Man on Fire (2004)
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A despondent former operative must embark on a violent quest for revenge after the young girl in his care is kidnapped in Mexico City.
The story
In 2003, former Force Recon Marine and CIA officer John Creasy travels to Mexico to work as a bodyguard for the young daughter of a wealthy businessman, Lupita "Pita" Ramos. Struggling with alcoholism and a haunted past, Creasy finds a new purpose in protecting the girl. However, during a routine outing, he realizes Pita is about to be kidnapped. Creasy engages the attackers and manages to fight them off, but he is severely injured and the girl is taken. As he becomes a suspect in the eyes of the law, he must navigate a web of corruption to find her.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a failed suicide attempt, John Creasy takes a job as a bodyguard for Lupita "Pita" Ramos. When she is kidnapped by a group led by the mysterious "Voice," Creasy is left injured and hunted by both the kidnappers and corrupt officials. He eventually discovers that the kidnapping was orchestrated by the girl's father, Samuel Ramos, and his lawyer, Jordan Kalfus, to claim insurance money. However, a botched ransom exchange led by a corrupt officer, Victor Fuentes, caused the plan to collapse. Creasy embarks on a violent rampage to dismantle the criminal organization known as "La Hermandad." He eventually confronts the truth about the father's involvement, leading to a tragic conclusion where the father takes his own life. Creasy eventually locates the kidnappers, identifies the mastermind Daniel Sanchez, and manages to secure Pita's safety before being fatally wounded during the final confrontation.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 146
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English; Spanish
- Directors
- Tony Scott
- Writers
- Brian Helgeland · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Denzel Washington · John W. Creasy; Dakota Fanning · Lupita "Pita" Ramos; Marc Anthony · Samuel Ramos; Radha Mitchell · Lisa Ramos; Christopher Walken · Paul Rayburn; Giancarlo Giannini · Miguel Manzano; Mickey Rourke · Jordan Kalfus; Rachel Ticotin · Mariana Garcia Guerrero
- Genres
- action; thriller; drama
- Themes
- redemption; revenge; fatherhood; corruption
- Tone and mood
- grim; violent
- Setting
- Mexico City, 2003
- Premise and plot tags
- action; thriller; bodyguard; kidnapping; vigilante
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1980 novel by A. J. Quinnell
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received polarized reviews from critics, but grossed $130.3 million worldwide against a production budget of $60–70 million.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 39% · scale: percentage · review count: 166; Metacritic · score: 47 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- Critics' Choice Movie Award · nomination · nomination; Young Artist Award · nomination · nomination; NAACP Image Awards · Outstanding Motion Picture · 36th · nomination; NAACP Image Awards · Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Washington) · 36th · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's setting was changed from Naples, Italy, to Mexico City to reflect a higher kidnapping rate.; The kidnappers were inspired by the real-life 'Ear Lopper brothers'.; The film features music by Nine Inch Nails.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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