View Full Version : Man On Fire
thomasc1982
27-12-2003, 22:56
Just watched the trailer for Man on Fire. New one with Denzel Washington directed by Tony Scott
Looks pretty good I though
OK not highly original but still...
Anyone know any word on if it is good?
Ol' Blue Eyes
28-12-2003, 16:06
It's a remake of a 1987 thriller of the same name which starred Scott Glenn and Joe Pesci. It looks like it'll be one of Tony Scott's more grim, downbeat, macho films like Revenge, his 1990 Kevin Costner thriller which was also set in Mexico. Hopefully this one will have a bit more substance and not come off as a music video director trying to be Sam Peckinpah. Scott has improved a lot since then though. I was very pleased with his last film Spy Game. Man On Fire's US release is in April, we get it in September.
Just seen the new trailer on Apple website (http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/man_on_fire/final_trailer/) Looks good - except we have to wait until September 2004! :oh-hum:
Dave has the two trailers on his site as well
http://www.kaneda.freeserve.co.uk/trailers.html
looks pretty good to me, Kinda like those revenge films (looking forward to Punisher as well)
Saw this on holiday recently....really enjoyed it...trademark Tony Scott editing etc (which may not be too everyone's liking - Ol' Blue Eyes ;) ...good story....Denzel Washington performance reminscent of his Training Day role...gritty and hard...looks like UK will have to wait until September for this one.
The kid in it was really good too!
The Dude
05-08-2004, 22:53
I watched the dvd of this today as various online websites are shipping it early. Anyway I have to say that I really enjoyed the film on the whole. Excellent acting by Denzel Washington and even the kid was surprisingly good in it too. It's also refreshing to see a film that is more aimed at adults in this stupid PG, 12A era we have to put up with nowadays.
Amazon says it is coming out the 14th of September, that's 6 weeks early then.
Ordered :)
The Dude
05-08-2004, 23:22
Not sure if Amazon will be shipping it early though, mate. That dvd supplier which we aren't allowed to mention on the forums have run out of their remaining stock and won't have anymore until next month I guess when it's out officially. I think Disc Emporium have it instock right now though I think, but it will cost you £18.99 delivered. Depends if you desperately want it now and are prepared to pay a bit more for it though. There might be other places that are now shipping it, but I have my doubts. :)
Barney_Tabasco
05-08-2004, 23:36
I didn't realise there was a DVD supplier we were not allowed to mention - any clues?
Not related to Ringos by any chance is it? :suspect:
The Dude
05-08-2004, 23:55
I didn't realise there was a DVD supplier we were not allowed to mention - any clues?
Not related to Ringos by any chance is it? :suspect:
http://www.thedvdforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=249659 this will tell you. It would be good to keep this thread on topic though. :)
Not sure if Amazon will be shipping it early though, mate. That dvd supplier which we aren't allowed to mention on the forums have run out of their remaining stock and won't have anymore until next month I guess when it's out officially. I think Disc Emporium have it instock right now though I think, but it will cost you £18.99 delivered. Depends if you desperately want it now and are prepared to pay a bit more for it though. There might be other places that are now shipping it, but I have my doubts. :)
Ah Sorry mate, I just meant that I checked the official release date on amazon but ordered it from a supplier which musn't be mentioned....and it already arrived today :)
Will watch it tonight
Is Rourke any good in this?
watched it last week on dvd, very good movie. Has Rourke been under the knife again as his face didnt seem so plastic looking,his acting was good, shame he seemed to have a dry spell for years and only recently started appearing in movies again.
GrossePointeJack
07-08-2004, 09:30
I enjoyed it - long as hell though and could've done with some trimming down. Some forumites will hate the way it was filmed and yes, it Mickey Rourke actually looks human in this, I don't know if it's a make up job or what, but he kinda looks normal.
BeauBrummie
09-08-2004, 19:37
Got my dvd of this on Saturday from a shop just off of Tottenham Court Road in the West End. They had lots in stock and when asked about the release date the lad just shrugged his shoulders .... Oh well haven't got to see it yet but will watch in the next couple of days
Enjoyed it a lot, thought it was very good. Didn't like the editing though and it was a bit too long. :(
Craig
hunts1uk
10-08-2004, 17:18
watched this lastnight,thought it was an excellent film.
Yeah watched this film last week, was very good, another strong performance from Denzel, Dakota Fanning was good too in her role, she's gonna be a star.
Ade
William Shatners Wig
17-08-2004, 12:10
We have a full review of the US September DVD release of Tony Scott's excellent Man On Fire here (http://www.dvddebate.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4593&mode=&order=0&thold=0).
Snippet:
Yet another great movie that you will get to see on Region 1 DVD before it graces UK cinemas, this latest endeavour by Denzil Washington sees another tour de force performance perfectly suited to a thoroughly entertaining revenge movie which actually relies more on character than action, but isn’t lacking the latter.
