BEFORE: This is the 2nd of 5 Denzel Washington films planned for this week - and it should also lead me nicely in to my next category.
THE PLOT: In Mexico City, a former assassin swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
AFTER: This is also known as the film where Dakota Fanning was still a kid, but talked like an adult. Well, it should be anyway. I have a new affinity for how hard it is to write believable-sounding dialogue.
Still this was a pretty powerful and violent thriller as the main character methodically worked his way up the Mexican crime chain, like a version of the Punisher. We're led to believe that the character can be a professional assassin, and be versed in all manner of torture and interrogation techniques, yet still be able to compartmentalize his lifestyle so that he can work as a bodyguard for a 10-year-old. I suppose it's possible.
It's important to note that this film preceded "Taken" - because it's the same concept. A man with a particular set of skills sets about to take revenge on a system of kidnappers. I probably don't pay enough attention to directors, but I did note that this film's director, Tony Scott, has popped up a lot on the countdown lately - he also directed "The Fan" and "Days of Thunder", and tomorrow night's film as well. He's worked a few times with Denzel - directed "Deja Vu", "Crimson Tide" and "The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3" and tomorrow night's film as well.
NITPICK POINT: A character knows a car's license plate, except for the last digit. He states that there are "10 possibilities" for the missing digit - but really, there should be 36 possibilities, if you figure that what's missing could either be a letter or a number. If he'd known for sure it was a number, he'd probably also know which one.
A couple of regrets tonight - first off, that the title was misleading, though I suppose two hours of watching a man on fire would probably not be as entertaining as one might think. Secondly, I didn't realize when I set the schedule that this took place in Mexico. In about 2 months I'm starting my virtual world tour, and I could have easily used this as a stop on the itinerary, along with other Mexico-based films like "Touch of Evil" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". Oh, well.
Also starring Dakota Fanning (last seen in "Push"), Christopher Walken (last seen in "Kangaroo Jack"), Marc Anthony (last seen in "Carlito's Way"), Radha Mitchell (last seen in "Phone Booth"), Rachel Ticotin, Giancarlo Giannini, with a cameo from Mickey Rourke (last seen in "Iron Man 2")
RATING: 7 out of 10 taped-up fingers
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