This movie is absolutely perfect the art direction is the best ive ever seen, the acting is top notch and this is one of the most emotionally engrossing movie ive ever seen... i rarely get upset at a movie and this movie i was almost in tears at the end. Critics really did miss the boat... the only downfall was the length... but i cant find a scene to take out so i think the length was necessary.

One of Denzel Washington's greatest films. Second only to American Gangster and perhaps Training Day.

Forget what the critics say, there profession is over-rated anyway becides there all a bunch of fat people with a few posh words. This movie is great to watch for a night in, unique, emotional, and realisticly, maybe.........probably true, meaning the methods of interrogation outside the law. My opinion along with everyone i know who has seen this movie, " I regret that movie critics should professionally exist! " :D 9/10 - high recommended.… Expand

This movie was way better than the critics gave it credit for! I think they are simply jealous of Tony Scott.

This is one of my top 10 favorite movies in the last 10 years. I am a pretty harsh judge of movies too. The only flaw that I can see with this movie is that it is drastically overstylized but I dont have too much of a problem with it. The action is great, the suspense is great, the acting is very good. It has all the makings of a good action movie and makes me tingle every time I watch it because of the strong emotions in the movie. Denzel delievers a performance of a life time playing a burned-out ex-FBI agent. If I was going to watch an action movie with some substance I would definitely choose this one 8.6/10 The visuals are funky but they fit with the overly stylized music and plot.… Expand

After a rather slow start the tension builds then the film becomes a cracker full of action one for the dvd collection.

This is one of the best movies i have ever seen.

I like movies that are unapologetically what they are supposed to be, and this is an anti-hero action movie done well. Denzel is a bad??? with a heart of gold reopened by a charming Dakota Fanning, and, when the inevitable kidnapping occurs, Denzel does exactly what you'd hope he would - rips Mexico City apart.

One half good redemption drama, one half SWEET epic revenge, and a touch of true, sacrificial heroism. 47? This movie could go for an oscar.

An amazing acheivement by Tony Scott. I dont know how in hell Man on Fire got a 47 average on metacritic, but I completely disagree. I am normally a hard reviewer, but this movie just blew me away. The presentation, the story, the visuals, the acting, you name it... This is destined to be a classic Revenge movie. It's just that good!

OK the acting was alright, the script, naaa, the story was not origanal. but this is the frist time i will give a film a 10 out of 10 because of the way it was shot. THIS MOVIE IS EYE CANDY. the use of color filters really fits the mood of every seen, they way to light shines in your face, it's overwelming and Beautiful. even the subtitle were cool. yah that's right subtitles, instead of running along the bottom they pop up in ranbom spots. the directory of photogerphy for this film should be concidered an artist. if only all films were shot this way.… Expand

Good film. Entertains and don't look for logic. Also is not that violent. Dakota Fanning and Denzel rock.

Looking past the oddities of the editing (especially the subtitles) is easy enough when you see Washington do what he does with this great characer in this pic. People who cannot wrap themselves up in what Creasy is going through are not strong enough to really look at their lives; how they are making decisions that may cause God not to forgive them almost daily. Sure, it's not pleasant to think about, but we are all men on fire at times. When you are crossed and know there is only one way to set things right, will you have the courage to do it? If you don't like this movie, the answer is no. Go lay back on the couch, have another Tums, and call your mommy. This film makes us ask ourselves a lot of questions like this, and the gutless need not apply. .… Expand

Very good film -- the critics missed the boat, perhaps because revenge movies are not PC.

A feell good film with a twist! Senzel Washington shows just how diverse he can be, great!

This movie is one of my favorites. Tony Scott is a good director, who has an extremely large amount of potential, and while Man on Fire shows off his skills, i still feel Scoott hasn't quite made his masterpiece. Excellent movie, highly reccommend it to anyone. Expect more, and better, from Tony Scott...just not Deja Vu.

