Colombiana (2011)

Director:

Olivier Megaton

Writers:

Luc Besson (screenplay)
Robert Mark Kamen (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 August 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Revenge is beautiful.

Plot:

A young woman, after witnessing her parents' murder as a child in Bogota, grows up to be a stone-cold assassin.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Assassin | Uncle | Death | Necklace

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Zoe Saldana	...	Cataleya
Jordi Mollà	...	Marco
Lennie James	...	Special Agent James Ross
Amandla Stenberg	...	Cat - 10
Michael Vartan	...	Danny Delanay
Cliff Curtis	...	Emilio Restrepo
Beto Benites	...	Don Luis Sandoval
Jesse Borrego	...	Fabio Restrepo
Cynthia Addai-Robinson	...	Alicia
Angel Garnica	...	Pepe
Ofelia Medina	...	Mama
Callum Blue	...	Richard
Sam Douglas	...	William Woodgard
Graham McTavish	...	Head Marshall Warren
Charles Maquignon	...	Sergeant Bill Attwood
Affif Ben Badra	...	Genarro Rizzo
David Clark	...	Marshall
Billy Slaughter	...	Ryan
Nikea Gamby-Turner	...	Shari
Andrea Helene	...	Principal
John McConnell	...	Smith
Sébastien Peres	...	Swat
Mark De Alessandro	...	Swat
Pablo Vinós	...	Swat (as Pablo Vinos Zelaya)
Max Martini	...	Agent Robert Williams
Tony Dalton	...	American Embassy 1
Julian Sedgwick	...	American Embassy 2
Julien Muller	...	Doyle
Guillermo Ríos	...	Emilio's Man
Luis Toscano	...	Fabio's Man
Javier Escobar	...	Marco's Gun Man
Michael Showers	...	Cop
Wes Cannon	...	Cop
Doug Rao	...	Michael Shino
Reem Kherici	...	Nymphette
Julie Nicolet	...	Nymphette
Stéphane Orsolani	...	Guy (6th Floor)
Steve Herson	...	Ticket Agent
Richard Zeringue	...	Bureaucrat
Stephan Brodziak	...	Tech FBI
William Raymond	...	FBI Operator
Alfredo Gonzáles	...	Old Man (Gardener)
Alejandro Peraza	...	Head Body Guard
Donald Marshall	...	William's Servant
Mylène Pilutik	...	CIA Girl
Silas Cooper	...	Customs Officer
Ariane Brodier	...	Alexa
Donald Gordon	...	FBI Mailman
Benoit Lavelatte	...	Thug
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Beau Brasseaux	...	S.W.A.T. (uncredited)
Gene Bryant	...	Car Thug (uncredited)
Cedric Burton	...	SWAT (uncredited)
Nelson Carvajal	...	Bus Station Patron (uncredited)
Michael Kuster	...	Bus Station Patron (uncredited)
Grace LaRocca	...	Cop (uncredited)
Austin Naulty	...	SWAT (uncredited)
Jim Nieciecki	...	Union Station Bus Traveler Flash Back Sequence and Modern day scene (uncredited)
Frédéric Pfender	...	US Marshall (uncredited)
Robert A. Young	...	Chicago Police Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Olivier Megaton

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Luc Besson		screenplay
Robert Mark Kamen		screenplay

Produced by
Luc Besson	....	producer
Mariano Carranco	....	line producer: Mexico
Alex Corven Caronia	....	line producer: USA
Olivier Glaas	....	executive producer: USA
Pierre-Ange Le Pogam	....	producer
Sandrine Molto	....	executive producer: Mexico
Gareth Upton	....	co-producer
Ariel Zeitoun	....	executive producer: France

Original Music by
Nathaniel Méchaly
Craig Walker

Cinematography by
Romain Lacourbas		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Camille Delamarre

Casting by
John Papsidera

Production Design by
Patrick Durand

Art Direction by
Gilles Boillot
Franckie Diago
Carlos Lagunas
Pascal Leguellec
Fanny Stauff

Set Decoration by
Philippe Cord'homme		(set decoration)
Ryan Martin Dwyer

Costume Design by
Olivier Bériot

Makeup Department
Stacy Kelly	....	makeup artist
Vera Steimberg Moder	....	personal makeup artist
Suzi Ostos	....	key makeup artist
David Ruiz Gameros	....	key makeup artist
Aimee Stuit	....	makeup artist
Aya Yabuuchi	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Matthieu Bled	....	post-production manager
Matthieu Bled	....	post-production supervisor
Aurélien Brie	....	extra assistant unit manager
Alex Corven Caronia	....	unit production manager
Henri Deneubourg	....	assistant production manager
Varujan Gumusel	....	post-production manager
Logan Lelièvre	....	assistant unit manager
Alejandra Santana	....	unit manager: Mexico
Clément Sentilhes	....	production manager
Héctor Villegas	....	unit production manager: Mexico
Bill Wohlken	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carrie Bush	....	second assistant director: Chicago
Michael Chochol	....	second assistant director: New Orleans
Matt Corrado	....	first assistant director: Chicago
Mike De La Vina	....	second assistant director: New Orleans
Thomine de Pins	....	second assistant director
Julie Grumbach	....	second second assistant director
Gabriel Levy	....	second assistant director
Santiago Limón	....	third assistant director: Mexico
Sandie Louit	....	third assistant director
John Michael Sudol	....	first assistant director: New Orleans
Meredith Nunnikhoven	....	second second assistant director: Chicago
Pascal Salafa	....	first assistant director
Justine Selz	....	third assistant director
Fernando Stein	....	second second assistant director
Mark C. Stevens	....	second second assistant director: New Orleans

