In Mexico City, a former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
Hard-drinking, burnt-out ex-CIA operative John Creasy has given up on life until he's hired as a bodyguard to protect 9-year-old Pita Ramos. Bit by bit, Creasy begins to reclaim some of his soul, but when Pita is kidnapped, Creasy's fiery rage is finally released. He will stop at nothing to exact revenge on all those who were involved or profited from Pita's abduction.—Freddie Bidwell
John Creasy is a hard drinking ex-CIA operative whose past causes him to carry a heavy conscience. Creasy reluctantly takes a job as a bodyguard to a little girl in Mexico City, Lupita Ramos. Although Creasy is burnt out, with Pita's help, he learns to live again. Just as Creasy is regaining his own well-being, Pita is taken by experienced kidnappers. He tries valiantly to fight them off, but they flee with Pita. At this point Creasy will stop at nothing to find those involved and exact justice. Creasy wages all-out war on anyone involved, learning about the corruption in the highest of places and their involvement in the kidnapping racket.—Dalton M
Slowly falling into deep depression against the backdrop of a seemingly-endless string of violent abductions in bustling Mexico City, the former U.S. Marine Corps officer and now a burnt-out heavy drinker, John Creasy, hesitantly accepts a new job as a personal bodyguard for 9-year-old Pita Ramos. Little by little, the distant, taciturn gun-for-hire will surprisingly find a new purpose in life; however, when John fails to protect the young heiress from a blood-drenched kidnapping operation, his whole world crumbles into dust. Now, a war against everyone involved in Pita's abduction is the only solution. Who can stand in the way of a man on fire?—Nick Riganas
A wave of kidnappings has swept through Mexico, feeding a growing sense of panic among its wealthier citizens, especially parents. In one six-day period, there were 24 abductions, leading many to hire bodyguards for their children. Into this world enters John Creasy, a burned-out ex-CIA operative/assassin, who has given up on life. Creasy's friend Rayburn brings him to Mexico City to be a bodyguard to 9-year-old Pita Ramos, daughter of industrialist Samuel Ramos and his wife Lisa. Creasy is not interested in being a bodyguard, especially to a youngster, but for lack of something better to do, he accepts the assignment. Creasy barely tolerates the precocious child and her pestering questions about him and his life. But slowly, she chips away at his seemingly impenetrable exterior, his defenses drop, and he opens up to her. Creasy's new-found purpose in life is shattered when Pita is kidnapped. Despite being seriously wounded during the kidnapping, he vows to kill anyone involved in or profiting from the kidnapping. And no one can stop him.—Sujit R. Varma
Former CIA SAD/SOG officer John W. Creasy (Denzel Washington) comes to Mexico to visit his old friend, Paul Rayburn (Christopher Walken), who runs a security firm in Mexico. Rayburn convinces him to take a bodyguard position, and he is offered one by Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony), Mexico City automaker. His young daughter Lupita "Pita" Ramos (Dakota Fanning) requires a bodyguard for her kidnapping insurance policy to take effect. There is one kidnapping every 60 mins in Latin America and 70% of the victims do not survive. Lisa Ramos (Radha Mitchell) is Pita's mother, and she has rejected 5 candidates already. Samuel doesn't want to overspend on a bodyguard and wants Creasy hired as he comes relatively cheap due to his drinking problem. Lisa selects Creasy as he is an American. Lisa can sense the sadness in Creasy.
Creasy is aloof and keeps Pita at a distance, even though she tries to talk to him. Creasy struggles with alcoholism, burnout, and guilt over his actions with the CIA. When trying to commit suicide, the bullet in his gun misfires. He eventually focuses more on his job, bonding with Pita. Noticing Pita, a swimmer, becomes startled by the starter gun at her swim meets, he begins to coach her. She learns to react to the starter gun, diving into the water without flinching, eventually winning a meet.