The DVD has a superb transfer of benchmark quality, and similarly exemplary 5.1 mixes, both Dolby and DTS. Unfortunately it is shamefully lacking in the extras department, apart from a couple of relatively decent commentaries. Still, that is a minor niggle for an otherwise must-own set.
GAmbrose
20-09-2004, 07:20
I watched it last night and echo most peoples comments, Thought it was an excellent film but the editing and lighting trickery were a bit annoying in places.
I actually welled up a bit when Pita ran to Creasy on the bridge and they were reuninted briefly, not bad for a Hollywood revenge flick
Gary A
Stevie Simkin
20-09-2004, 08:14
Very good movie, and although there were loads of MTV style flashy effects, they actually served the story and characterization very well. Washington is excellent, but I thought Walken stole it. Watching him on Sat night, I realised what it is about his style - he acts like Keith Richards plays guitar - just behind the beat. It's a big part of what makes him so watchable. Neat trick.
Stevie
poissony
20-09-2004, 08:24
I actually welled up a bit when Pita ran to Creasy on the bridge and they were reuninted briefly, not bad for a Hollywood revenge flick
Gary A
Me too. It was refreshing that it wasn't a Hollywood ending though, even though Pita was alive Creasy still died.
When they said that Pita had been killed, I thought for sure she wasn't really dead but as the film went on I was convinced she was. Particularly after the scene when Denzel rescues another little girl, I thought it was going to be Pita for sure then. Very clever.
GAmbrose
20-09-2004, 08:47
Me too. It was refreshing that it wasn't a Hollywood ending though, even though Pita was alive Creasy still died.
When they said that Pita had been killed, I thought for sure she wasn't really dead but as the film went on I was convinced she was. Particularly after the scene when Denzel rescues another little girl, I thought it was going to be Pita for sure then. Very clever.
Heh, I thought the exact same thing.
Gary A
I've seen this twice now - once at the flicks, and once on DVD.... and I absolutely love it. One of the films of the year for me.
Everything about it is so cool - Tony Scott's flashy direction, Brian Helgeland's excellent script, Denzel is on top form... and Lisa Gerrard sending shivers down the spine with her Gladiator-style moany-thing !!
Well I guess I'll have to be the first to say this film is utter drivel. Looks like Tony is once again making films from recipes:
Some of Bourne Identity/Supremacy's style (and dodgy camerawork from the latter)
Some of his brother's depressing and pointless violence from Blackhawk Down
Add a pinch of Christopher Walken for no reason whatsoever
One 'cute' little girl (spouting dialogue clearly written for a teenager)
Mix together in a frankly vile and amoral tub of violence and despair and hey presto - a n overly long, degrading and awful piece of cinema. Oh but it's alright because Cute Little Girl [tm] survives after all so even in this deeply depressing bag of crap we get to have our Hollywood Happy Ending.
The bit that really makes me laugh about this sad excuse for entertainment is the thankyou to the people of Mexico City, which is a place no sane person would want to visit after seeing this film.
The bit that really makes me laugh about this sad excuse for entertainment is the thankyou to the people of Mexico City, which is a place no sane person would want to visit after seeing this film.
Yeah - I sniggered when I saw that too!
Spooky_uk
26-09-2004, 21:21
saw this morning at a preview and really like dit. excellent film. :thumbs:
Having been to see Collateral yesterday, I asked the obligatory "so, which of the trailers did you like then?" question to the wife. She said she quite fancied the one with Denzel and the little girl from Taken in it. To which I replied "its been sat on the DVD shelf for a good few weeks now".
So, last night, we sat and watched it. And we both loved it.
Fanning is outstanding (again), and most of the films pathos is entirely due to her (although Denzel does his "dark and moody" to good effect). The performances throughout are excellent, but for me, Walken steals the film. Radha Mitchell does well too.
The editing and direction didn't bother me, although I can see a lot of people will be turned off (possibly even alienated) by Scotts style on this one. There's a particular Nine Inch Nails track (possibly even two, I think) that features quite heavily in the soundtrack, which I felt worked particularly well. The DTS on this one is probably best described as "large" :)
I'd agree with poissony and Gambrose on the plot points :
I was convinced we weren't going to get Pita back at all, it does a very nice job of convincing you that she's dead, get over it, move on - so the final revelation that she is actually still alive is a genuine shock. I'd guessed that the father was involved though. I found the look on Pita's face as Creasy does the last walk to be the most moving part of the end sequence.
All in all very enjoyable, and I'd recommend it to anyone with a taste for this sort of thing. It won't be enjoyed by all (DamienB is a case in point) but I think its one of the best films I've seen in a while.
David G Rees
28-09-2004, 12:58
Very good film, my wife enjoyed it a lot.
The editing and arty direction did get on my nerves after a while, i just wished he would keep the camera still, stop quick cutting and get on with the bloody story!
Even so, one of the best films for a long time.
