Fiery flick redundant but entertaining

Tony Scott's "Man on Fire" is the kind of movie you've probably already seen somewhere along the line. It's about a man who, because of some personal and emotional attachment, turns into a vigilante when that attachment is harshly severed. He goes after the bad guys, it's predictable but we cheer him on so when credits roll, we've met our revenge quota for the month. \nOpen and shut, right? Well, not so much. You may have seen this kind of movie before, but nothing like this. "Man on Fire" might be too cliché if it wasn't a guilty pleasure waiting to be confessed.\nThe vigilante here is played by Denzel Washington, who has been good in almost everything he's done since 1987, even if the particular movie is not. His John Creasy is a Bible-quoting alcoholic, a wash-up and an ex-CIA specialist (all in one!), and is now working as a bodyguard in Mexico City. \nHe's been brought on because of a string of kidnappings, and his protect-ee is a button-cute, nine-year-old girl played by Dakota Fanning. When she herself is abducted, Creasy becomes the titled man on fire.\n"His art is death, and he's about to paint his masterpiece," says Creasy's buddy Rayburn (played by Christopher Walken, who this critic always welcomes into any movie). \nThe film has, well, a look which is hard to describe but pleasant to watch. Most of Scott's films (like "Spy Game") have compelling visual elements and dazzling cinematography. The camera is often hand-held and shaky, almost paranoid and Mexico City is filtered through as grainy and dirty. The soundtrack is startlingly appropriate and easily catches the film's mood. It all might not work in any other movie, but here, it's almost like an extension of the plot.\nReliable screenwriter Brian Helgeland penned a script which unfolds slowly, and at times drags a bit too much. At nearly two-and-a-half hours, it could have been told in a little under two. I imagine much will be said about the film's sudden right-angle turn at the midpoint, when with the utterance of a simple line -- "I'm going to kill them" -- the film goes from bonding to bloodshed. (Hey, I think it still works.)\nThere's a great guardian-chemistry between Washington and Fanning, who both give strong performances here. Scott, as usual, is able to intrigue his viewers with his visual presentation. It all makes "Man on Fire" the kind of film you might have already seen, but can't do wrong seeing again.