Man on Fire (spoilers)

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2005-01-31 08:34am

A pretty decent and dark film. One of the few no hold bars film I've seen in a while, where the protaginist isn't someone afraid of shoving sticks of C4 up someone's ass or slowly cutting someone up for information/revenge.

A few questions and comments:
1) Did anyone hate Marc Anthony's character for what he did? I found out that I couldn't see him as disgusting (besides the fact he's ugly) or loathsome for using his daughter like that. I think he made a horrible decision, but I couldn't hate his character.

It was pretty clear that he cared for his family a lot (the dog, the piano lessons), and he was faced with some pretty bad financial problems and the scheme his lawyer cooked up didn't seem too bad, "He said that she would be in a room watching cartoons and eating ice cream and we'd have her back in two days." And when given the choice, he took his own life for what he did.

2) Why wasn't the Federal investigator corrupted or threatened? I'm not too familiar with Mexico's system. But give the reach of the criminal organization within the police, I would've imagined he would've been threatened, bribed or killed a long time ago. Are the Federal units different?

3) Which did you prefer? The original ending with Creasy dying in the car from his wounds, or the alternate ending where he blows himself and The Voice up?

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-01-31 08:47am

It's been awhile since I saw the movie, but I thought it was kickass. Who doesn't love Denzel? It was pretty bad that we had Christopher Walken in the film, and he didn't kill anyone. Though that was a nice chance of pace.

1) I despised him.

2) I don't remember, but not every cop has to be on the take.

3) I guess you're referring to the DVD, I only ever saw the theatrical version. I thought the ending was sad, but it did the redemption theme well enough.

Deathstalker · Post by **Deathstalker** » 2005-01-31 03:06pm

Denzel did all right. Creasy makes Alonzo from Training Day look like a school girl.

"Forgiveness is between them and God. It's my job to arrange the meeting."

1)I felt sorry for him at first then I got pissed off at him. I knew he had it planned from the start before it was found out he was behind it. I understand he was trying to provide for his family, but he couldn't find another way to handle it then putting his daughter's life in danger?

2) Not everybody is corrrupt, and I imagine that like here in the States, if you threaten a Federal agent, you better be able to bring it, or the governement will come down on you.

3) I only saw the theater version, prefer original ending. I think blowing up the voice would have been just to much and cliched.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2005-01-31 03:09pm

That movie did wonders for me in terms of wanting to spend my tourism dollars in Mexico - NOT. It was a fine movie, entertaining and when Denzel went balls to the wall vengeful I loved every minute of it. One of the best scenes is the reveal of how he's going to take out the Police Chief's motorcade when he pulls out the RPG. Niiiccce.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2005-01-31 04:02pm

Based on a true story... about Italy

And honestly, what's wrong with Marc Anthony? That comment was uncalled for, I mean I can just do a Google and look him up HOLY CRAP WTF IS THAT THING KILL IT KILL IT!!!

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2005-01-31 06:54pm

Slartibartfast wrote:Based on a true story... about Italy

And honestly, what's wrong with Marc Anthony? That comment was uncalled for, I mean I can just do a Google and look him up HOLY CRAP WTF IS THAT THING KILL IT KILL IT!!!

I'm curious ... but I'm also a cat lover, so I know what curiousity did to the cat so ...

Marksist · Post by **Marksist** » 2005-01-31 07:10pm

This was my "Sleeper hit" from 2004. From the trailers it just looked like another "kidnapper" summer flick, and I passed up seeing it. Also, I read mostly bad reviews on this movie, so I didn't check it out until November, when I was with my Uncle and he bought it on Pay-Per-View. I decided that it was free, so I'd give it a whirl, and it turned out to be one of my favorite movies from last year, I was quite surprised to see him flip out like he did in the second half of the movie, even though I called it that the girl was still alive.

Post by **Vympel** » 2005-02-01 01:12am

I hated it, actually. Thought it was an absolute mess.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-02-01 01:17am

Vympel wrote:I hated it, actually. Thought it was an absolute mess.

Why?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-02-01 01:29am

I can't (and won't) speak for Vympel, but I didn't like it either. Generic revenge movie with blonde girl in jeapordy (and of course she's half American) with a little redemption subplot lacquered on. Of course, the dark past and the redemption would have to involve multiple God references and a blattant Bible plug.

And it was obvious that the little girl was going to be targetted, but it seemed to take forever for it to happen. That I find really annoying.

But that's just me.

Post by **Vympel** » 2005-02-01 01:35am

Stofsk wrote:
Vympel wrote:I hated it, actually. Thought it was an absolute mess.
Why?

