Man on Fire

Saw Man on Fire, a film where a disgraced Denzel Washington is assigned to be the bodyguard of this adorable little Dakota Fanning in Mexico City where there is a kidnapping happening almost continuously in this hell-city.

Denzel is washed up and drinking a lot but Dakota smiles and grins and giggles her way into his heart and so, like, of course, she gets the shit kidnapped out of her just as Danzel is starting to come out of his funk.  Now, Mexico City has a police force, I suppose, but they are evidently as nothing compared to one angry Denzel Washington, so he goes all Taken on the kidnapping cartel and does more to dismantle them in a few days than any wimpy little law and order type could do in a year!

This film is pretty silly.  It's a solid action flick but, like a lot of action flicks, has a worrying love for violence as a means to an end and a semi-worship of vigilantism.  Of course I want to see Denzel get revenge on these kidnappers, but he's too effective.  If only we'd let the cops cut off a few fingers, then we'd really see some results on crime, the film seems to say.

It's also filmed in this very early-2000s way, like a reality TV show intro, full of overexposure and underexposure, the handheld camera wobbling around like the cameraman can barely control it.  It's very dated by now and very distracting.

I did enjoy the movie.  It's a solid action flick, and well made.  I can't criticize the acting or direction, but it has thematic flaws.  It's based on an Italian movie of the same name, maybe I'd like that one better?