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The TV reboot of Denzel Washington’s noughties action thriller Man on Fire has been doing the business over on Netflix.
The seven-parter of the newly recast and refashioned Man on Fire racked up 11million views in its first four days on the streamer, having flown up the top 10 TV chart.
Both the TV show and film are based on A.J. Quinnell’s 1980 novel of the same name. The show has swapped out Washington’s fearsome bodyguard John Creasy for The Watchmen’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen ll.
When we find the special forces soldier John in this new seven-parter, he’s washed up and struggling with civilian life.
Amidst battles with post-traumatic stress from one mission that went epically wrong (this might be starting to sound familiar…), he’s roped in for one big gig.
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Christopher Walken’s character from the original film is played by Bobby Cannavale. He’s John’s former superior, who steps in with the offer of a new job in Rio de Janeiro.
John is thus hired to protect the 16-year-old daughter of a wealthy Italian family (in the film, she was played by Dakota Fanning; here, it’s Billie Boullet) after her nearest and dearest were tragically killed by the bad guys.
This Brazil job unlocks a part of John’s past that he’s still internally battling with. He is indeed a man on fire, with the burning desire for revenge, as well as a prime position in the firing line. The fire metaphors abound.
Essentially, he sets off on a mission that takes him to the Rio favelas and sees him assemble a gang of fellow mavericks in this action thriller.
Does Man on Fire sound like one for you?
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Definitely, I loved the film
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I’ll pass
The show has so far been met with encouraging reviews, all of which praise Abdul-Mateen’s performance as the man mountain that is John. So far, the show has amassed a 62 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Given that the original film holds a 39 per cent critical reception rating, there was certainly room for improvement, despite its popularity with fans.
Earning a 10/10 score from ScreenRant, their review read: ‘It’s rare for a story with such a brutal and violent edge to have such a heartfelt message at the core.
‘The Netflix show is truly something special. Ultimately, this deeper level makes Netflix’s Man on Fire a must-watch.’
Meanwhile, Variety wrote of the show: ‘The cast is sound, and the narrative is just as solid as any other in the genre.
‘Yet, because the series never deviates from what is expected, it never rises to the level of being distinct or exceptional. However, for those just looking for a typical Netflix binge, the show works just fine.’
The write-up in The Guardian said Man on Fire includes scenes that will make viewers ‘wince, flinch and clench’, which is…intriguing.
You can be the judge yourself now that all seven episodes await.
A version of this article was first published on April 30.
Man on Fire is available to stream on Netflix.
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