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Man on Fire

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for Man on Fire R 2004 2h 25m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
39% Tomatometer 166 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
In a Mexico City wracked by a recent wave of kidnappings, ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Denzel Washington) reluctantly accepts a job as a bodyguard for 9-year-old Lupita (Dakota Fanning), the daughter of wealthy businessman Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony). Just as Creasy begins to develop a fondness for the young girl, a bloodthirsty gunman (Jesús Ochoa) kidnaps her. Now, Creasy must pick off a succession of corrupt cops and criminals to reach his ultimate object of vengeance.

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Man on Fire

Man on Fire

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Critics Consensus

Man on Fire's solid action and top-shelf cast are undone by a relentlessly grim story that gets harder to take the longer it goes on.

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Critics Reviews

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Andrea Gronvall Chicago Reader 04/17/2019
3/4
Washington has chosen wisely, and he hasn't had to wait long. Go to Full Review Nathan Rabin AV Club 04/17/2019
Scott's latest exercise in assaultive excess nevertheless lingers for two and a half hours, like a drunken houseguest who won't leave. Go to Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/25/2010
1/5
Extremely violent; not for kids. Go to Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies 08/24/2022
2.5/5
At almost two-and-a-half hours the film really needs more meat on its bones. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com 09/15/2020
2.0/4.0
This is a merely average film that had much more potential. Go to Full Review Fernando Lopez La Nación (Argentina) 04/17/2019
A film that ends up being tedious due to its excessive duration, annoying by its formal lack of control. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Lucie C @RT39442992 3d A wonderfully poignant movie executed satisfactorily - an awesome story , Denzel and Dakota evoked the perfect emotions to carry the story forward. anyone commenting about it being too violent was born after 1995 🤪 See more Dennis G @MunchinBooty 4d Classic! Seen it 20 times and still watch it every time it comes on. Critics are morons for low ratings. See more Matt J @RT95392035 6d Excellent. Denzel and Dakota were great in this, along with the rest o the cast. There's a personal connection between the main characters that most kidnapping/revenge films miss. This is one of my favorites. See more Mike F @MikeRotch 6d I love this movie! It will outlast all of the movie critics careers, who didn't care for it! Other than the critics that rate movies based on whether a kid should watch it. But, that's ultimately up to the parents. this is a great revenge movie. Just shows that critics are far removed from the average person. See more Brad B. @RT79630981 Apr 30 Absolutely a great revenge movie See more Daniel B @DanielBR Apr 26 "Man on Fire" es, ante todo, un recordatorio del poder magnético de Denzel Washington. Su actuación es sensacional: con una sola mirada transmite un dolor tan natural que asusta, elevando la cinta a un nivel donde su sola presencia justifica el visionado. Tony Scott logró aquí reinventar el género de acción, otorgando una originalidad vibrante a un reboot que hoy es considerado una obra de culto y una inspiración constante para el cine contemporáneo. Uno de los mayores triunfos de la película es su retrato de la Ciudad de México. La narrativa visual aprovecha los contrastes y la diversidad de la capital para ofrecer una frescura auténtica, alejándose de los decorados artificiales. El guion es un ejercicio de precisión narrativa; a pesar de sus casi dos horas y media de duración, la trama nunca divaga y mantiene al espectador atrapado en un constructo que culmina en un giro de tuerca orgánico y eficiente. See more Read all reviews
Man on Fire

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Cast & Crew

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Tony Scott

Director

Denzel Washington

Creasy

Dakota Fanning

Pita

Christopher Walken

Rayburn

Giancarlo Giannini

Manzano

Radha Mitchell

Lisa

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Man on Fire

Rotten Tomatoes is Wrong About... Man on Fire Rotten Tomatoes is Wrong About... Man on Fire 51:47 Man on Fire: Trailer 1 Man on Fire: Trailer 1 2:24 Denzel Washington Coolest Lines Mashup Denzel Washington Coolest Lines Mashup 2:00 View more videos
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Man on Fire

Man on Fire (2004) Man on Fire (2004) Denzel Washington contemplates taking extreme action. Police official Giancarlo Giannini and crusading reporter Rachel Ticotin try and figure out the next move of a revenge-seeking bodyguard. Dakota Fanning (second from right) greets her new bodyguard Denzel Washington, as her parents Marc Anthony and Radha Mitchell look on. Revenge-seeking Denzel Washigton stops at nothing to get information about a kidnapping ring. Attorney Mickey Rourke discusses legal and financial options with client and family friend Marc Anthony. Radha Mitchell and Denzel Washington have a frank discussion about the dangers facing her family. Mickey Rourke (foreground) and Jesus Ochoa listen in to the kidnappers' demands. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In a Mexico City wracked by a recent wave of kidnappings, ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Denzel Washington) reluctantly accepts a job as a bodyguard for 9-year-old Lupita (Dakota Fanning), the daughter of wealthy businessman Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony). Just as Creasy begins to develop a fondness for the young girl, a bloodthirsty gunman (Jesús Ochoa) kidnaps her. Now, Creasy must pick off a succession of corrupt cops and criminals to reach his ultimate object of vengeance.
Director
Tony Scott
Producer
Arnon Milchan, Lucas Foster, Tony Scott
Screenwriter
Brian Helgeland
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Scott Free Productions, Fox 2000 Pictures, New Regency Pictures, Regency Enterprises
Rating
R (Strong Violence)
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 21, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$77.9M
Runtime
2h 25m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)