Colombiana: Unrated (Bilingue)

Throughout his illustrious film career as writer, producer and director, Luc Besson has crafted many thrillers featuring assassins. Most notably probably La Femme Nikita (Special Edition)(in French), which has now become two different tv series, and remade as an American movie starring Bridget Fonda, which lacked the killer instinct of the original. He wrote the characters for the Transporter movies starring Jason Statham, and the excellent movie Taken (Single-Disc Extended Edition) starring Liam Neeson. Leon - The Professional (Deluxe Edition), a personal favorite stars Natalie Portman in her first screen role, and he wrote Colombiana.

While Colombiana may not distinguish itself particularly when compared with these other movies, what does distinguish it is Zoe Saldana. If looks could kill, she wouldn't need a weapon. So, when a young girl witnesses her parents murdered by a ruthless druglord, she demonstrates strange abilities, makes her way to America, joins her uncle. Picture a 10 year old saying to her uncle: "I want to kill people, can you help?"

So, she becomes an assassin, and finds creative ways of getting into the most secure places. She is like the mist. You may notice something visually captivating, and captivating in other ways too, about watching a woman in a sleek, figure revealing black one piece, doing all manner of things which demonstrate her flexibility and nimbleness, and wielding a weapon. It's quite sexy.

In fact it's fair to say that Zoe Saldana elevates the movie, and shows that she has what it takes to play leading roles, and carry a movie at the box office. Yes, as you expect, you will find the usual crash bang wallop here too.
So, I give the movie 6 out of 10 for quality, 8 out of 10 for style, and I give Zoe Saldana 10 out of 10, for her presence, charisma, and overall sexiness, which makes the movie 8 out of 10.

And if you like this movie, and have not already seen the other ones I highlighted above, I highly recommend you check them out. I think you will enjoy the movie, and I hope you found this review helpful. Comment Permalink

If you like non stop action, senseless violence RPGs all brought to you by a gorgeus woman. Than this is your movie.

This is an action packed film with a female heroine of sorts. It starts in Bogota, Colombia in 1992. Cataleya Restrepo aged ten (Amandla Stenberg) is a young school girl, whose father is mixed up in the sort of things that one would not declare on a tax return. He is forced to conclude a 'business deal' that is not to his liking ' he realises that he needs to put some distance betwixt him and the inevitable trouble that is to follow. He fails and both he and his wife are killed more or less in front of Cataleya. However, he has given her a sim card an address in Chicago and told to go to the US Embassy.

This then kicks off the action, involving some excellent street running and edge of seat stuff. Need lees to say she makes it to the US and to Chicago, where she contacts her uncle Emilio (Cliff Curtis). He begins her education and takes her into the family. The film moves on fifteen years to the now grown woman who is now Zoe Saldana and it must be said, to use the common vernacular ' is 'well fit'. She is now an assassin, but one with her own agenda and that is the avenging of her parents murders.

She also lives a double life, has a seemingly pure sex relationship with an artist and could teach 'The Dog Whisperer' a thing or two about attack mutts. We have intrigue with the CIA, the Chicago PD being inept but dogged and basically a full throttle action fest. There are plot holes, but this is one of those films where you can forgive them as they are done in the name of entertainment as opposed to being just sloppy. It is from the pen (Screenplay) of Luc Besson (Leon, Taken and The Fifth Element) so you would expect a fair bit of polish. The direction from Olivier Megaton (I do hope that is his real name) is well above par and it does ooze style. The only places it falls down are the aforementioned holes, and it would be a plot spoiler to mention them. Everyone puts in great performances so not a lot not to like. If you want 107 minutes of action with more than enough plot twists to maintain your interest then you really can not go wrong.