Man on Fire (2004 film)

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Man on Fire is a 2004 action drama film about an ex-CIA operative/assassin who takes the job as a bodyguard and takes revenge on a Mexican kidnapping gang after they kidnap the child he was hired to protect. The film was directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Giancarlo Giannini, Marc Anthony, Mickey Rourke and Christopher Walken.

The film is a remake of the 1987 film Man on Fire, and both are based on a series of books by author A. J. Quinnell, with the same name about a former Marine and Foreign Legionnaire turned mercenary. The remake was released on April 23, 2004 in the U.S. and drew $23 million USD in its opening weekend.

[edit] Plot

In Mexico City, criminal gangs are kidnapping wealthy people and their families for the lucrative ransom money. Mexican businessman Samuel Ramos, like other wealthy people, hires a bodyguard to protect his nine-year-old daughter Pita (Dakota Fanning), and on the advice of his lawyer, takes out ransom insurance. The head of an executive security firm, Paul Rayburn (Christopher Walken) suggests that Ramos hire Rayburn's old CIA buddy John Creasy (Denzel Washington).

Ramos is impressed with Creasy's resumé, which includes a variety of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism activities. However, Creasy is burned out from all the death and horror, and he has become an alcoholic to deal with the trauma. Creasy is not interested in bodyguard work and even less with the youngster, but he needs a job. Creasy's initial impatience slowly fades as he finds himself opening up to the child. He replaces her parents in their absence, giving her advice and coaching her in her swimming classes.

Shortly after delivering her to a piano audition, Creasy notices a number of suspicious vehicles driving past the building and blocking off the exits to the surrounding streets. As Pita emerges from the building, Creasy pulls his gun and kills several of the suspects. However, he is shot several times and he slips into unconsciousness, which allows the kidnappers to leave with the child.

Shortly after the kidnapping, a gang leader arranges for a dead drop of several million dollars in exchange for Pita, but the drop goes badly and the kidnappers are ambushed and the money is stolen. The gang leader notifies Pita's parents that the child is dead. After Creasy recovers from his wounds, he promises the mother that he will kill everyone involved in, or who profited from the kidnapping. Creasy kidnaps and tortures several gang members, forcing them to reveal the names of the people involved in the kidnapping ring.

With Rayburn's help, Creasy illegally procures a variety of guns, explosives, and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, which he uses to kill a number of corrupt Mexican police officers and high-ranking law enforcement officials who were involved in the kidnapping. After Creasy learns where the gang leader lives, he fights his way into the gang leader's apartment. Although Creasy is wounded in the gunfire, he gains the upper hand, and captures and tortures the gang leader's brother.

To save his brother, the gang leader admits that Pita is alive, and offers to exchange her for his brother and Creasy. Creasy agrees, and travels with Pita's mother to a remote rural area to make the exchange. After Pita runs to her mother, Creasy is hustled into a car, which speeds off. As Creasy succumbs to his gunshot wounds, he drops an emblem of St Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. An epilogue reveals that the gang leader was killed during a police raid that same day.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Soundtrack

[edit] See also

• Aanai, a Tamil remake
• Ek Ajnabee, a Hindi remake

[edit] External links

• Man on Fire Official Site
• Man on Fire (2004) at the Internet Movie Database
• Man on Fire at Box Office Mojo
• Man on Fire Script (pdf)

fr:Man on Fire (2004) it:Man on Fire - Il fuoco della vendetta lt:Degantis žmogus nl:Man on Fire ja:マイ・ボディガード pl:Człowiek w ogniu sr:У жару освете fi:Koston liekki sv:Man on Fire tr:Gazap Ateşi (film)