Kyle Killen, who brought the video game Halo to life for Paramount+, is back with his latest series adapting the A.J. Quinnell novel “The Perfect Kill” for Netflix called Man on Fire. This isn’t the first adaptation brought to life, as Denzel Washington starred as John Creasy in the 2004 movie with the same name. Fresh off his highly reviewed Wonder Man, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is taking on the role of John Creasy in the series.
What is Man on Fire about?
John Creasy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a top-tier special forces mercenary who does the job that is asked of him. However, after an explosive op that goes south is blamed on him, he struggles to overcome his past as he suffers from PTSD. His friend Paul (Bobby Cannavale) attempts to get him back on track, but things go south quickly, leading to John having to use his old patterns to get the answers he is looking for.
Man on Fire Review
John Creasy is on a mission, like he has been plenty of times before. However, this mission seems a little off as things quickly turn upside down. This leads to Creasy’s entire team ending up dead and Creasy in the hospital. The entire incident left him unsure of what unfolded and with not a lot of recollection either. Enter John’s friend, Paul, who helps him get back on his feet. John and Paul meet with a potential client, and we realize John isn’t the badass he once was.
Although the meeting didn’t go great, Paul puts his name on the line and gets him the job regardless. While waiting for his next moves, John starts to relapse with his memory, and it leads to him finding himself in unforeseen circumstances. One thing leads to another, and we witness a moment where an explosion blows up an entire building, which also kills Paul. With his back against the wall and wanting to protect Paul’s daughter, Poe, he fights for answers and their safety.
On the surface, Man on Fire is a basic run-of-the-mill action series that doesn’t care much about the plot. You have your standard setup followed by the super secret bad guy who just so happens to work for the good guys pulling the strings, and our hero having to uncover it all. It’s severely underwhelming at every turn. Even the “twists” are predictable.
Factor that in with it being EIGHT, yes, EIGHT episodes. You know how it will all play out in the first episode or two and are reminded early on when you click next that there are “six episodes” left. The pacing is so bad that the finish rate on this series, I will only assume, will be low. This could’ve been a movie. Oh wait, that already happened.
Now, onto the only thing that made this series worth watching. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s year is off to a roaring start with his incredible work in Marvel’s Wonder Man. I also thought he was quite remarkable as John Creasy. Not much is asked of him that we haven’t seen from him in the past, but one thing it did solidify is I wouldn’t mind seeing Abdul-Mateen II as James Bond. Of course, that fan base probably couldn’t handle such a thing, but I would love it. As for him as Creasy, he plays a heroic man on a mission to save a girl and rectify the wrongdoings of the villains. He does it perfectly.
As I mentioned, the writers might’ve struggled with the pacing, but one thing they did get right was the action sequences and set pieces. Man, do I love great fight sequences. What I loved even more was the early stages as Creasy was trying to get his groove back, we watched him just get absolutely obliterated. Far too often we watch the main character just go out, kick ass, and take names. Again, great work by the stunt team and coordinators for making the fighting look so authentic.
Is Man on Fire worth watching?
Man of Fire is an action-packed yet flawed series that leaves you wanting more. I thought the creative team did a lot right within the series when it comes down to the action, set pieces, and the casting of Abdul-Mateen II, but it falls short of an undercooked script that is quite forgettable. The pacing is incredibly off, leading me to think this would’ve worked better as a film. This plays well as a no-nonsense action series if you don’t mind a lackluster plot surrounding it.
All eight episodes of Man on Fire are streaming on Netflix.
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