Because Denzel Washington cast such a strong shadow as John Creasy in the 2004 remake of the 1987 film “Man on Fire,” based on A.J. Quinnell’s bestselling book, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has his work carved out for him with hardcore movie lovers in his new Netflix series. It’s a gutsy move for sure, but, if anyone can pull it off, it might just be Abdul-Mateen.
At the top of the year, Abdul-Mateen, who first got noticed as Cadillac in the Netflix hip-hop origins miniseries “The Get Down” a decade ago, and who won an Emmy in 2020 as Doctor Manhattan in Damon Lindelof’s “Watchmen” on HBO centering the Tulsa Race Massacre, scored big leading the Marvel Disney+ series “Wonder Man” praised by both critics and fans. If the weight of shifting a Marvel Comics character wasn’t daunting enough, Abdul-Mateen had to hold his own alongside acclaimed legend Sir Ben Kingsley. Several narrative tweaks loosen the pressure, allowing room for Abdul-Mateen, who also takes on his first executive producer credit, to put his own stamp on “Man on Fire.”
Just as Washington’s Creasy got to play in Mexico, a different country than Scott Glenn’s Italy, so does Abdul-Mateen. His “Man on Fire” playground is in Brazil, with Rio de Janeiro adding more heat and a lot more color. Abdul-Mateen’s Creasy does follow Washington’s brooding self-destructive blueprint but has seven episodes to finetune his portrayal.
Unlike the first two films, Abdul-Mateen’s Creasy inherits the job of looking after Billie Boullet’s Poe Rayburn. But Poe is a teenager who theoretically has far more agency than Dakota Fanning’s 9, 10-year-old, which doesn’t quite hit with a similar impact. Also her dad Paul (Bobby Cannavale), who bonded with Creasy in the trenches, brings him to Brazil to help him after his suicidal attempts fail. He had no idea how big a role Creasy would end up playing in Poe’s life. When we first meet Poe, she’s upset about being in Brazil instead of the United States. She realizes too late, however, that it’s family that makes any country home.
As Poe and Creasy get mired in a trail of violence with no idea of who or what is after them, Creasy is forced to ignore his depression and social anxiety and re-engage all his intelligence and mercenary skills to keep them both safe. In a country not his own, he needs allies but isn’t sure who to trust. Fortunately, Paul paired him with the resourceful driver Valeria, played by beloved “Queen of the South” star Alice Braga in her native land. Thanks to Valeria, the favelas come into play and so do a new cast of characters, including her teenage daughter Marina (Pamela Germano), along with new obstacles.
In the favelas, we meet the bookish Livro (Jefferson Baptista) who hits it off with Poe but isn’t cut out for the rough life his brother leads and may be incapable of protecting her. Gang member Vico (Iago Xavier) painfully points that out to Livro and everyone else. As the story rolls on, Vico proves that he might be more than his rough exterior suggests. Meanwhile Creasy’s agency connect Henry Tappan (Scoot McNairy), with whom he and Poe’s dad once worked, is dangerous in ways Creasy doesn’t expect.
Showrunner Kyle Killen, whose previous credits include “Halo” and “Lone Star,” created this action-packed TV adaptation with twists and turns that keep a lot of the action tense. While the seven-episode show wasn’t fully filmed in Brazil, the electricity of the country, as well as the historic political unease, supercharge it, especially in the show’s second half. By helming the first two episodes, “Creed II” and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” director Steven Caple Jr., who serves as executive producer along with Killen and Abdul-Mateen, sets the series’ look and pace, making the TV show largely as bold and edgy as any film. Netflix put the money in and it shows.
But all is not perfect with Abdul-Mateen’s “Man on Fire.” Little things like him making an effort to disguise himself, but leaving Poe, who is the real target, too exposed don’t sit well. Her clueless or sulking teenager posture in times of such extreme danger isn’t endearing either. Unfortunately, Boullet’s Poe isn’t as impactful at softening Creasy or the audience for that matter as Fanning’s Pita. Obligation, not any inherent need to protect Poe, seems to drive Creasy with her. Valeria, on the other hand, seems to relax him by having his back, especially when it’s time to turn up and fight the bad guys. Some of Creasy’s actions, especially with one young boy, get so uncomfortable that they dangerously toggle the line.
Because Creasy typically gives way better than he takes in his clashes with the bad guys, the audience has more to root for. His bold prison move is most certainly a crowd-pleaser. Abdul-Mateen’s Creasy can get wooden at times and, thus, won’t clear Denzel Washington’s high bar with those familiar with the 2004 IP. But there’s no denying he’s put in the work to earn respect in his own right, especially with newcomers. And, in the end, that’s why Abdul-Mateen wins here too.
“Man on Fire” is now streaming on Netflix.
The post ‘Man on Fire’ Review’: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Is a Worthy Action Star in Netflix’s Gutsy TV Adaptation appeared first on TheWrap.