One day, while waiting for Pita outside of her piano lesson, Creasy notices a car with two men circling the area, and two Federal Police officers block the street. As Pita emerges, he yells at her to run, but she freezes. The car pulls up and the men attempt to grab Pita, but he fires his gun in the air, causing her to run away. Creasy attempts to fend off the attackers, killing three, and wounding a fourth, but is critically wounded himself (he takes multiple bullets front on). Pita runs back to him but is then abducted by the remaining kidnappers.The police arrest Creasy for killing police officers on duty and also for being involved in the kidnapping of Lupita.
While recovering from his injuries, AFI agent Miguel Manzano (Giancarlo Giannini) has Creasy relocated to a veterinarian clinic, to protect him from the corrupt police. When he regains consciousness, he is questioned by Manzano, but refuses to divulge any information. He then meets reporter Mariana Garcia Guerrero (Rachel Ticotin), who offers to help him investigate the kidnapping and expose the criminal & Police nexus.Pita's ransom drop (arranged by the Federal Police) fails when the kidnappers are ambushed by rival criminals. The kidnappers' leader, "The Voice," (Roberto Sosa) is enraged at his nephew's death during the botched drop. Holding the Ramoses responsible, he informs Pita's mother Lisa that Pita will be lost to her and Samuel forever as retribution. Creasy uses this to wage war on the kidnapping ring and police corruption responsible for Pita's apparent death.
He tracks down, interrogates, and kills the getaway driver (Pita had one day noticed a car following them and taken down its registration number. Creasy gets the number from her diary in her room), followed by middleman "Jersey Boy" (Charles Paraventi) (proprietor of the rave in Neza, who was known to the getaway driver as the Guardian. Creasy gets an ATM card from the Jersey Boy, which is given to him by the Voice, and is used to withdraw $200 per week for expenses. He also reveals that a crooked cop Fuentes stole the money at the drop), and Lt. Victor Fuentes (Jesús Ochoa) (a lieutenant in the Anti-Kidnapping Division of the Federal Judicial Police and the head of the criminal "La Hermandad" syndicate), who coordinated the drop. From Fuentes, Creasy learns most of the ransom money (out of the $10 MM, Fuentes only got $2.5 MM) had been stolen before the ambush at the drop and that Jordan Kalfus (Mickey Rourke), Samuel's lawyer who suggested kidnapping insurance, loaded the money into Samuel's drop vehicle. At Kalfus' home, Creasy discovers that he is already dead and finds a fax with bank account information leading to Samuel.Creasy gives the ATM card to Guerrero to find out who is putting money in that account.
Creasy confronts Samuel and Lisa. Samuel explains that Kalfus recommended arranging a kidnapping so he could claim the insurance payout and pay the debts his father had left him alongside a ruined auto empire (Out of $7.5 MM stolen, Jordan kept $2.5 MM and gave $5 MM to Samuel). They were promised Pita would be unharmed. When the drop went bad, Samuel blamed Kalfus for Pita's apparent death, killing him in a rage. Lisa, unaware of Samuel's involvement, angrily tells Creasy to "kill him or (she) will". He leaves Samuel a gun and the bullet he previously intended to commit suicide with. Remorseful, Samuel loads the gun and shoots himself in the head.
Creasy learns from Guerrero the ATM card he recovered earlier is linked to a man living on the edge of the city. Manzano's people, acting on Guerrero's information, infiltrate his home, finding a photo of "The Voice". Guerrero runs a story in her paper, revealing the ringleader is Daniel Sanchez. The ATM card belongs to Daniel's wife Maria Rosas Sanchez (Rosa María Hernández) at the address of Daniel's brother Aurelio (Gero Camilo).
Creasy breaks into Aurelio's, taking him prisoner, despite being shot in the chest in the process. He then calls Daniel, threatening to kill his family unless he turns himself in. However, Daniel reveals that Pita is still alive, and offers to trade her for his brother and him. Creasy agrees.Arriving at the overpass meeting place and seeing Pita, he crosses it on foot, meeting her in the middle. He says goodbye, assuring her he loves her before sending her to Lisa. Creasy and Aurelio get into Daniel's car, but he succumbs to his wounds in transit. Meanwhile, Manzano tracks Daniel down and kills him, stating in the official report that Daniel died during the arrest.
