually miserable and grumpy, unwilling to get close to anyone for any reason. His only friend is an old friend played with weird gusto by Christopher Walken.
Walken's character helps Creasy land a new job. This latest gig takes Creasy to Mexico, where he's tasked with guarding Pita (Dakota Fanning), a young girl who is the daughter of a wealthy Mexican businessman (Marc Anthony). There's a high kidnapping rate in Mexico, which effectively puts a target on Pita's back. Creasy, however, seems unconcerned. He just wants his paycheck. He doesn't really care about this kid.
At least at first.
Denzel Washington and Tony Scott
Creasy is standoffish at first. He has no interest in really getting to know Pita, nor does he want to be her friend. Of course, we all know that Creasy's cold heart will melt. And that soon he and Pita will become very close, like best buddies. They become BFFs over the course of the first hour of the film, which may have you wondering when all the action will start. Well, hold your horses. The growing friendship between Pita and Creasy only makes the situation all the more perilous. Pita is eventually kidnapped and Creasy is badly injured. But after he heals from his wounds he has only one thing in mind: revenge. Bloody, violent, action-packed revenge.
Adapted from the novel by A. J. Quinnell, "Man on Fire" came from the late, great Tony Scott, brother of Ridley. A stylist and a showman, Tony Scott is responsible for "True Romance," "Top Gun," "The Last Boy Scout," and more. He worked with Washington multiple times, on films such as "Crimson Tide," "Deja Vu," "The Taking of Pelham 123," and "Unstoppable," but "Man on Fire" is arguably their best collaboration. Washington is commanding in the lead, turning Creasy into an imposing force of nature, and Scott's uber-stylish direction, all quick cuts and abstract violence, packs a wallop. It's a sprawling, brutal movie that isn't afraid to take its time. The first half of the film is more of a character study of Creasy. The second half, however, is a no holds barred throwdown, with Creasy cutting a bloody path through anyone who may have had something to do with Pita's kidnapping.
Dark places
Scott had hoped to bring "Man on Fire" to screen earlier in his career, but it took about 20 years for him to finally get the project before cameras. The wait was worth it — "Man on Fire" is one of the best action movies of the early 2000s, and it still holds up. Washington is commanding and likable in the lead, but he's also scary, dispatching all those who have incurred his wrath without mercy. It's not a pleasant film, but it doesn't want to be. It wants to shock and pulverize you, and it does that, and then some.
"When I realized where we were going or what seemed to make sense for 'Man on Fire,' I knew I had to go to some dark places," Washington told Total Film. "We all have, somewhere in us, personal failures or things that people don't know about you and that make you angry or frustrated or whatever. And you tap into that and use that." Washington is perfect in the role — although, at one point, Robert De Niro was considered to play Creasy. That could've resulted in a fine film — De Niro is a great actor — but it would've been a much different movie than the one we have today. The film received mixed reviews upon release — with Roger Ebert writing "Tony Scott's 'Man on Fire' employs superb craftsmanship and a powerful Denzel Washington performance in an attempt to elevate genre material above its natural level, but it fails."
Audiences were more forgiving, helping turn the film into a hit both in theaters and on home video. While I understand the criticisms of the film, I think it's aged well, like a fine wine. It's inherently rewatchable, aided by Washington's immense, scary performance and Scott's unbeatable style.
Note: "Man on Fire" is also streaming in the U.S. on Max.