I loved the film but some of the editing actually made me a bit feel a bit sickly.
Pretty average really. Denzel is watchable as ever, but it was far too obvious that the little girl was still alive (no body was shown, I've seen too many films to equate that to the fact she isn't dead), hence I couldn't really empathise with Creasey's bloody revenge as I knew she would pop up at the end. I used to like Tony Scott, but I find it more and more infuriating that he can't hold a shot from more then about half a second without cutting to something else!
I watched it tonight and found it has some good twists, the editing was annoying at times but the films innovative suggestion for removing piles won me over
BiscLimpkit
29-09-2004, 18:34
This film rules. One of Scott's finest.
I totally agree with most of what's gone before, an excellent film. A good slow build up for the first 45 minutes before the film exploded into life.
Good acting, decent script, and I thought the directing was top notch, it's nice to see someone who's willing to do things a bit differently to the norm. I can see the direction wouldn't be to evenryone's taste but I thought it was pretty slick.
Denzel is a great actor, even in rubbishy films like Out Of Time he's excellent.
Tom Whitaker
30-09-2004, 23:00
Out Of Time is a good film with a bad ending, but Im shocked to see that Dakota has a commentary on this film with the writer and producer.... I hope she's only on the first half of it... or it could be her screaming in terror at the events of the second half. Which might be quite funny now I think about it.
GAmbrose
01-10-2004, 08:03
She's there the whole way through.
Maybe it doesn't bother her, obviously she knows it's all fake because she was part of the film and I clearly remember watching 18 Certificate films at that age (Predator, Robocop etc) and I liked them rather than being repulsed or scared.
Gary A
Just watched my R1 dvd and thought it was an excellent movie.
I'm suprised that thre has been no mention of comparisions with Leon yet as I felt a lot of similiar ground was covered.
Pity the dvd has very little in the way of extras but I'll probably listen to the Dakota commentary...
backtothefuture
03-10-2004, 22:31
watched it last night too... yes it's a decent movie with another solid performance by Denzel Washington and an impressive one by the kid... have to say though, first half was a bit slow but in retrospect important for character development... overall worth watching when it's released here.
I agree with Gary A's spoiler comment :)
video editing was reminiscent of 'behind enemy lines' and was much more suited to the latter though...
GAmbrose
03-10-2004, 22:50
Just watched my R1 dvd and thought it was an excellent movie.
I'm suprised that thre has been no mention of comparisions with Leon yet as I felt a lot of similiar ground was covered.
Pity the dvd has very little in the way of extras but I'll probably listen to the Dakota commentary...
Thats probably why I liked it so much, Leon is my favorite film of all time.
Gary A
Solidstate
04-10-2004, 07:08
This will be showing on my BA plane to New York later this month, so these positive comments have made me happy. I'll follow it up by watching Spiderman 2 for the first time as well. The 6hr journey should fly by.
I saw this too Saturday night and was very pleasently surprised. I didnt realise it was that long lol, had to open a 2nd bottle of wine halfway through.
I did feel quite tearful at the end too and if in that sort of mode could quite easily have shed some tears in a masculine way of course. Good film though. :thumbs:
poissony
04-10-2004, 11:07
This will be showing on my BA plane to New York later this month, so these positive comments have made me happy. I'll follow it up by watching Spiderman 2 for the first time as well. The 6hr journey should fly by.
I always find watching films on planes distracting so I tend to pick films that I'm not that bothered about seeing. I wouldn't recommend watching Man on Fire on the plane or for that matter Spiderman 2 unless you've already seen it. Surely Spidey 2 is best watched on a big screen?
I've reviewed this for DVD Times. You can read my thoughts here (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=12963)
Chief Brody
06-10-2004, 19:52
"This will be showing on my BA plane to New York later this month, so these positive comments have made me happy. I'll follow it up by watching Spiderman 2 for the first time as well. The 6hr journey should fly by."
It's too good a film to watch on a plane, squeezed onto a tiny TV that you have to strain to see anyway. See it on the big screen or on DVD, you'll be glad you did. Brilliant film, up there with Crimson Tide and True Romance among Tony Scott's best (and i would sneak Last Boy Scout in there as well.)
Overall, I was disappointed by this.
Enjoyed the style and camera-work, and it does look very slick; some of the camera-work reminded me of City of God, although MOF is obviously more Hollywood. Looks very good on the big screen, although as said it might not be to all tastes.
The acting from Washington and the girl was good, and without this the film would've been completely empty for me.
The thing is, I just didn't find it involving; couldn't get past just how corny the plot was. I knew nothing in advance (only seen the poster and not the trailer/s) so didn't know which way it would turn, but plot-wise it failed to surprise or excite me - I even groaned a couple of times. (Why-oh-why aren't these screenplays passed over at the discussion stages for something more original ?) Only the visuals and the acting held my interest. Saw it last Sunday, and I'm struggling to remember it now !
