Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Man on Fire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 2, 2016

A 1980 novel by Philip Nicholson, “Man on Fire” has inspired three cinematic adaptations, the most financially successful being a 2004 Tony Scott film starring Denzel Washington. However, it’s the first attempt that’s perhaps the most interesting, with 1987’s “Man on Fire” attempting to turn a heartwarming tale of an unlikely friendship into the action event of the year. Director Elie Chouraqui doesn’t possess the same visual ambition as Scott, keeping matters relatively straightforward for this endeavor, which strives to be more about characterization than orgasmic explosions of violence. Scott Glenn takes on the titular role, and while he’s a credible avenging force, he’s trapped in a picture that doesn’t always know what it wants to be, trying to keep up with the helmer’s often hazy concept of suspense. “Man on Fire” is the most tasteful of the adaptations, and it’s certainly eventful. It’s the overall thrust of urgency that’s lacking from the feature, which spends more time with setup than it does with payoff, forcing viewers to retain the utmost patience with the production as it struggles to prioritize escalation.

Creasy (Scott Glenn) is a burned-out ex-CIA agent trying to figure out a future for himself. Set up with a bodyguard job by his former partner, David (Joe Pesci), Creasy travels to Italy to protect Sam (Jade Malle), the daughter of Ettore (Paul Shenar) and Jane (Brooke Adams), from the rise in mafia violence, with kidnappings common. Sam is a curious child who takes an immediate interest in Creasy and his wounded soul, trying to get him to open up about his history as a soldier. At first refusing the child’s attention, Creasy soon develops a bond with his charge, giving her the parental interest she doesn’t have with her mother and father, who rely on the bodyguard to babysit. With their connection strengthened by confessional time together and mutual support, it’s put to the ultimate test when Sam is violently taken by one of the local crime syndicates, led by Conti (Danny Aiello), who wounds Creasy during the assault. Rebuilding his strength and refilling his arsenal with help from David, Creasy suits up for war, hitting the streets to pick up Sam’s scent, embarking on a violent revenge plan that’s designed to pick off Conti’s stooges one at a time.

“Man on Fire” tries to disrupt expectations with an opening scene that spotlights Creasy as a dead man in a clear body bag, recently murdered by his enemies, which inexplicably makes headline news in the area. In a “Sunset Boulevard”-style creative choice, Creasy seemingly narrates the picture from beyond the grave, using a level of psychological clarity only death provides to help retrace his steps, flashing back to a time before Sam, when he was a lost soul searching for purpose, ultimately finding it with a protection job he doesn’t want. Creasy is a familiar character, haunted by PTSD issues planted during his time on a battlefield, living a shell-shocked experience that worries David, who’s also dealing with his own levels of disturbed behavior, which peak during a wedding, where he becomes nearly psychotic during a casual rendition of “Johnny B. Goode” on an acoustic guitar (the film is almost worth a viewing just for this wacko moment).

Creasy and Sam are an odd pairing before warmth melts the ice between them. She’s a mature 12-year-old girl with an interest in track events at school. He’s a gruff older man who gave up on the world a long time ago. And yet, they grow close, teasing a distant (and innocent) romantic relationship as Sam tends to be possessive of Creasy’s attention, urging him to become more of a partner than a protector. The bulk of the film spotlights this increasingly tender relationship, watching Creasy become the child’s entire world, supporting and challenging her, which strengthens his professional mission to protect her. Glenn is actually very nice in these scenes, enjoying the chance to strip away a gruff exterior and play more of a paternal role, allowing him to cover a range of emotions, opening the character up to more than just a routine of aggressive instincts. It’s not a perfect performance, often handcuffed by the director’s quest for simplicity, but Glenn is appealing, helping “Man on Fire” acquire a minute amount of depth.

Once the kidnapping occurs, “Man on Fire” weirdly gets smaller, trading intimacy between Creasy and Sam for bland mob detours that try to turn Conti into a major character, but there just isn’t enough urgency to the stealing of Sam, which plays out as routinely as possible, setting up Creasy for an adventure into rage that takes him to the usual suspects, including one brute discovered and dispatched inside a gay porn theater, with Creasy going undercover as a patron. There’s no chase to “Man on Fire,” and the story doesn’t do enough with Sam’s plight, eventually losing track of her side of the story to focus on Creasy’s pro-gun stance, hoping to take out Italian trash and save the girl.

Man on Fire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billed as a "2K Restoration," the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation is immediately under attack by boosted brightness levels. Blacks are hit fairly hard during the viewing experience, turning them milky, while diluting delineation, making frame information periodically difficult to see. Detail isn't perfect, but close-ups tend to be represented the best, giving Glenn's thousand yard stare some needed texture. Colors aren't remarkable, but they serve their purpose, maintaining greenery and urban adventures, while skintones are natural. Mild amounts of judder are detected, and the source offers speckling and a few scratches.

Man on Fire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is more of a blunt instrument, with large portions of the film looped for maximum clarity in difficult sound environments. Dialogue is pronounced and easy to follow, though it often lacks a natural sound, keeping the overall mix on a thin side. Music sounds better, with healthy instrumentation and dramatic emphasis, securing emotional moods. Sound effects are crisp and snappy, with the picture's descent into shootouts preserving loud gunfire and car crashes. Atmospherics are acceptable, capturing lively city activity and more serene country encounters.

Man on Fire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Man on Fire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Scott bathed his "Man on Fire" in excess, from run time to extreme violence, making for a thoroughly unpleasant viewing experience. Chouraqui's take on the material is less about suffering, making it instantly more approachable. However, it's easy to imagine an ideal version of the story that arrives somewhere between the extremes, giving "Man on Fire" its due with thoughtful direction and a proper management of thrills and tone, which is missing from both efforts.