I cannot believe some of the scores from the professional reviewers. Were they watching the same film! Okay the film has some flaws but was always watchable and had another very good performance from Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning who is turning into an excellent actress. Some of the revenge killings may have seemed a little over the top and I'm not a great lover of Mr Scotts visual trickery which IMO derailed the middle segment of the film. However I cared about the characters and the relationship between Denzel seeking redemption and Dakota bringing a little light into his soul is very believable. The anger that he feels at the turn of events is and how he reacts because of his past as the only way he knows how. Altogether its an interesting blend of violence, emotion, humanity and also very heartwarming in places. It might not be a masterpiece but it was an excellent way to spend a couple of hours.… Expand

This movie was great. All those people saying the movie sucked cause it's to violent sound like little girls. Denzel was a downright raw piece of work. Someone kidnaps somone he loves he doesnt go call the cops and let them take 5 years to find her...no he goes out and kills everyone till they give up and give him the girl. Thats badass.

This i thought was won of the best revenge movies in a while it had a great plot, action, drama and so on.Then again the critics that gave this movie a bad review must of been too busy eating thier extra large pop corn too pay attention to this movie. This movie is an easy 9/10. BONATALIA.

When Denzel loads a huge bag of guns. the nine inch nails score kicks in and scotts visuals hit peak i dare you not to be exhilarated.

Can't believe the criticism of this flick. The best film i've seen this year, no doubt. Brilliant acting, and a good solid story. Go see it, it's well worth the admission price.

Story might have worked, but the project went out of control on so many levels. The stuttering cinematography and over-the-top music are the most ghastly butcheries in the film. Like the lead character, its tone is a longing to dispose of itself. And it succeeds.

Do we need critics? Do we need urticaria? I mean this is one hell of an entertaining film, well filmed and Denzel Washington is powerful and convincing. I suppose sensibilities were affronted. If you like violent action entertainment you could not do much better than this one. The critics are generally pathetic.

Many critics disliked Denzel Washington's most recent film "Man on Fire". I personally found it very enjoyable. I thought the writing was good and for the most part the plot flowed together real nicely. Even though the direction was a little pretentious and audacious at times, there were still some expertly directed action sequences in the feature. The acting was pretty strong from everyone considered, especially young Dakota Fanning who showed how talented she was in 2001's "I Am Sam". Although, the film is a little too long, there are enough twists and turns in the story to keep the audience satisfied. "Man on Fire" isn't a great movie, but just a good movie. I'd recommend either seeing a matinee or waiting for DVD. Thumbs up.… Expand

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I thought the performances by all of the actors/actresses were great and in keeping with their repsective roles. The story-line was very good and contrary to what some people might think I thought it was plausible. Humans can be quite unpredictable when their emotions are affected...considering Creasy's skills, his revenge can be "believeable". I also thought the ending was appropriate... a "happy" ending with Creasy surviving would have been unbelievable... especially considering his state of mind. I was captivated the first time I saw the movie and quite frankly, felt that as a parent I would have done the same thing (rather than let "injustice" take its course and let those involved go free. Again, very emotional movie, very well done!… Expand

I like seeing maggots get their just rewards.

I loved this movie. Not the beginning credits but when the movie starts it's super. Great cast, imagine Dakota working with Denzel. She is such a cutie. He never disappoints me in a movie.

I thought that not only was it a great action movie, it also showed what anyone (especially a parent) would feel and want to do if someone killed their child. It shows that Crasy would die for Pita. I thought that it was a great movie; people should wake up and appreciate this movie for what it really is: a great piece of movie making.

I can't believe all the negative reviews! This was an AWESOME movie. A bit graphic at times, but great acting! My general rule of thumb - If the critics don't like it - GO SEE IT!

Great Movie! Strong acting.

This movie does not pretend to be a family geared movie. So those who are upset at the graphic events surely didn't read or watch any previews. But this movie appeals to the most basic human emtions-love, loss, and revenge. It's easy to judge a movie based on another's actions but when faced with the same situation, and the ability to do something about it, I doubt highly that any of us wouldn't have done the same. The story line is believable, the revenge welcomed, and the ending emotionally charged. I only gave it a 9 rather than a 10 because I'm still not quite sure if it's based on a true story based on the ending. This movie isn't bloodthirsty, it's real and true human emotional grit.… Expand

I am glad I didn't read the critic reviews before I saw this one. Great movie.

Best movie I have seen this year.Training Day and Man on Fire are a blast!

Absolutely horrendous waste of time--i kept looking at my watch and being surprised that the movie wasn't 12 hours. What's worse is that it's a tasteless, pointless assault on the senses, borrowing Inarritu cinematics for emphasis; emphasis of what? a terrible, cliched plotline. I felt like the director was trying desperately to fool us into thinking we were watching a good film. Unfortunately for him, few were fooled.… Expand

Loved it!