And don't get me started on the morality of it all ... !
So my advice would be to pick up cheap and let the disc show of your AV kit.
GAmbrose
06-10-2004, 21:12
Funnily enough, Tony Scott says on the commentary that the style was based on City of God because it was one of the best films he had seen for a long time.
Gary A
thanks for the info Gary - I honestly didn't know ! :)
forgot to mention - slightly OT, but anyone else go to the Empire preview, as posted on bargainf ? Printed off the voucher, went to Vue to get tickets, but instead of the boxoffice giving us actual tickets (like has happened in the past) they gave another voucher-thingie and said to come early as this did not guarantee a seat ! WTF is that about ? :cuckoo:
I know it's free, but it is 10:30am on a Sunday morning, and a drive across town ! And as it happened, there were only a dozen of us in the place, and the film started 20mins late !
I would have enjoyed the film a lot more if it had been edited in a more tradition way, it reminded me of Millennium in a way and I felt the subtitles were unnecessary when English was spoken.
It also has a decent commentary track by the director which I found interesting (I haven't had a chance to listen to the other commentary yet)
Welshlad
11-10-2004, 10:26
Watched the DVD last night of this and found it to be an outstanding film. Denzel and Dakota Fanning were superb, and while i dont usually like films of this length in this genre, it felt it really worked well.
Not had a chance to check out any of the extras, but this is one DVD with which i might just do.
Highly recommended.
JimDriver2
11-10-2004, 10:31
Saw this at the Cinema last friday, was pretty good. Better than Kill Bill IMO, which story wise its slightly similar. Will prob get the R1 SE thats coming out in a while.
thebigboss
11-10-2004, 23:02
Saw this last night at the cinema and really enjoyed it. I especially liked the way subtitles were used. I was going to wait for the R2 in case there are more extras but I'm concerned that the R2's subtitles will be player generated thus totally spoiling the effect. What are the subtitles like on the R1? Are they the same as the cinema?
TIA
I haven't seen it in the cinema but the R1 subtitles are not player generated and are jazzily done. I can't see how they could mess with them on the R2 as it would change the vision of the director.
I saw this tonight and I didnt enjoy it. I dont normally complain about violence but I thought in this case it was over-done. Someone compared it to Kill Bill - Kill Bill has humour and is artistic/stylish, this is lacking in both imho. Also it's too slow-moving and the little girl got on my nerves; the way she talked made her seem too intelligent for her age.
It was obvious the girl was going to be alive and that made the violence and holier than thou attitude of the main character quite sick, the way in which he killed his victims seemed unnessesary. I was very disappointed by this film.
micksea241
13-10-2004, 04:39
I watched this on Sunday. A great film and easily the best this year.
I watched this on Sunday. A great film and easily the best this year.
I'd put it as one of the worst I've seen this year. 4/10.
Story similar to Leon, style like City of God and directed by the same person who gave us True Romance. What's not to like? :D
JimDriver2
08-11-2004, 13:01
Anyone heard any news of the SE yet?
and Lisa Gerrard sending shivers down the spine with her Gladiator-style moany-thing !!
That was the only thing I wasn't too keen on! :( When ever that music came on I thought 'Gladiator' or 'Black Hawk Down' = Ridley Scott... then thought Tony must have just copied his brothers music idea.
Still good though, I just connect that music with Ridley Scott films and them being brothers and using the same music bothers me! :nuts:
I had a similar feeling when near the end of 'Spy Game' (Tony) they had the Black Hawks! ('Black Hawk Down' - Ridley).
Loved 'Spy Game' and 'Man on Fire'.
Psycho :nuts:
watched this the other night.
Cracking movie but I thought Denzel could have done more after his powerful revenge speech,
he should have killed that woman who he let go and more importantly it would have been nice if he got the main bad guy
shame that Mickey Rourke had such a poor role too.
.
Anyone heard any news of the SE yet?
no idea on a release date, but the BBFC have rated some of the extras:
VENGEANCE IS MINE: REINVENTING MAN ON FIRE DOCUMENTARY 72m 38s
MUSIC VIDEO 'OYE COMO VA' BY KINKY 3m 14s
ALTERNATE ENDING 3m 55s
MULTIANGLE SEQUENCE PITA'S ABDUCTION 20m 32s
DELETED SCENES 26m 44s
I'm guessing all the above will be on disc 2, with disc 1 being identical to the current single disc region 1 release (2 commentaries, inside look)
JimDriver2
10-11-2004, 14:24
nice one. will prob get this, but lets hope that an R1 or R3 SE is available as well, cos 2 disc R2 sets cost tons.
shame that Mickey Rourke had such a poor role too.I quite like his role just wish it had started like it originally did. :notworthy :lol:
Tony Scott commentary talking about Mickey Rourke (http://www.cityonfire.com/gZa/tsomr.mp3)
I just finished watching it and thought it was very good.
