When a film and book series are as good as the ones this new television series is based on, it’s always going to be an uphill battle for the series to perform well. Audiences are coming in with their preconceived notions and all the things they loved about the original IP, and it’s hard to live up to those memories. So the fact that this series is performing as well as it is, earning the #2 spot on the Netflix Top 10 Most Watched list, is no small feat.
No one necessarily asked for a Man on Fire revival, with the original movie still remembered as one of the greatest emotional action films of all time, and one of Denzel Washington’s greatest performances. But despite not performing well with critics, the new Netflix series of the same name is racking up viewership, easily climbing the charts. And while the critics have rated the series 55%, which stars powerhouse Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and centers on a Special Forces veteran named John Creasy as he fights to keep a teenage girl alive on the deadly streets of Rio de Janeiro after a terrorist attack killed her family, general audiences have been more charitable, rating it 73%.
Was a New Man on Fire Necessary?
Seemingly not. But the internet’s consensus is that it’s bingeable, with easy-to-follow action that is just captivating enough to hold your attention despite having very little in common with either the book series or the movie—a point of contention for fans of the originals. “The show has almost zero in common with the book so far, I’m on episode 3, so unless the entire plot changes, it’s Man on Fire in name only. I’m liking the show so far, but this is classic streaming ‘buy an IP, but I think my idea is better, so I’m going to make my own story with the name of the IP on it.’ It’s got the name Creasy in it, that’s kind of it,” said one viewer on Reddit.
While Manteen is capable of filling the shoes left behind by Washington, that’s about all critics are willing to credit the series for, feeling that the entire cast is wasted on a narrative that never gave them a chance to shine. Critic Kaiya Shunyata says, “By the end, its characters never truly reach the heights these actors are so desperate to carve out of a dull script, and the action feels so lackluster that it may as well not exist at all.” Overall, while it’s pulling in numbers, it seems to be doing so out of pure curiosity about the name; Man on Fire doesn’t really have legs to stand on as far as critics and audiences are concerned.
What are your thoughts on the reboot of Man on Fire? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other TV fans are saying.
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