Denzel Washington gives a riviting performance...actually better than Training Day! The supporting cast is very strong and the story really grabs you.

Taking it to the next level. A breath of fresh air in the mediocre PG-13 sludge of studio films.

Violent, but good.

Dakota fanning and her mother do NOT look the part. Dakota Fanning can't pass for half mexican, I am sorry. But a terrific performance. I have yet to be disappointed by this child actress. Denzel changes paces by playing "Angry Black Man" a real departure from his usual cast as "Angry Black Man" all that aside, I have a soft spot for Walken, he can do no wrong in my book. Now why is this move a must see? the editing. as an indie film guy, I tell you the score and the editing are a real education. I want to watch this one a few more times and learn something of the art of editing from this master.… Expand

You have to be able to relate to this movie to appreciate it.

At the end (film credits) you get the impression that movie was a true story which is complete nonsense. This movie is pure fiction. The film has horrific graphic violence with mutilations , cutting off fingers and ears etc. I didn't like this aspect of the film at all. Denzel Washington gives a credible performance as an actor and I liked that scenery shot in Mexico plus the story was ok. The ending was disappointing and way too much gratuitous violence for my liking. Maybe I'm not bloodthirsty enough. Also it was a bit unrealistic with a one man vendetta the body count was quite high.… Expand

While tony scott has gone over the top with stylising the film (and in turn making it look like a pop promo), the cast keeps you gripped to the screen and you care about the characters. walken is unfortunately underused.

This movie was great.

Up and down roller costered provoking twists and turns with an enormous G- forced...ending awesome.

Cool.

We were engrossed very early into the film and never lost our interest. The storytelling, pace and performance were first rate. As frequent moviegoers our decision to see was based solely on Denzel's past collection of films, and he did not disappoint us, but we didn't know about the great supporting effort particularly from "the kid", Dakota Fanning, Christoper Walken and Giancarlo Giannini. Bravo!… Expand

Great job by Denzel Washington. He never ceases to amaze audiences. Good movie. A little slow to begin with. A little too long at nearly two and a half hours. Overall good movie. Would recommend to moviegoers whether they're Denzel fans or not.

Denzel it always good, everything else dreadful.

Implausible, ridiculous, inconsistent, but with great performances.

Tony Scott?s ?Man on Fire? is like a good Michael Bay movie, which is in fact a contradiction, which is where the movie fails. It is so overlong and edited so indecipherably jittery that one could easily mistake it for one of Bay?s pictures. Fortunately, the lead characters are so fully realized that there is actually some emotional concern at the core of the films formulaic second half. The first half of the movie, which will now be referred to as the good half, is all about building the characters and not the non-sensible plot. Creasy (Washington) is a has-been Navy SEAL, or something like that. He is hired to be the bodyguard for Pita (Fanning), the Aryan daughter of a Latino-America family in Mexico City. Pita?s parents employ him so that they can meet the requirements for better insurance. One of the requirements is that their blond little girl have a bodyguard, hence the need for the film?s good half. Pita is very friendly to Creasy, but does wants not to be her friend, only her bodyguard. But 100-year clichés will demand that he eventually lose his grip and bond with her anyhow. While her parents are on vacation, Creasy trains Pita to be a superior swimmer, military-style. This is the pivotal emotional strong point in the movie that makes the disappointing ending so fraught to accept. There is a moment in the film in which I was totally emotionally involved. It comes during the obligatory kidnapping scene. I was yelling inside, ?don?t let them get her, go back inside you dumb little girl.? And at that moment, I was completely captivated. Everything after that is by the numbers action formula stylized to migraine induction. It is all over the top, incomprehensibly flashy revenge action flick. This makes me very conflicted inside. … Expand

Outstanding music and cinemaphotography go along with a great script and acting.

Great Film. Serious film about a man dead inside finding life only to see it removed from him.

While it was predictable, Denzel shines in yet another grim, grey character who is saved!

Vile, vicious, gratuitous violence, really shameless in fact, but Denzel is powerful.

Pretty bad, overall. The first hour is boring and unnecessary, and the second hour is gruesome and gratuitous.

5 for denzel's acting...which is all this movie has going for it. plot holes and horrible ending.

