• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, 3 hours ago

Netflix’s new limited-series thriller “Man on Fire” burns like a furnace in the third act of the first episode, and from there, it is off and running.

The seven-episode series, which starts on Netflix on Thursday, is the third filmed adaptation of the novel of the same title by A.J. Quinnell, published in 1980.

Quinnell died in 2005, so he was able to see his book adapted for two movies -- one in 1987 starring Scott Glenn in the lead role, and another in 2004 starring Denzel Washington.

The new TV series version of the book demonstrates that this intellectual property still has legs.

In the show, as in the book and the two movies, the “man on fire” is a former U.S. Special Forces operative named John Creasy (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, above photo left).

As the story opens, we meet Creasy drinking heavily, working a night shift in a warehouse and suffering from PTSD stemming from a mission he led that went horribly wrong four years earlier.

But just when he is at the most hopeless point in his life, an opportunity to rejoin the world he left behind comes via a job offer from a former colleague and friend who is now involved in private security.

With some reluctance, but little to lose, Creasy agrees to join his friend in Rio de Janeiro, where his friend (Bobby Cannavale) has relocated with his wife, teenage daughter and two young sons.

The action shifts into high gear when the teen-aged daughter (Billie Boullet) is kidnapped and the responsibility for rescuing her falls on Creasy.

Taking the lead production role on the series is producer Arnon Milchan, 81, a billionaire Hollywood veteran whose company, Regency Enterprises, has produced more than 100 A-list movies.

He evidently has a lot of faith in “Man on Fire” because Regency produced both “Man on Fire” films.

Filmed primarily in Rio de Janeiro, the “Man on Fire” TV series takes full advantage of its location -- from its posh oceanside apartment buildings to the grittier sections of town that should not be visited after dark.

In the show, the kidnapping of the girl is part of a much wider storyline about Brazilian politics and power. Clearly, Creasy has his work cut out for him. 

But in the grand tradition of our contemporary action-movie heroes -- among them Robert McCall in the “Equalizer” movies (Denzel Washington), Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) and John Wick (Keanu Reeves) -- Creasy is up for the job.

“Man on Fire” starts streaming on Thursday (April 30) on Netflix.