MAN ON FIRE
Year: 2004
USA & UK: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Giannini, Rachel Ticotin, Jesus Ochoa, Mickey Rourke, Angelina Pelaez, Gustavo Sanchez Parra, Gero Camilo, Rosa Maria Hernandez, Heriberto Del Castillo, Mario Zaragoza, Javier Torres Zaragoza, Itzel Navarro Vazquez, Esteban De La Trinidad, Charles Paraventi, Carmen Salinas, Rodrigo Zurita, Marizol Cal Y Mayor, Hector Hernandez Zertuche, Rene Campero, Angelica Rosado, Norma Pablo, Georgina Gonzalez, Abraham Sandoval, Itati Cantoral, Jorge Zarate, Hugo Pelaez, Alejandro Camps, Jorge Almada, Carlos Barada, Eduardo Yanez, Jose De Jesus Hernandez, Takanori Takena, Jorge Yu Lee, Ryoji Ishiguro, Ryoirchiro Yoshida, Roberto Kwok, Jorge Victoria, Ariane Pellicer, Stacy Perskie, Adrian Grunberg, Raul Zermeno, Jorge Merlo, Jorge Picont, Steve Gonzalez, Alberto Pineda, Jesus Gonzalez, Rodrigo Chavez, Fernando Arvizu, Ghalil Elhateb Estrada, Afi Alberto Estrella, Gerardo Taracena, Hugo Genesio, Gonzalo Alvarez, Fernando Moya, Nydia A. Trujillo, Maria Hall Rueda, Andres Pardave, Elvira Richards, Valentina Garcia Contreras, Enrique Cimet, Sparkle, Dunia Alvarez, Afi Beatriz Pina, Hector Tagle, Jose Montini, Jose Jesus Garcia, Guadalupe Flores Garcia, Daniela Martinez, Ruben Santana, Fernando Berzosa, Eduardo Rivera, Ofelia Aguirre, Rossana Fuentes, Victor De Pascual, Norma Martinez, Aram Cardenas, Jorge Guerrero, Enrique Gonzalez, Rafael Gaucin, Manuel Poncelis, Arturo Farfan
Director: Tony Scott
Countries: USA / Mexico
UK: 146 mins
USA Rated: R for language and strong violence
UK Certificate: 18 contains strong violence
USA Release Date: 23 April 2004
UK Release Date: 8 October 2004
Synopsis
A wave of kidnappings has swept through Mexico, feeding a growing sense of panic among its wealthier citizens, especially parents. In one six-day period, there were 24 abductions, leading many to hire bodyguards for their children.
Into this world enters John Creasy (Denzel Washington), a burned-out ex-CIA operative/assassin who has given up on life. Creasy's friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken) brings him to Mexico City to be a bodyguard to nine-year-old Pita Ramos (Dakota Fanning), daughter of industrialist Samuel Ramos (MARC ANTHONY) and his wife Lisa (Radha Mitchell). Creasy is not interested in being a bodyguard, especially to a youngster, but for lack of something better to do, he accepts the assignment.
Creasy barely tolerates the precocious child and her pestering questions about him and his life. But slowly, she chips away at his seemingly impenetrable exterior, his defenses drop, and he opens up to her.
Creasy's new-found purpose in life is shattered when Pita is kidnapped. Despite being mortally wounded during the kidnapping, Creasy is "a man on fire," as he vows to kill anyone involved in or profiting from the kidnapping. And no one can stop him.
The start of production in Mexico City for MAN ON FIRE marked the culmination of a 20-year odyssey by director Tony Scott and Regency Enterprises to bring the project to the screen. Regency owner and founder Arnon Milchan purchased motion picture rights to the 1980 novel 'Man on Fire' by A.J. Quinnell (a pseudonym - to this day, the author's name remains unknown to the public). The story's protagonist, CIA counter-terrorist John Creasy, appeared in three subsequent Quinnell thrillers: The Perfect Kill, The Blue Ring and Message from Hell. Produced by Arnon Milchan, Tony Scott and Lucas Foster, the screenplay is by Brian Helgeland.