He shouel have killed both women (because that was his original aim - to kill everyone) but I suppose killing 2 women (one pregnabt) is a bit OTT for a film.
The Japanese and Koreans would have had then killed though :D
family man
26-11-2004, 14:40
Stunning film!!! Didnt expect a lot and was totally blown away.
Denzel was great and I was really impressed at the change in his emotions especially when he starts to 'paint his masterpiece'.
Played so cold and effortlessly, just how someone with his background would be!!
One of the best so far this year!
Chief Brody
27-11-2004, 10:55
What's everybody else's favourite line from this film? Mines:
'Who's the boss? Who's the boss???!!! WHO'S THE BOSS??????!!!!!!!!!'
Great film.
Adam Thirnis
27-11-2004, 13:57
There are spoilers in this thread and it would have been nice to have been warned and if some posters had used the tags.
He shouel have killed both women (because that was his original aim - to kill everyone) but I suppose killing 2 women (one pregnabt) is a bit OTT for a film.
my thoughts exactly, he could have come back after she gave birth, he was all talk! ;)
reddwarf
29-11-2004, 00:11
Currently, "Man on Fire" is my favourite movie. Despite (or better: because) all its shown and implied violence it deals with the power of real love.
What impressed me most about Man on Fire was the story (and the acting which is almost perfect): Creasy does not start his revenge to release a girlfriend (and live happily even after). He chooses to revenge a little girl (Pita) which he loves like a father believing way down the line that Pita is dead and knowing that his revenge will kill him due to his wounds.
I think this is what real love is all about:
Our hero, Creasy, is a very tough ex-US-special ops/counter terrorism man who has fought his battles and carried his scars from them. However, his deepest wounds lie not in his body but in his soul: He has seen and inflicted so much hurt and pain that he can no longer live with it. His day to day life consists in heavy drinking, attempts to (re)gain his faith in God and occasional jobs in South America.
Creasy arrives in Mexico where he meets an old friend who gets him a new job as a bodyguard for little Pita Ramos. Pita is the daughter of a young Mexican industrialist and his American wife. His father has hired Creasy to protect Pita but his real plans are ugly and more complicated: With the aid of his lawyer, he arranges for the kidnapping of Pita, his own daughter. Creasy's role is to act as a mediocre bodyguard (due to his drinking problems) which is necessary in order for the anti-kidnapping insurance to pay the premium. During the kidnapping Creasy does his best and manages to kill several of the kidnappers but is wounded very severely. The handover of the ransom goes out of control. The lawyer swaps one of the bags of money and a police officer who also wants to make a cut in the deal goes for the ransom. Invariably, the kidnappers get only part of the ransom and they tell Pita's mother that Pita is dead.
However, all these greedy and ruthless people (Pita's father who risks the death of his own daughter, the lawyer, the corrupt police officers, the kidnappers) have made their counts without Creasy. During the few days which they have spent together, Pita has brought life into Creasy's gloomy existence and has made him open his mind and soul to another human being again. Creasy helped her train for a swimming contest and due to Pita's wonderful nature Creasy stops drinking; Creasy, who tried to kill himself during one of the first nights at the house of the Ramos' laughs for the first time since he arrived in Mexico with Pita's help.
Faced with the decision, either to rest (due to his wounds) or die, Creasy decides to go after the bad guys and avenge Pita. One can only speculate whether Creasy does so because he (i) feels love for little Pita (which he nurtured like the real father Pita should have had), (ii) feels gratitude towards Pita for showing him that life is still worth living, or (iii) does not want to return to the life he lived before meeting Pita. Personally, I believe in the first alternative.
Creasy's vendetta is quite a brutal one (but surely not as brutal as his formal life) and this is the right way to be. Because it is the only way the issues standing at debate, need to be treated: without any reason, mercy or forgiveness, the way life really is. Creasy goes for every one of the people who took any kind of advantage of Pita's kidnapping including Pita's father. The latter is at least man enough to kill himself with the bullet which got stuck in Creasy's gun while he tried to kill himself (there is a God out there…). In the end it turns out that Pita is still alive and Creasy manages to arrange for the exchange of himself and the brother of the kidnapper in chief against Pita. Needless to say, Creasy, who during his revenge got shot one more time, is in a severe condition as he turns in to the kidnappers. The movie has a very sad ending, Pita, who meets Creasy once more on a bridge, realises that Creasy will die.
There is no James Bond like superhero who kills the "bad guys" and drinks Martinis with the "girl" in the Caribbean. But this is also how real life is. Judging by the accurateness of the movie, I personally believe that Creasy got tortured to death after turning himself in. I think his love for Pita was so great that he took all that pain upon him knowingly just to get her back safe to her mother and that knowing her safe with a loving one (her mother) was what gave him the strengths to hold on until his death.
Man on Fire is a great movie with a great soundtrack which matches its mood. Needless to say, all actors (but especially Creasy and Pita) are great in their roles. It touches upon several layers such as love, the meaning of life, faith etc.
