This movie is a good example of how pure star power can lift
a film’s fortune’s.
That Denzil Washington is one the biggest star’s in Hollywood
is demonstrated in this movie. Although director Tony Scott
does decorate the less-than-meaty plot with visual flair, the end
result is a bit disappointing.
Washington plays Creasy, a washed out Marine who lands in Mexico
City and meets up with his old friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken)
Mexico City is shown to be a hotbed of kidnappers and a good
bodyguard is priceless.
So begins Creasy his new career guarding Pita (Dakota Fanning)
daughter of Samuel (Marc Antony) and Lisa (Radha Mitchell).
Initially aloof, but slowly he and Pita bond and become quiet
attached with each other (he also becomes her swimming coach)
The one fine day she is kidnapped and Creasy is badly wounded in
the attack which also involves the local cops.
During the ransom drop, a few corrupt cops decide to hijack the
loot and the nephew of the kidnapping kingpin is killed in the
melee. Pita is killed by the kidnappers and at this point Creasy
wakes up from his hospital bed and with Rayburn’s help wants to
punish each and every individual responsible.
From here the movie moves into very violent mode what with Creasy
cutting off fingers and inserting a bomb inside a man’s
rectum.
And slowly it goes till it peters out in the end like a fire cracker
going pffft.
Denzel’s screen presence saves the film, so does some pretty good
acting by Dakota Fanning and Radha Mitchell. Walken is wasted in a
role that could have been done by anybody.
Tony Scott does a good job as far as the visual effects go but the
story lacks punch. It’s one of ’’It was good but it wasn’t that good’’
type of movies.
I saw it only for (and would recommend it only) Denzel Washington.
Worth a dekko but can be missed also