emlogomain.jpg

DVD Review: MAN ON FIRE Collector's Edition

Main
Facebook
Tumblr
News/ Updates
DVD Reviews
DVD Reviews 2017 to 2024
Blu-ray Reviews
2024 Blu-ray and 4K UHD Reviews
2023 Blu-ray and 4K UHD Reviews
2022 Blu-ray and 4K UHD reviews
Blu-ray Reviews 2021
Movie Reviews
Movie Reviews 2019 to 2024
TV
Interviews
Blu-ray Review: THE CROW (2024)
4K Blu-ray Review: THE AFRICAN QUEEN
4K Blu-ray Review: TWISTERS
Blu-ray Review: CUCKOO
4K Blu-ray Review: THE HITCHER (Second Sight)
4K Blu-ray Review: A BITTERSWEET LIFE
Blu-ray Review: THE FLASH the Original Series
Movie Review: THE CROW (2024)
Movie Review- ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024)
4K Review: THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS
Blu-ray Review: APOCALYPSE TETRALOGY
4K UHD Review: THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE
4K Blu-ray Review: CIVIL WAR
Blu-ray Review: IMMACULATE
Blu-ray Review: DUNE (1984) Three Disc Limited Edition
Blu-ray Review: DOCTOR WHO: THE DALEKS IN COLOR
4K Blu-ray Review: ALIENS Ultimate Collector's Edition
4K Blu-ray Review: THE ABYSS UCE
Blu-ray Review: THE MOON
Blu-ray Review: BLACK CAT 1 and 2
Blu-ray Review: FERRARI
Blu-ray Review: I.S.S.
Movie Review: DUNE PART TWO
Blu-ray Review: DIVINITY
Bluray Review: THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER
DVD Review: INTO THE ABYSS
Blu-ray Review: THE EXPENABLES 4
4K Blu-ray Review: THE CREATOR
4K Blu-ray Revew: TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A.
Blu-ray Review: FOG CITY
4K BR Review: OPPENHEIMER
Blu-ray Review: BLUE BEETLE
Movie Review: THE MARVELS
Blu-ray Review: TALK TO ME
4K Blu-ray Review: SCREAM 3 steelbook
Blu-ray Review: THE CRIMSON RIVERS 2
4K bluray review: THE BLOB 4K steelbook
Blu-ray Review: ON THE SILVER GLOBE
Blu-ray Review- BABYLON 5: THE ROAD HOME
Blu-ray Review: GOD IS A BULLET
Blu-ray Review: SKY PIRATES
Blu-ray Review: SISU
Blu-ray Review- HOLLYWOOD DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES
Movie Review: COLONIALS
4K Blu-ray Review: NIGHTBREED
Movie Review- MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- DEAD RECKONING PART ONE
Blu-ray Review: STONE COLD
Blu-ray Review: ONE RANGER
Blu-rayReview: THE FLASH
blu-ray Review: MAD HEIDI
4K Blu-ray Review: THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE
4K Blu-ray Review: DRAGONSLAYER steelbook
4K Blu-ray Review: STREETS OF FIRE
Blu-ray Review: A MAN CALLED OTTO
Blu-ray Review: THE CRIMSON RIVERS
4K Blu-ray Review: THE ITALIAN JOB (1969)
4K Blu-ray Review: EVENT HORIZON
4K Blu-ray Review: CLOVERFIELD steelbook
4K Blu-ray Review: ACCION MUTANE
4K Blu-ray Review: WINGS OF DESIRE steelbook
Blu-ray Review- DOCTOR WHO: THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN
Blu-ray Review: SAMPO
Movie Review- AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
Bluray Review: HALLOWEEN ENDS
4K Blu-ray review: HIGHLANGER Director's Cut steelbook
4K BR Review- STTMP The Complete Adventure
Blu-ray Review: MOONAGE DAYDREAM
Blu-ray Review: NO ESCAPE
Blu-ray Review: GINGER SNAPS TRILOGY
Blu-ray Review: I'M DANGEROUS TONIGHT
Blu-ray Review: THE INVITATION
Movie Review: HALLOWEEN ENDS
Movie Review: HELLRAISER (2022)
Blu-ray Review: AFTER BLUE
DVD Review: DEUS
Blu-ray Review: WOLF HOUND
Movie Review: PREY (2022)
Blu-ray Review: CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
Movie Review- THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER
Blu-ray Review: THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT
Blu-ray Review: FIRESTARTER (2022)
Movie Review- TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Movie Review- JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION
4K UHD review: LIFEFORCE
Blu-ray Review- WYRMWOOD: APOCALYPSE
Blu-ray Review: BELLE
DVD Review: THE KING'S DAUGHTER
Blu-ray review: PROJECT GEMINI
Movie Review: EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Blu-ray Review: SETTLERS
Movie Review: THE NORTHMAN
Blu-ray Review: HOUSE OF GUCCI
Blu-ray Review- GHOSTBUSTERS AFERLIFE
Blu-ray Review: LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
Blu-ray 4K Review- RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY
Movie Review- SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
Blu-ray Review: RAGING FIRE
Movie Review: THE MARIX RESURRECTIONS
4K Blu-ray Review: NO TIME TO DIE
DVD Review: THE FLOOD
Blu-ray Review: DOCTOR WHO Season 24
Blu-ray Review: CANDYMAN (2021)
Blu-ray Review- DOCTOR WHO: EVIL OF THE DALEKS (import)
Movie Review: DUNE Part One
Blu-ray review: ELVIRA'S HAUNTED HILLS
Blu-ray Review: THE COLONY (2021)
Movie Review: ETERNALS
Movie Review: NO TIME TO DIE
Movie Review: HALLOWEEN KILLS
Blu-ray Review: THE GREEN KNIGHT
Blu-ray Review: FAST VENGEANCE
4K Blu-ray Review: BLACK WIDOW
Blu-ray Review: F9 THE FAST SAGA
Blu-ray Review: DOCTOR WHO Season 8 (1971)
4K Blu-ray Review: PROSPECT
Blu-ray Review: SPARE PARTS
blu-ray Review: SIBERIA (2021)
Blu-ray Review: DOORS (2021)
Blu-ray Review: THE UNHEALER
Blu-ray Review: VOYAGERS
Blu-ray Review: TIMELINE (import)
Blu-ray review: KING KONG (1976)
4K UHD Blu-ray review: PERDITA DURANGO
Blu-ray Review: PYSCHO GOREMAN
DVD Review: SKY SHARKS
DVD Review: WILLY'S WONDERLAND
Blu-ray Review: EVENT HORIZON Collector's Edition
Blu-ray Review: SPUTNIK
Blu-ray Review: PUMP UP THE VOLUME
Blu-ray Review: MONSTER HUNTER
Blu-ray Review: SOUTHLAND TALES
Blu-ray Review: SHADOW IN THE CLOUD
Blu-ray Review: SPACEWALKER
Blu-ray review: THE IPCRESS FILE
DVD Review: STRANDED ON MARS
Blu-ray Review: TENET
DVD Review: SKYLINES
Blu-ray Review: POSSESSOR UNCUT
Blu-ray review: FLASH GORDON
Movie Review: TENET
PHOTOGRAPHY