Niceguygeoff
29-11-2004, 01:16
I enjoyed Man On Fire. I was pleasantly surprised by the violence, or should I say the lack of it. The press reviews have this film as some grubby little revenge flick that seems to centre around Creasy killing a bad guy by shoving explosives up his arse - that's all they seem to mention anyway! But Creasy doesn't start on his 'masterpiece' of revenge and death until halfway through the film, and even when he does, the violence is nowhere near as graphic as the lurid newspaper reviews would have it.
What they fail to mention is that the growing relationship between Creasy and Pita is genuinely touching, and this gives the movie an emotional texture that would not perhaps have existed had Tony Scott been given the chance to make this back in the '80s (apparently he was going to film Man On Fire before Top Gun came along). As good as Denzel is - does he ever have an off day? - Dakota Fanning steals the show with an awesome performance. Never have I seen such a professional and assured performance from a child actor, and I eagerly await her turn in Senor Spielbergo's War Of The Worlds remake.
Captain_Howdy666
29-11-2004, 21:35
Currently, "Man on Fire" is my favourite movie. Despite (or better: because) all its shown and implied violence it deals with the power of real love.
Etc etc...
I didn't read much more of your post... I've seen the movie several times and I love it, but how about you edit your post to replace certain plot points with spoiler tags? You've given away much of the movie and it's not fair on those who haven't seen it.
Adam Thirnis
12-01-2005, 20:54
2 Disc Edition (5.1/DTS) R3 available for pre-order at CD-Wow (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump.php?url=http://tracker.tradedoubler.com/click^QS^p=3128^QA^a=60823^QA^g=17349^QA^url=http://www.cd-wow.com/detail_results_2.php^QS^product_code=16031)
Seems a bit pricey though at £13.99.
2 Disc Edition (5.1/DTS) R3 available for pre-order at CD-Wow (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump.php?url=http://tracker.tradedoubler.com/click^QS^p=3128^QA^a=60823^QA^g=17349^QA^url=http://www.cd-wow.com/detail_results_2.php^QS^product_code=16031)
Seems a bit pricey though at £13.99.
Price has gone up. Was originally listed as £10.99 but I held off as no confirmation if it was 1 disk like R1 or would match the UK R2 2 disk.
They now say 2 disk with same spec as R2 but still extras TBC.
joconnor
14-01-2005, 01:59
Best film I have watched in a while.
The ending has kinda restored my faith in Hollywood.
Up there with Training Day as Denzel's best work
Ol' Blue Eyes
14-01-2005, 09:24
I liked this a lot, it's a very well made and gripping film. The only real flaws that held it back were a touch of pretension (eg: using unnecessary subtitles for emphasis) and a tendency to go way over the top. I'm not particularly bothered by Creasy torturing and killing but
putting a bomb up someone's arse????
OK if it was in Kill Bill or The Punisher but it's just so outrageously over the top, it damaged the grim, realistic atmosphere Tony Scott had created so beautifully.
Watched this last night & can't believe I watched the same movie as most of you guys.
First off the editing/directing style really annoyed me - Tony Scott only seems to shoot movies like ads/videos. & all the subtitles - pretentious.
Didn't buy the relationship between Creasy & Peta (why would a child of her age want to bond with a moody bodyguard?), didn't get Creasy at all actually, who was he? Exactly why was he so screwed up? Past relationship? Child of his own somewhere perhaps? A hint at his military past just wasn't enough for me.
The revenge killings rather sickened me, felt like the movie had been developed deliberately to capture the post 9/11 mood of righting wrongs to Americans.
Might have been a better 90 min run of the mill thriller, but way too long too.
Waste of my time :(
joconnor
16-01-2005, 12:55
didn't get Creasy at all actually, who was he? Exactly why was he so screwed up? Past relationship? Child of his own somewhere perhaps? A hint at his military past just wasn't enough for me.
I thought it was made very clear :?:
He was an Assassin for the military, it listed off all the places he was stationed earlier in the movie.
Does anyone know the name of the Enya'esque song that kept playing in this film?
I know I've heard it somewhere before but just cannot put my finger on it :doh:
Also.....
I was almost positive he was gonna 'drop' some C4 (ala Fuentes) when he got close up to the bad guys at the end. Would have made a nice ending I think
nwgarratt
04-03-2005, 00:07
I watched this film today and thought it was excellent.
I admit I got quite emotional at the end. That doesn't happen very often with me.
Voodoo dragon
04-03-2005, 04:24
I watched this a few weeks ago thinking this would not be up to much but I loved it. It is one of the best films I have seen for a long time, very gritty, well acted and a refreshing ending compared to the vast majority of action films to come out of Hollywood.
Bleeders
04-03-2005, 07:44
This is one of the best films I've seen. Period.
