Colombiana

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

Really enjoyed this. I was expecting and would have been satisfied with a sexy Lara Croft/Nikkita style action flick with rubbish story and bad dialogue but I got a little more than that. Its totally unoriginal of course, a very run of the mill basic story with no twists just a straight forward B movie action flick housed under a typical Luc Besson production. But everything was pretty slick right from the word go. Zoe always looked liked a sassy star ever since I noticed her in Star Trek and here she gets show off her...um her acting skills...what? What do you think I meant, oh her body...cor yeah that too! The little girl at the beginning was pretty awesome too, action-wise at least, she didnt need to act much. Loved the whole breaking in prison operation sequence.

As for the close combat fight sequences, I understand these are actors and have no martial arts skills what so ever so film editors need fast edit cuts to give the impression that they are experts martial artists. The thing is, here they also speed up the kicks and punches more than normal which gives it a superfluous dynamic reminding me of the fight sequences in old Sean Connery Bond movies and particularly On Her Majesty Secret Service. I really dug that in the 60s films but its not quite appropriate in a modern film like this and the cuts were far too many. But still, it served its purpose to have our andrenaline going.

Surprisingly there were only a couple of very stupid moments, the stand out one being when the uncle shoots randomly in broad daylight to demonstrate the repercussions of becoming a killer and just stays there while police arrives but no one comes up to confront him and he walks casually away with his niece. WTF.

Oh, wasnt that head of investigation the same person who played the head of investigation in The next Three Days? Talk about typecasting, poor guy. I remember him in the short lived Jericho.

Almost forgettable but still as satisfying as a 5$ milk shake from Jack rabbit Slims.

7/10

[hdaniel82]

We absolutely loved this! Agree with someone above who says that ZS reminds them of Thandie Newton, me too! She is stunning :)

8/10

[stuartboy]

Mmmmmm. Loved that tight blue body suit! Lol. Still trying to figure out why she went to such pains in the jail to disguise herself and change her appearance only to change it back again when she equally had to go unseen and undetected anyway. Needn't have bothered changing into that catsuit - but so glad she did! Lol

Would have been nice to know what was on that chip she handed over....and how come in 1992 a tiny thing like that miraculously turned into a floppy disc that went into the PC?

I saw this tonight as the first part of my second double header of the week. I must get a badge or something for my effort? I have to admit that while watching a blank screen for 5 minutes in darkness in Edinburgh I was hoping it wouldn't start and I could get vouchers instead - already have tix for next week again anyway, but so glad when it did start. Well worth it. Mindless? Yes. Formulaic? Yes. Tomb Raider? Yep! Swiss cheese? Oh yes. But I liked. So there!

8/10 from me.

[marjoreemarjora]

Yes loved this film too. And thought star was like Thandie Newton too.

Loved the chase at the beginning, made me feel so unfit watching it. Good for her sticking to her guns - literally.

Left it clear for a follow up film to show what happens to her next too.

8/10 from us too

[TheDude]

This was a bit of a bore for me I'm afraid, seen-it-all-before dumb action flick. And surprise, the director also did Transporter 3, that other classic. I like Zoe Saldana but she's better than this plothole crudfest. How easy was that prison stunt! What's that strange flower, oh just wait for a random delivery guy at the police station to tell you it's a Colombian orchid. Oh and some guy just happens to send Cataleya's photo to his friend at the same police station.. And yeah, you can just shoot up the whole street and walk away in broad daylight... WTF indeed! Was there any doubt as to how it's all going to end? Not much of a nailbiting thriller, I want my bus fare back. At least Kill List made me think about different themes and ideas, Colombiana I will forget like yesterday's lotto ticket. Points for Johnny Cash over the credits... 4/10

[prettyxcool]

A formulaic action flick that has some decent fight scenes but fails to engage the audience. Saldana does quite well in playing the cold, distant assassin struggling to connect with her family and boyfriend. But I never really sympathised with her; her parents were murdered which traumatised her and she is driven for a desire for a revenge but this obsession is not explored enough. This narrow minded nature of the film meant there was no character development and the final act, when she realises the consequences of her actions, feels mismatched with the tone of the rest of the film.

A large part of the film is far fetched including the escapes and elaborately planned assassinations. As a result of this, I found it hard to take the film seriously and my mind switched off. It ended up as mindless entertainment in what is essentially a middle of the road film. Easy viewing but there is not much substance to this and skates by off some good action sequences. 6/10.

I think I agree with you funthing. It started off quite promising and then it just became so unbelievable, I got bored. It was so unoriginal. Thought I was watching Thandie Newton too. Could have been much more, but it just did not go anywhere for me. 5/10

[aruif]

i can't believe i missed mr g at the cinema tonight!! no idea what he looks like anyway so that's a bit of a pain!

i took my mum to this and we both loved it. it did remind me in parts of both leon and actually the bourne films a little bit - especially the early case through the town, why do they allways have to involve washing lines and big white sheets?

thought the little girl was brilliant!! i didn't notice the plot holes really, i was totally engrossed in the film. would watch it again.

8/10

[superhero]

Shame I missed it tonight, glad most people enjoyed it!I had to go and collect a little prize before 7pm today, so missed everything

[elski]

Would have been nice to know what was on that chip she handed over....and how come in 1992 a tiny thing like that miraculously turned into a floppy disc that went into the PC?

From the moment she stuck it in her mouth I was wondering how it would ever work even these days cards don't like being wet let alone in 1992.

Also one for the 'movie mistakes' prog on BBC3 after she'd been sick they cut to a shot from above looking at her back and the sick on the desk mysteriously disapeared for a second then reppeared in the next shot.

[Sunny Saver]

I'm sorry that I missed this last night.

Although you've given it a range of scores, they were all more than the scores for Kill List, which OH gave 1/10 and my aunty gave 0/10.