MAN ON FIRE All Access Collector's Edition

DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 146 minutes,, two audio commentaries, Vengeance Is Mine: Reinventing Man On Fire documentary, 14 deleed scenes and alternate ending with optional commentary, Multi-Angle Scene Study: Pita's Abduction with optional director commentary, Still Photto Gallery, Music video, theatrical trailers and TV spots

STUDIO: FOX

RELEASE DATE: 5-24-2005

ANALYSIS: Twenty years ago, Tony Scott was originally slated to direct MAN ON FIRE in Italy. It was going to be his second movie, but the producers felt he wasn't right. The first adaptation of (the novel) MAN ON FIRE starred Scott Glenn as Creasy and it took place in Italy. The Scott Glenn version is a brutal noir as Creasy is out to save a 12 year old girl, Sam (Jade Malle), from the terrorists who kidnapped her. Sam and Creasy become friends in this version. Sam even has a more active role than the later version of MAN ON FIRE.

Flash forward to 2004 and Tony Scott had directed a remake of MAN ON FIRE starring Denzel Washington as Creasy assigned to protect a 9 year old girl, Pita (Dakota Fanning),in Mexico City where a person is kidnapped every sixty minutes in Latin America. Sam grows to see Creasy as a father figure where her parents are absent from her life at most times. When she is kidnapped and Creasy is injured, he goes on quest of vengeance when she is presumed to be dead (after something goes wrong at the ransom drop off). Tony Scott's MAN ON FIRE is different from the earlier version. It is a stylish character driven drama with spurts of furious action.

Comparing the two adaptations, I like the earlier adaptation better. Both versions are great, but the brutality of the earlier film pushes it ahead of Tony Scott's MTV friendly version. Both adaptations are a force to be reckoned with as they show how much a man will go to get the kidnappers. However, it makes better drama when we know Sam is still alive and I like how they show scenes between Sam and the kidnappers in addition to the video they make of her to show she is still alive. You don't see that in the Tony Scott version. There is just the voice. I hope the earlier adaptation makes it to DVD soon because it deserves to be seen as much as the new MAN ON FIRE.

VIDEO/AUDIO: MAN ON FIRE is presented in 2.40 Anamorphic Widescreen. Colors and blacks are good. Image detail isn't bad.

You can hear the movie in English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround, or English 5.1 DTS with the option of English or Spanish subtitles. No subtitle or close caption options for any of the special features. Dialogue sparkles and is clear. Sound and music add to the ambience that director Tony Scott is trying to put forward.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Disc ONE- Two audio commentaries for the movie which were on the single disc release: one by Director Tony Scott and the other one with Co-Star Dakota Fanning, Producer Lucas Foster, and Screenwriter Brian Helgeland. Both of them are easy to listen to and provide insights (and stories) on the production of MAN ON FIRE. Dakota Fanning sounds like a very smart little girl.

Disc TWO- VENGEANCE IS MINE: REINVENTING MAN ON FIRE documentary (about 72 minutes) is one of the best movie documentaries I have ever seen. I give credit to producer Charles de Laurizika for relying more on behind-the-scenes footage intercut with interviews and less on actual clips from the movie. They talk about setting the movie in Mexico City, the problems of filming on location in that city, and the multiple cameras Tony Scott uses for each scene.

Also included are 14 deleted scenes and an alternate ending (about 32 minutes in total) with optional commentary by Director Tony Scott. The alternate ending is actually better than the theatrical ending and the deleted scenes include a sexual subplot and redundant scenes.

Next is a Multi-Angle Scene Study of PITA'S ABDUCTION from script excerpt to director's storyboards to the footage of four cameras used to film the scene with optional commentary by director Tony Scott. This section is very extensive and will appeal to film buffs/film students.

Rounding out the extras are a very candid Still Photo Gallery of the production, a music video from Kinky for "Oye Como Va", and multiple trailers and TV spots for MAN ON FIRE in addition to previews for other FOX releases.

FINAL ANALYSIS: The new extras on disc two make it worth an upgrade (or a great buy for those who waited for the two disc edition) to the MAN ON FIRE All Access Collector's Edition.

this DVD Review is (c)5-16-2005 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com and look for additional content at http://www.livejournal.com/users/enterlinemedia