Mr Chefs Salad
04-03-2005, 09:44
Was pleasantly surprised with this, acting was excellent across the board, the ending was obvious but it is a hollywood film. What a I really apreciated (much like the punisher) was that we got a long a violent action film remiscent of the golden age. Not a 12A certificate in site! :notworthy
LordoftheDance
05-03-2005, 09:23
Watched this last night and thought it was excellent.
The alternate ending shows that Creasy does indeed kill the bad guy at the end by putting a bomb up his own bum!
I thought it a bit odd that quite often subtitles came up on screen when they were talking English though!
I did like the way the subtitles came up as the characters were speaking, as if being typed in real-time alongside the action onscreen. Added to the dramatic tension. :thumbs:
Thought it was great, if a little slow to really get going. In line with the earlier comment, loved spy game, especially the ending.
From watching the film it looked like creasy died in the car peacefully at the end when he let the necklace that pita had given him drop
Thought it was great film though :thumbs: but maybe it would have been better if he killed all the bad guys at the end with some cleverly conceiled C4 :nuts: .
A Question though:
Also, how did the good guys find and kill the bad guys at the end as they said they they lost track of them when Denzel took The Voice's brother :shrug:
gregmac666
07-03-2005, 10:19
Does anyone know the name of the Enya'esque song that kept playing in this film?
I know I've heard it somewhere before but just cannot put my finger on it :doh:
The soundtrack at Amazon lists a Lisa Gerrard for the main title theme 'Man On Fire' so perhaps that's it.
No Nine Inch Nails on the soundtrack though, which is surprising as NIN is used quite alot throughout the film, as is perfect for communicating the tension.
Must be something wrong with me, as I had the utter misfortune of having to watch this last night.
Girlfriend wanted to see it, so she put it on and seemed to enjoy it.
Person who lent it to her told her how good it was (starts a bit slow he said)
I just found it totally boring, pointless and something I just did not care about.
Ohhhh, someone kidnapped my daughter and the guy goes on a brain dead frenzy, so i seems.
Though I missed much of it as I just kept falling asleep waiting for the dam thing to end.
It would have been a walk out the Cinema job if I'd have actually paid good money to see it.
Not sure why I feel this way as everyone else appears to love it?
Actually, I think part of the problem is this:
Review:
A wave of kidnappings has swept through Mexico, feeding a growing sense of panic among its wealthier citizens, especially parents. In one six-day period, there were twenty-four abductions, leading many to hire bodyguards for their children. Into this world enters John Creasy, a burned-out ex-CIA operative/assassin, who has given up on life. Creasy's friend Rayburn brings him to Mexico City to be a bodyguard to nine-year-old Pita Ramos, daughter of industrialist Samuel Ramos and his wife Lisa. Creasy is not interested in being a bodyguard, especially to a youngster, but for lack of something better to do, he accepts the assignment. Creasy barely tolerates the precocious child and her pestering questions about him and his life. But slowly, she chips away at his seemingly impenetrable exterior, his defenses drop, and he opens up to her. Creasy's new-found purpose in life is shattered when Pita is kidnapped. Despite being seriously wounded during the kidnapping, he vows to kill anyone involved in or profiting from the kidnapping. And no one can stop him.
To me that's a YAWN...............
Guess just not my kind of film. Trouble is, I have to care about it I guess to like the film, and I just couldn't be bothered in the 1st place......
Just wondering if I'm alone on this one?
family man
01-05-2005, 18:06
Just wondering if I'm alone on this one?
Pretty much!
amazing flick..from radha mitchell to denzil to wicked house in mexico!
best violent action film since heat!
anephric
05-05-2005, 17:56
No Nine Inch Nails on the soundtrack though, which is surprising as NIN is used quite alot throughout the film, as is perfect for communicating the tension.
Tony Scott loves nin on his soundtracks - The Fan is like a cosmic splurge of Nine Inch Nails remixes... Trent must've been rubbing his DARK AND MOODY little hands with glee.
springer
08-07-2005, 00:08
I'd like to resurrect this thread. Picked MoF up for a fiver in Smiths today & just finished watching.
:notworthy :notworthy :notworthy
Absolutely fan-bloody-tastic!! What a genuinely good movie. Er...that's it.
TigaSefi
08-07-2005, 00:12
isn't it just. It was great to watch a nice adult-themed film for once rather than a pg-13 cop out.
Savagexii
08-07-2005, 01:01
Excellent film indeed, loved it.
:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:
Just watched it recently don't know how this one passed me by. This is great film with characters and action.
back from the dead...
If anyone's interested, FilmFour are showing the 1987 version of Man on Fire with Scott Glenn on Saturday night at 1.10am.
It's a bit rubbish, IMHO, but almost worth watching to compare the two.
:)
back from the dead...
If anyone's interested, FilmFour are showing the 1987 version of Man on Fire with Scott Glenn on Saturday night at 1.10am.
