18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly a very good action movie., June 5, 2002
"Collateral Damage" (2002)
The released date for this film was delayed after the tragic September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre. I had heard quite a bit about the movie and was generally looking forward to it because I enjoyed The 6th Day, Arnie's last effort. I didn't expect it to be a life-changing experience to free our fear from terrorists after the horrific events of 9/11, but I expected to be entertained.
This movie far succeeded my expectations. It's more intelligent, more entertaining, more interesting, more original, more well-acted than I could ever expect. Of course one thing that did disappoint me was once again Arnie went completely soft and the motivations are all good-willed and stuff, he's not a cool bad[boy] anymore! However he still makes for a decent watch, also giving in a great performance as Gordon, our main man. Schwarzenegger was able to portray the tense expressions and great action stunts as well expect from him. But he also turned in what I found to be somewhat of a more subtle performance than usually, he had some great shock and dramatic acting scenes, and I think he could be really more than an action actor with big muscles, even if that's what we'll remember him as.
As for the rest of the cast, they turn in pretty decent performances. Cliff Curtis once again playing the bad guy is generally threatening. Francesca Neri (last year's underused Hannibal star) does pretty good as the mum caught in the middle. John Turturro and John Leguizamo were great comic relief and entertained me a lot. But Leguizamo's drug-making scenes were totally unnecessary to the whole plot of the movie.
This is yet another one of those twist-in-the-end movies (much like last year's The 6th Day, Arnie's box office hit) and it completely surprised me. The twist does have a couple of plot holes, but overall it worked. I was very pleased with the way it explained the twist, it made me understand the movie a whole lot better. Sometimes it doesn't make such perfect sense though.
The action sequences in this movie are entertaining, and very well filmed. They also have a certain cleverness to them (they're not just there because they are) and each of them delivers in a big way. They are also very well directed and the director of photography catches the atmosphere and important shots. The editing is very good (the fire especially looked very real) and the music used the perfect instruments (refreshingly different sounds!) to portray the excitement.
All that said, I felt the movie was a little too long at about 2 hours, and it had some unnecessary scenes (Elias Koteas wasn't really essential, and neither was the whole John Leguizamo drug back-story). However, this movie remained an entertaining, enjoyable, smart and thought-provoking dramatic actioner.
MY GRADE: B+
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid action movie on a great DVD., July 31, 2002
I walked into the theatre to see "Collateral Damage" for no other reason than to be entertained, and give the movie credit, it was very entertaining despite Arnold's hilariously implausible character. I wasn't aware that all firemen were made to through a Green Beret or SWAT program, because he looks like he's taken a few courses in each. Gordon Brewer (Schwarzengger) handles guns, axes, and knives in style like he's been doing it for years, but since this is an Arnold film I'm able to forgive his characters which frequently defy all belief.
In a nutshell this movie is about Brewer's revenge scheme as he hunts down the terrorists who killed his wife and child in a bombing, and tries to stop him before he strikes again. The plot isn't great, what with a fireman somehow breaking into a guerrillas home and all, but director Andrew Davis keeps the film going at a brisk pace, and it's never boring. The DVD quality is also very fine with some good features, and if you're an action movie fan this is one to own.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Arnold's most human role ever, August 1, 2002
Let's face it. In the 80's and early 90's, when you went to see an Arnold movie, what did you expect? He was some super-hero that was unstoppable. He wasn't your average, every-day Joe on the street. You KNEW he was going to do something so out-of-the-ordinary, but it was still so much fun to watch. The human element of his character was generally never taken into account or necessary.
I think with End Of Days, we got to see Arnold play a character that was NOT superhuman. Many people (and critics) panned this movie. I loved it. I thought it was excellent and it allowed Arnold to show more emotions than he did in previous movies. Plus, he wasn't some superhero cop. He was actually a down-and-out drunk.
Then came The 6th Day. Again, Arnold was allowed to show some emotions that came from having your life ripped away from you. In this case, he was a man who ran a legit transportation business, taking people up to the mountains to snow board down from.
Now comes Collateral Damage. Arnold plays a firefighter, Gordy Brewer, who loses what is most precious to him: his wife and son. He loses them to a heinous terrorist attack from "The Wolf", a Columbian terrorist.
The terrorist attack happens pretty early on, but you've already been given a glimpse of how Gordy lives his life: he loves his wife and son. In a split second, that is all ripped away from him. From that point on, you see Gordy slowly change from a person who saves lives to almost becoming the same type of person as the terrorist that took his family away.
The action is NOT your typical Arnold action flick with outrageous stunts. In fact, I look at this movie as being on the same lines as The Fugitive, on both the drama and the action. In fact, Andrew Davis who directed The Fugitive directs this movie.
The action is there because it is an integral part of the story. It's not there to be gratuitous. The action and violence is a by-product of what terrorism can cause. In this case, Gordy is seeking revenge on the death of his family, not too much different from the revenge that "The Wolf" is seeking for the supposed oppression the USA has put on Columbia. You see Gordy begin to realize this as the story unfolds.
Throughout the story, Gordy must rely on his skills as a fireman. He has no special-ops training from the military. He doesn't have ready access to weapons. He must use his skills and his decision-making ability as a fireman to determine how he will go after "The Wolf". Unlike other Arnold movies, this time around the weapons are not easily accessible to him, and his character is not superhuman. It takes every ounce of his strength, will and determination to fight back, even when the terrorists beat him down. There is a twist in the story, which I won't spoil. However, it makes you cheer even more for Gordy.
The DVD shows that Warner Bros. is working on adding more features to their releases. There are two featurettes that are both enlightening and entertaining. The "Hero" featurette definitely touches on how this movie is probably good for America after the horrible events of 9/11. They also explain why they held back on its release in the theatres after 9/11.
Still, I wish the DVD had even more special features. There are additional scenes, cast and crew info, and one theatrical trailer. This is much better than what WB has brought out in the past. I still like how they packed The Matrix with a ton of stuff. Of course, how much extra stuff could you pack into a movie such as Collateral Damage?
This is a worthy purchase. I didn't see it in the theatres, but I definitely love this movie. Is it Arnold's BEST movie? Probably not, but for a movie where he plays a very human character that must rely on skills as a fireman rather than some special combat training, I would say this is his BEST work with a character who must display a wide range of emotions. Arnold is still the king of action in my book. It's just that he's doing a DIFFERENT type of action, which I feel is good for him. I still like Commando and Predator, though!
A must have for any Arnold fan.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
