Man On Fire

Man on Fire could easily be the title of a documentary on Denzel Washington's film career. Whether this "fire" is political (Malcom X, The Manchurian Candidate), psychological (Training Day), or spiritual (Fallen), Mr. Denzel likes playing men with issues. And, not at all surprisingly given the title and Washington's history, Man on Fire continues this trend. Recently released on DVD, Man on Fire has Washington burning it up as John Creasy, an ex-C.I.A. assassin who's having a little difficulty with his inner demons and such. He likes to drink, a lot, and has little to no motivation towards getting his life back on track. Enter nine-year-old Pita Ramos (Dakota Fanning, who is so adorable you want to hate her, but her surprisingly polished acting makes this nearly impossible), the daughter of Mexican industrialist Samuel Ramos (Mr. Jennifer Lopez, er, Marc Anthony). Creasy is hired by Mr. Ramos to act as bodyguard for his child, as a series of kidnappings have been taking place in Mexico City. The film begins to take a shocking twist when the reformed and anti-social Creasy begins to open up to little Pita! Suddenly our man on fire is only slightly smoking. But the fire ignites again quickly when Pita is kidnapped and Creasy becomes determined to find her. Man on Fire is generally entertaining, in the way that most of Washington's commercial flicks are, though there are better examples. There is nothing particularly original or great about it, but it has enough going for it to make it worthwhile mindless entertainment. Director Scott is known for this kind of entertainment (Enemy of the State, Days of Thunder) and Man on Fire fits right in. The DVD itself is similarly average. The only extra is an audio commentary by director Tony Scott, producer Lucas Foster, writer Brian Helgeland and actress Dakota Fanning that has its moments but, like the film, is nothing special. (Fox)