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ARNOLD is baack. My man Arnold Schwarzenegger (The 6th Day) is not some pansy trying to be funny or clever. He is big, bad and still the hero in this delayed release of Collateral Damage. Hollywood made the right decision in not releasing Collateral Damage, directed by Andrew Davis, until the public was ready to see terrorism from both points of view. Arnold is firefighter Gordon Brewer who takes on Columbian terrorist Claudio The Wolf Perrini (Cliff Curtis of Three Kings), who killed his wife and young son in a terrorist attack on a downtown L.A. building. The target was some other Columbian officials and CIA agent Peter Brandt (Elias Koteas of The Thin Red Line) but Arnold’s wife and son died in the explosion, which they were described as collateral damage. When Washington pulls the plug on Agent Brandt’s operation in Columbia and decides to negotiate with the guerillas, Arnold decides it is time to take action himself and Brandt decides he will return to Columbia and just kill them all. Okay you are thinking an American just doesn’t show up in Columbia and find a terrorist group, so one of his fire fighting friends gets him in touch with someone that can advise him on what to do. After Arnold arrives in Columbia the local police, the CIA and the guerrilla group are tying to nab him for their own reasons. While walking through the streets he helps a woman, Selena Perrini (Francesca Neri of Hannibal) and her son. While exchanging names the terrorist group is about to snatch him, but the police grab him first and the guerrilla group. While sitting in a Columbian prison the CIA is on their way. But hey, so is The Wolf. Enter pervert mechanic Sean Armstrong (John Turturo of O Brother, Where Art Thou?) who was arrested for lewd conduct. How convenient that this guy has the pass Arnold needs to get up the river to the guerrilla camp. When the terrorists fire explosives into the jail to free their buddies and kidnap Arnold, the fire becomes too big and they leave him. Only Arnold strangles a guy with a chain saw and begins freeing the other prisoners. Now that he is able to infiltrate the guerrilla camp, the real action begins. Arnold is just as we remember him, a kick ass kind of guy that only goes after the enemy and nothing more. Unlike other terrorist type films, Collateral Damage gives a view into the world of the terrorists and their families. This movie is not trying to be sympathetic to terrorists or their cause because no matter how you look at it, anyone that purposely kills innocent people to deliver a message is a coward and murderer. The Wolf does do his own dirty work, but he is still a cold-blooded killer. Some comic relief is provided by John Leguizamo (Moulin Rouge) in a brief stint as Felix Ramirez, some drug maker owned by the guerrilla group. This movie held plenty of action and explosions. There was also a really cool death with a snake, never seen that before. I give Collateral Damage a nine on the About-Movies.com scale. Ta Ta
Last updated: Thursday, March 20, 2008 02:48:32 AM Click Here to get back into frames.
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