Dakota did a great job and her relationship with Denzel was excellent. The rest of the movie had some good moments, but ultimately, it played out like too many other movies of this type. Perhaps it would have been better if it moved along a little faster.

I have no idea why critics are bashing this movie. Everything in this movie was great. The story, cinematography, directing, music, acting and the action. I acutally felt strong genuine emotion that hollywood movies rarely give.

I want my money back. Movies like these downplay Denzel's true character. He has so much more potential on screen than seen in this movie as a cold-blooded killer of men, women and children. I want Metacritic Movie update every Friday so I dont spend money on movies like this. The preview does not tell you enough about the movies out there, so you wind up paying for and sitting thru a movie you would not ordinarily watch. Yet the movie gets ratings in the millions. Ugh! … Expand

Wonderful score, wonderful persona. This movie although known, still drew big fat tears. I will watch it again and again.

The longest, most violent mutual funds commercial ever made.

Great action and acting, but was over stylized by the director.

(7.5) Man On Fire had excellent acting and a great amount of action. I enjoyed Dakota Fanning so much in this movie. Although, the movie was a little bit confusing but I understood it. I really liked this movie and you'll get your moneys worth.

By FAR, the best movie I've seen in a long time! A movie that makes you unable to stop smiling for 8 scenes or more, and then causes you to want to kill someone, within two and a half hours....it's awesome!

I thought this movie was well filmed and very well acted. I'm not a huge Denzel fan, in general; I find him to be very hit (Philadelphia, Courage Under Fire) or miss (John Q - ouch!, Antwone Fisher). He really pulled it off in this one ... melancholy and complicated, but not going overboard. Dakota Fanning can seriously act, too, without crossing the too-cute line. Very cool to see an acting performance from Mark Anthony, even if it was pretty mediocre. Walken can do no wrong. Very interesting, gripping cinematography. The evil guys were a little to "easy" for me, meaning there was little complexity to their characters. However, I found it enjoyable for an afternoon flick and it didn't feel while I was watching that it was longer than average.… Expand

I thought this is one of the best movies that I've seen in a long time. Denzel is outstanding in this movie, as is Dakota.

The only serious problem with this movie is that Tony Scott cannot direct. Lots of times the film goes into some demented music video mode for no reason and even during simple conversation the camera moves enough to make one dizzy. Minor issues include a plot loop hole that seems to have been there just to add another action sequence into the picture and of course the infamous script malfunctions including "Creasy's art is death and he's going to paint his masterpiece." Considering that the camera was circling around Walken for no reason when he said that line, the combination of that line and the rapid eye movement were enough to make one sick to the stomach.… Expand

Realistic third world depiction.

This film got way too high of a score. the beginning was ok but it ended up being really stupid. I really did not like all of the violence and unnecessary torture. The movie was way too long. They talked about St. Jude who was the Patron Saint of lost causes, I never knew how prophetic that was until I saw this movie spiriling downhill.

This movie was gripping, and acted out very well and was one of the better movies of 2004. Fanning was great and made the viewer love her instantly. Those who could not stomach the gore should stop viewing R-rated movies.

I loved it. Im tired of seeing so many movies where the protagonist goes soft and doesnt just go buckwild and kill the guys. This movie achieves this without going out of control, and Denzel Washington does one of his best performances ever.

Great movie for males. I like revenge and this had it in bucketloads !

This film was fantastic, with Denzel putting in the most enjoyable leads since Training Day. the violence and torture, no matter how violent it is, is causeworthy as it refelcts the characters feeling towards the kidnappers and the young girl. one of the best revenge movies ive seen and oddly, some of the coolest subtitles too. the camerawork, to me, seemed somewhat similar to Collateral, but was still watchable. a very enjoyable movie, which fully deserves a 9/10.… Expand

Denzel really carried this flic to whatever success it had. Very violent that seemed to have 2 stories going at the same time. Most people wont appreciate the quanity of truth in this film.

Very violent and angry. Freaking awesome! Almost wish this was a true story. Characters play 2nd to the emotions. Great views of DF. Scene selections are ideal. Especially ending scene in Puebla under the Volcano.

Very surprised that the critics gave such low reviews for a classic Denzel film. Saw this a couple of weeks ago for the first time, was shocked I missed this. Great plot and always nervous of what will happen next.