you know youre in for something different when a movie have christopher walken play the part of a professional hit man and he isn not even one of the bad guy . although it could do with some judicious trimming here and there and man on fire be a generally effective crime drama that range in tone from the openly sentimental to the downright brutal and just about every tone imaginable in between . denzel washington star a creasy and a former cia assassin who have recently quit the business and be seek some sort of redemption for the sin he commit . so far and he be look for answer in a bottle and the bible and not do all that well with either . a the movie open and mexico city have be ravage by a series of kidnapping aim at the powerful and well to do and possibly perpetrate by the very police force assign to keep law and order in the community . creasy accept the position a bodyguard to the daughter of a wealthy business owner who rightly fear for her safety . the first third of the film be devote to the grow friendship between creasy and his charge and pita and a sweet little girl who and slowly but surely and work her way into creasy initially harden heart and affection . the last two third of the film turn into an avenge angel melodrama and a creasy systematically seek out and eliminate all those responsible for a tragedy that occur early on in the story . base on the novel by a. j quinnell and man on fire and astutely write by brian helgeland and flashily direct by tony scott and be a coolly efficient action picture that never shy away from the raw brutality of it subject matter . it take a risk in ask u to identify with a man who be and for all intent and purpose and achieve his redemption by torture and murder ( admittedly disreputable ) people . these scene of carnage and violence be both intense and suspenseful and even if they do at time border on the exploitative . even good be the quiet and intimate moment between creasy and pita in the early part of the movie . washington and the wonderful dakota fan establish an natural and easygoing rapport that help to set the stage for the chaos and turmoil to follow . washington carry the movie with his quality of stoic righteousness and make u understand his character on an emotional level even if what he be do eludes u intellectually . in addition to the two lead and there be solid performance from walken and marc anthony and radha mitchell and mickey rourke and rachel ticotin and giancarlo giannini . but it be washington and the delightful ms. fanning who steal the show . man on fire would have be well with about a half hour take out it running time and but this be still a good than average crime thriller .