It's a bit rubbish, IMHO, but almost worth watching to compare the two.
:)
I watched that the other night it was on late on film four without checking I assumed it was the Denzil one Sky plused it watched it the next day, all I can say is its really pants, well disappointed :razz:
back from the dead...again.
And i have to go against the grain on this one. Failed to engage me. Probably didn't help that i watched the far supeior Taken the night before.
1) Took FOREVER to get going. It was almost an hour brfore the kidnapping actually happened. I can see that you need to astablish the relationship between the girl and Denzil, but for christ sake it was terribly bloated. They could have achived the same effect in half the time.
2) The 'flashes' in the drunken cameraman sections was cometely stupid and didn't add anything to the movie apart from giving me i headache
3) Most of the cast had nothing really much to do apart from sit around and get killed by Denzil.
4) Overall far too long to tell a simple story, could have done with 30mins of trimming mostly at the begining and some in the middle.
If you want a kidnap thriller, watch Taken instead, even Ransom is a lot better dispite it's age.
Niceguygeoff
20-09-2009, 23:24
Pfft. Taken isn't fit to lick Man On Fire's boots.
Todd Tomorrow
20-09-2009, 23:29
Man on Fire is among the ten worst films of the decade for me. It's emotionally manipulative to a point where it becomes unintentionally hilarious and the direction is Tony Scott at his ponderous worst. He rams home every plot point with crass overstatement and goes for slow motion whenever anybody moves faster than strolling speed. Utter dross.
Pfft. Taken isn't fit to lick Man On Fire's boots.
I really don't see how, liam neeson was way better Taken than Denzil was here. Man on Fire is a bloated mess. The whole thing was ill judged and the pacing is pedestrion with no impact what-so-ever. I really like Tony Scott normally.
the_daddy
20-09-2009, 23:58
Excellent film indeed, loved it.
:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:
Totally agree, really good film, enjoy it whenever I stick it on.
8.5/10
Robert S
21-09-2009, 00:05
Man on Fire is among the ten worst films of the decade for me. It's emotionally manipulative to a point where it becomes unintentionally hilarious and the direction is Tony Scott at his ponderous worst. He rams home every plot point with crass overstatement and goes for slow motion whenever anybody moves faster than strolling speed. Utter dross.
For a film as vacuous as Man On Fire, I find Creasy's final, quasi-spiritual redemption to be woefully misjudged.
As a typically overwrought Tony Scott thriller, I think it's middling (with True Romance at the top end of the scale, and Domino close to the bottom).
Todd Tomorrow
21-09-2009, 00:38
For a film as vacuous as Man On Fire, I find Creasy's final, quasi-spiritual redemption to be woefully misjudged.
As a typically overwrought Tony Scott thriller, I think it's middling (with True Romance at the top end of the scale, and Domino close to the bottom).
True Romance is his best film by far and everything that's good about it comes from Tarantino's/Avary's screenplay.
thescrounger
21-09-2009, 00:52
True Romance is his best film by far
Along with Last Boy Scout and Revenge.
alsemail
21-09-2009, 02:02
This was a part of DW's overly long average phase to me.
He's a great actor and always puts in a solid performance but he hasn't half made some very average movies.
American Gangster was a real return to form in both his performance and in the material he was working with.
I find Tony Scott movies to be bleeding to my eyes these days, far too much flashy camerawork, flash frames etc overly used. Gives me a headache and you know he's always going to use it..... move on, take some tips from your brother.
Tony Scott's best film in my opinon was Crimson Tide. Perfectly balanced thriller
SIMON ADEBISI
21-09-2009, 08:33
Nah, True Romance.
Man On Fire is great fun though. Bit long but any film with an arse bomb cant be bad :lol:
AKPiggott
21-09-2009, 08:49
True Romance is his best film by far and everything that's good about it comes from Tarantino's/Avary's screenplay.
To be fair, it has a brilliant brilliant cast as well.
Nah, True Romance.
Man On Fire is great fun though. Bit long but any film with an arse bomb cant be bad :lol:Which didn't play out because the car blew up, not him! So either it was a lie (i wouldn't bother sticking something up some sweaty guys arse :gag:) or is was a crap continuaty error
RangersFC
21-09-2009, 11:24
I love all Tony Scott stuff :- in this order for me .........
1) True Romance
2) Crimson Tide
3) Man on Fire
4) Revenge
GProject
21-09-2009, 23:59
This was a part of DW's overly long average phase to me.
Besides the point that I like him in this film (and the film in general), it came only two years after John Q (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251160/), which is a brilliant movie with a great Denzel performance. I agree he has picked some average fare, but I find it tends to come in spikes rather than long phases.
.
SIMON ADEBISI
22-09-2009, 06:21
(i wouldn't bother sticking something up some sweaty guys arse :gag:)
Still wearing that badge eh :lol:
Believe me, even Richie wouldn't touch that with a barge pole! :D
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