2011
M
Contains violence and offensive language.
Vengeance is beautiful.
After watching Bogota gangsters slay her parents in cold blood, young Cataleya Restrepo dedicates her life to becoming a ruthless assassin, working on assignment but always on the hunt for the criminals who killed her family.
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Reviewer: Aaron Yap
Date Added: 29 Jan 2012
Aaron's Rating:3.0
Colombiana is fundamentally another Luc Besson joint combining two of his trademarks: the ass-kicking ladies he loves, clearly evident in the films he’s directed (Le Femme Nikita, Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element) and the slick, compact action films he produces on the side (Taken, Taxi and The Transporter films). A take-no-prisoners B-revenge flick taking place in no discernible reality of our own - therefore distinctly Besson-esque - the film functions mostly as a vehicle for Avatar’s Zoe Saldana, whose Catwoman-like slinkiness and Jolie-esque athleticism prove to be physical attributes that make her watchable, even if her character isn’t particularly fresh nor deep. The opening scene with the young Cataleya is probably the best, mainly because what happens is sort of unexpected, but it’s followed by a couple of other fine set-pieces (including an elaborate police station-set hit that could be described as Mission: Impossible-lite) before the action grows more generic in the second half. Colombiana doesn’t break any new ground, but it’s a decent time-killer that’ll do until Taken 2 comes around.