It didn't seem to have any ... "centre". It was top-heavy. Way too much setup time- oh, poor me, I'm a hard drinker, playing with my gun, blah blah Bible, blah blah little girl redeems me ... then it gets to the "revenge" part, and it was just a messy let-down. Basically, I sat through all of that crap for that? He gets shot, bleeds in a pool a lot, and dies? Erm ... ok!

Post by **fgalkin** » 2005-02-01 01:38am

Vympel wrote:
Stofsk wrote:
Vympel wrote:I hated it, actually. Thought it was an absolute mess.
Why?
It didn't seem to have any ... "centre". It was top-heavy. Way too much setup time- oh, poor me, I'm a hard drinker, playing with my gun, blah blah Bible, blah blah little girl redeems me ... then it gets to the "revenge" part, and it was just a messy let-down. Basically, I sat through all of that crap for that? He gets shot, bleeds in a pool a lot, and dies? Erm ... ok!

I agree completely. He is messed up, gets redeemed through the girl, girl gets kidnapped, Denzel goes on a killing spree. Denzel dies. This is the plot summary I gave my friend 15 minutes into the film. I was proven right.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-02-01 03:41am

hey I liked it...

then again I like a lone samuria and his son traveling across japan with a baby carriage full of guns.

Or a dead end girl born in a prison just as the snow starts falling...

Post by **Gandalf** » 2005-02-01 06:21am

I thought it was ok, a wee bit predictable. But I liked the whole revenge theme, mindless fun.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-02-01 06:43am

It was like a weird combination of Deathwish and Leon.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2005-02-01 01:50pm

A man can be an artist... in anything, food, whatever. It depends on how good he is at it. Creasey's art is death. He's about to paint his masterpiece.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-02-02 01:47am

Deathstalker wrote:Denzel did all right. Creasy makes Alonzo from Training Day look like a school girl.

I don't think so. Creasy is likeable for being, despite a violent man, a good one of sorts. A bad man would not have given a shit about the girl. He did.

Alonzo was just a prick. An utter, reprehensible, monstrous prick. He got EXACTLY what was coming to him.

But man, that was a great film. (Training Day, not this one; Training Day was interesting, Man on Fire was a bit meh for me)

Post by **Gandalf** » 2005-02-02 02:10am

Stofsk wrote:But man, that was a great film. (Training Day, not this one; Training Day was interesting, Man on Fire was a bit meh for me)

Agreed, Training Day was awesome.

How many of us thought in the start that Alonzo was just going to be one of those "rough justice" types of cops that is usualy played as a necessary evil?

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-02-02 02:18am

Post by **fgalkin** » 2005-02-02 03:53am

Gandalf wrote:
Stofsk wrote:But man, that was a great film. (Training Day, not this one; Training Day was interesting, Man on Fire was a bit meh for me)
Agreed, Training Day was awesome.

How many of us thought in the start that Alonzo was just going to be one of those "rough justice" types of cops that is usualy played as a necessary evil?

Me.

Training Day is one of my favorite movies of all time. Of course, the fact that it features the Russian mafia helps, too. Seriously, Alonso's death scene was perfect. The Russian even shouted something along the lines of: 'Hey, Alonso! Want an easy death? Nooooooope.

"

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2005-02-02 09:56am

Training Day was great until I guess the third act. The script totally lost believability there.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2005-02-05 11:24pm

Training Day gave me Eva Mendes' boobies. For that, it is great.

Man on Fire was cool too. The soundtrack has some really good sad/slow type stuff, by the way.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2005-02-05 11:50pm

Even though the overall plot was predictable, I still enjoyed Man of Fire. First, I thought Denzel did a good job acting in it, and he was particularly fun to watch when on the warpath; i.e. "I've got all the time in the world. You don't!"

Second, the actual revenge path was unique, in my opinion, particularly since Creasy actually dies at the end in the hands of the kidnappers.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2005-02-06 12:10am

Incidently, I loved the ending caption thingy:

"Daniel Sanchez "The Voice" died during the course of arrest."

As to why the Federal guy was a good cop, I suppose it might have something to do with him having worked with INTERPOL. That might keep him clean (as in he was already a Good Cop), as well as allow him some measure of protection (as well as his Federal agent status).

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-02-06 12:49am

Joe wrote:Training Day was great until I guess the third act. The script totally lost believability there.

Which part? I can't remember which was the 3rd act... are you talking about the point it was revealed that Alonzo is a corrupt bastard, or the part where Ethan Hawk is about to be killed by the latinos and they find out the girl he saved earlier in the day was the head guy's niece?

Man, that was coincidence.