Colombiana

Colombiana
Movie Blurb by Shale
August 26, 2011

This was my movie pick this week and I was really surprised when I went online and found out it was thoroly panned. Only a third of the aggregate critics on Rottentomatoes liked it and only two-thirds of audiences did. It was not reviewed by The Miami Herald - apparently not being prescreened for all critics.

Here are the complaints:

"The film is undercooked as a script, but Zoe Saldana commits to it with such ferocity that she makes it feel like everything matters, even when the script doesn't lay out a case for what that is." - Drew McWeeny, HitFix

"Columbiana is stupid, listless and too shy to be any fun. When you fail to make a well-armed, underwear-clad Zoe Saldana interesting, it seems almost intentional." - Neil Miller, Film School Rejects

OK, enuf of the negative. Here's from someone who liked the film:

"The best way to describe the action packed film 'Colombiana' is to say that it's mindless, unpretentious, very stylized, and entertaining." - Wilson Morales, BlackFilm . com

That's what I say - it is what it is.

First off, let's thank the stupid drug laws in the U.S. for giving us our realistic story of vicious drug cartel infighting. Just yesterday drug cartel terrorists killed 52 ppl in a casino in Monterrey Mexico. (Please, we can discuss stupid prohibition philosophy in another thread).

But that is the setting of Colombiana, when young Cataleya (10-year-old Amandla Stenberg) witnesses her parents killed in Bogota.

Cataleya Given Survival Tips by Her Father


She escapes and makes it to the U.S. where she is taken in by her Tio Emilio (Cliff Curtis) who is a pretty mean character himself. Cataleya wants him to train her be a killer and 15 years later we see the results of that as she carries out mission impossible style hits for her uncle.



However, Cataleya is secretly trying to find the ppl who killed her parents, Don Luis (Beto Benites) and his second Marco (Jordi Mollà) whom a sleaze in the CIA has conveniently brot to the U.S.

Welcome to America


This movie is all action, with Saldana as the Jason Bourne, over-the-top, unstoppable adversary coming to get those who wronged her. Besides all the explosions and gun battles there is one great mano-a-mano between Cataleya and Marco in a bathroom.

Add me to the two out of three ppl who liked this movie. And Zoey Saldana is one sweet looking cold killer.

 

it was alright, nothing special

 

I wanna see this movie so bad probably next week i'll go

 

I'll check it out. I often find myself liking films that get mediocre reviews more than ones that get raving ones.

I rarely find myself in agreement with rotten tomatoes either. usually about 30% out on average I find.

The Bourne movies were what they were, although I have only seen the first too. Over the top but well made. I don't rate Matt Damen that highly but he pulled it off quite well in those films, owing largely to the director who knows his genre.

A good director can do anything with a bad actor, same as bad directors often can make perfectly good actors look like amateurs.

Thanks for the recommendation(s) :2thumbsup:

 

That's so true, i figured that out from experience, when I had to work with horrible actors/actress

 

I just worked it out from watching a variety of films from all ends of the spectrum, and talking to myself all day.

 

Colombiana was a good movie overall I liked it.

 

I thought it was a pretty decent movie...

I also most of the time don't like highly rated movies either.

 

I was disappointed in this movie.. boring.. the main character was boring.. the story was lame and predictable.. nothing about this movie amused me honestly.. that critic was right in matching up high power with a very hot actress should be exciting.. she was more like watching paint dry

 

It was an aright movie nothing special