Imagine this picture: A room full of students, future filmmakers. They are watching a movie, Collateral Damage, an average action movie, but with a big problem an absurd story, an ideological story. The students are learning how to be subtle and convince the viewer of their personal points of views without making their future movies an advertisement. That's why they first must learn what not to do. Collateral Damage is a fine example of how to insult the intellect of the audience and spit the message in their faces.
The bigotry that is palpable in this excuse of a fictional work is unbelievable lame. Every old trick in the history of screen writing is used in a self-indulgent manner. There's even more! Davis is a great director as he proved in The Fugitive, he could mix action and drama in a superb way. But here he fails miserably because his lead actor (Schwarzenegger) is too dull for this role and the action is lack. Schwarzenegger in the last years tried to play new roles. But it seems that the only one that succeeded in creating a different image for the Austrian-American actor was James Cameron in True Lies.
If someone supposes that the writers made an investigation of how is the life in Colombia and the liaisons between "carteles" and authorities of both countries, then it would be wise for that person to read more serious newspapers and watch less movies like this one. This film had its controversy because the people of Colombia felt this movie as an insult. Colombia is a poor country that has suffered terrorism for decades and that is not something that should be used by opportunist filmmakers avid of profit. Collateral Damage doesn't make easier understand the affliction of terrorism only tries to mock of a third-world country. As always there's no movie so bad that should not be seen but it would be best for the health of cinema if pieces like this were not created anymore.
The bigotry that is palpable in this excuse of a fictional work is unbelievable lame. Every old trick in the history of screen writing is used in a self-indulgent manner. There's even more! Davis is a great director as he proved in The Fugitive, he could mix action and drama in a superb way. But here he fails miserably because his lead actor (Schwarzenegger) is too dull for this role and the action is lack. Schwarzenegger in the last years tried to play new roles. But it seems that the only one that succeeded in creating a different image for the Austrian-American actor was James Cameron in True Lies.
If someone supposes that the writers made an investigation of how is the life in Colombia and the liaisons between "carteles" and authorities of both countries, then it would be wise for that person to read more serious newspapers and watch less movies like this one. This film had its controversy because the people of Colombia felt this movie as an insult. Colombia is a poor country that has suffered terrorism for decades and that is not something that should be used by opportunist filmmakers avid of profit. Collateral Damage doesn't make easier understand the affliction of terrorism only tries to mock of a third-world country. As always there's no movie so bad that should not be seen but it would be best for the health of cinema if pieces like this were not created anymore.