Man on Fire

Name: Man on Fire
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: April 23, 2004
Duration: 146 min
Rating: 47
Cast: Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Denzel Washington

2004

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 397 Ratings

See All

8.5

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.5	Your Score
8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 397 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Man On Fire

Now Playing: Man On Fire

Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: April 23, 2004 | R

Starring: Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Denzel Washington

Summary: Denzel Washington stars as a government operative/soldier of fortune who has pretty much given up on life. In Mexico City, he reluctantly agrees to take a job to protect a child (Fanning) whose parents are threatened by a wave of kidnappings. He eventually becomes close to the child and their relationship reawakens and rekindles his spirit.Denzel Washington stars as a government operative/soldier of fortune who has pretty much given up on life. In Mexico City, he reluctantly agrees to take a job to protect a child (Fanning) whose parents are threatened by a wave of kidnappings. He eventually becomes close to the child and their relationship reawakens and rekindles his spirit. When she is abducted, his fiery rage is unleashed on those he feels responsible, and he stops at nothing to save her. (20th Century Fox)… Expand

Director: Tony Scott

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 146 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Jack Mathews

Man on Fire, with a best-ever Denzel Washington, is the first (nonreligious) sure thing to hit the multiplex this year. Read full review

Rene Rodriguez

The dead-serious Man on Fire awakens a genuine sense of bloodlust in the viewer. This is a slick, big-budget, A-list production designed to stoke our basest impulses -- to make us long for, and cheer at, bloody, merciless vengeance. Read full review

Michael Wilmington

Man on Fire, which starts off as a good example of super-glitz moviemaking, gradually turns into a movie on fire -- another helter-skelter, big-studio spending spree. Too bad. It could use a lot more of Walken, Fanning and some more honest drama. Read full review

Michael Sragow

On the plus side, the casting is superb - and the acting, too. Although the context is overwrought and the moviemaking over-the-top, Washington acts from the ticker out. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Despite its high craft level and Washington's participation in it, this movie's showy violence is finally as deadening as the over-emphatic violence in these kinds of films generally is. Read full review

Pete Vonder Haar

Seriously, someone needs to stage an intervention, sit Scott down, and tell him that repeated jump cuts, slow-motion shots, and fiddling around with the exposure don’t enhance the viewing experience. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

It's dispiriting to see good actors doing smart, solid work with so much unadulterated garbage swirling around them. Scott's art is also death, and we, the audience, are the ones he's jabbing at with his ruthless paintbrush. It's about time someone told him where to stick it. Read full review

SEE ALL 36 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

ReviewGuyX

Oct 6, 2013

Another master-class movie with Denzel Washington as the movie's biggest highlight. He plays as Crease,
a skilled combatant entrusted with the task to protect a little girl; Pita. He is a force that should be feared; especially when you don't give him answers.
It's clear that mostAnother master-class movie with Denzel Washington as the movie's biggest highlight. He plays as Crease,
a skilled combatant entrusted with the task to protect a little girl; Pita. He is a force that should be feared; especially when you don't give him answers.

It's clear that most professional critics are cynical They see a man sadistically brutalising kidnappers for answers; I see a man doing the right thing. Those people were criminals. Plus, if you were smart, you would realise that not once did he take pleasure in torturing his targets. In fact, he was more hesitant in doing so. He merely took the measures that were required. If someone you cared for; Pita in this instance, was taken away by these sick bastards, would you just try to talk to them for information? Treat them nicely? Don't kid yourself, I'm sure you would result in brutality out of desperation.

In saying that, Man On Fire is an excellent movie for its dramatic depth and moral.… Expand

6 of 8 users found this helpful62

Apr 12, 2006

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 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

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Pluto744

Jun 22, 2021

●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●¡●
:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AngelH.

Jul 19, 2007

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 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

0 of 0 users found this helpful

ProfAmateur

Dec 22, 2022

A good story, well produced and on the top Denzel performs as always like a boss

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

eva3si0n

Jun 19, 2022

Man on Fire isn't a bad thriller with drama elements featuring Denzel Washington. A simple linear plot, as in most films involving Washington. The plot is read literally from the first minutes, you should not wait for any twists in the film.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Solifugae

Jun 25, 2016

This film is awful, truly terrible. It uses every cinematic gimmick known to man which only serves to make the film even worse. Plus corny, melodramatic ham acting. All these reviews gush about it because it isn't PC to be critical of a film with Washington in it. But it sucks.

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

SEE ALL 51 REVIEWS

42	#42 Most Discussed Movie of 2004
14	#14 Most Shared Movie of 2004