Art Department
Victor Andrade	....	painter
Colin Bach	....	leadman
Jorge Barba	....	leadman
Philippe Boucherot	....	props buyer
Alexandra Capps	....	props
Philippe Cord'homme	....	set dresser
Gus Coto	....	leadman: New Orleans
Jonathan Delerue	....	storyboard artist
Jonathan Fischer	....	art department: production assistant
Diego Gajardo	....	graphic designer
Fernando Gonzalez	....	carpenter: Mexico
Valentine Gutierrez	....	art department trainee
Chad Harris	....	set dresser
Yvan Hart	....	chief plasterer
Jeff Hinds	....	props
Kyle Holden	....	property master
Barbara Horcasitas	....	art department coordinator
Eva Julhe	....	assistant art director
Vanessa Laine Bryant	....	prop supervisor (as Vanessa Bryant)
Anne Le van ra	....	art department coordinator
Thomas Lechevallier	....	second assistant art director (2010)
Daniel Leon	....	carpenter: Mexico
Lindanne Lewis	....	painter
Armando Lopez	....	set designer
Arturo Lopez	....	carpenter: Mexico
Sam Lothridge	....	on-set dresser
Nidia Maciel	....	graphic designer (2010)
Rodolfo Martinez	....	construction foreman
Blake E. Matthys	....	on-set dresser
Thomas Morange	....	painter
Nathalie Pantelic	....	graphic designer
Patrick Pasquier	....	supervising art director: Mexico
Anne Pelosi	....	assistant art director
Thibaut Peschard	....	carpenter
Noel Rideout	....	set dresser
Thomas Sedor	....	assistant property master
Ember Soberman	....	lead painter
Diego Suárez Groult	....	on-set dresser
Chere Theriot	....	art department coordinator
Marcus Turchi	....	construction coordinator
Sandro Valdez	....	assistant art director
Markus Wittman	....	swing gang

Sound Department
Isabel Acevedo	....	boom operator: Mexico
Damien Aubry	....	sound editor
Jérémy Babinet	....	pro tools operator
Nicolas Berger	....	ADR boom operator
Mélanie Blouin	....	pro tools operator
Régis Boussin	....	boom operator
Stéphane Bucher	....	sound engineer: France
Hervé Buirette	....	ADR sound mixer
Pascal Chauvin	....	foley artist
Vincent Cosson	....	re-recording mixer assistant
Vincent Cosson	....	re-recording mixer assistant: post-production
Capucine Courau	....	assistant sound editor
Laure-Anne Darras	....	dialogue editor
Alexis David	....	recording engineer
Rene Defrancesch	....	boom operator: New Orleans
Sébastien Devaux	....	recording engineer
Frederic Dubois	....	re-recording mixer assistant: post-production
Frederic Dubois	....	sound designer
Najib El Yafi	....	music assistant
Bernat Fortiana	....	boom operator: Mexico
Loïc Gourbe	....	recording engineer
François Groult	....	foley sound mixer
Dean Humphreys	....	re-recording mixer
Hervé Icovic	....	ADR
Jean-Christophe Julé	....	foley sound mixer
B.J. Lehn	....	sound mixer: New Orleans (as Bj Lehn)
Anne Maisonhaute	....	ADR pro tools operator
Kevin Meier	....	sound utility: New Orleans
J.T. Mueller	....	sound utility: Chicago
David Obermeyer	....	sound mixer: Chicago
Jonathan Parham	....	sound mixer: New Orleans
Juan Carlos Prieto	....	sound engineer
Fabrice Sauré	....	recording engineer
Franck Tassel	....	foley assistant
Thomas Tymen	....	sound assistant: France
Mark Estdale	....	additional adr (uncredited)
Gustavo González	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Olivier Afonso	....	special effects makeup
Ricardo Arvizu	....	special effects coordinator
Ricky Arvizu	....	special effects foreman
Guillaume Colas	....	main titles
Daniel Harkness	....	special effects assistant
Mark Hava	....	special effects coordinator: reshoot
Philippe Hubin	....	head special effects supervisor
Jean-Christophe Magnaud	....	first special effects coordinator
Dennis Ray Mitchell	....	special effects assistant
Greg Puga	....	special effects technician
Ken Speed	....	special effects
Jeff Whitney	....	special effects technician
Steve Wolf	....	pyrotechnician
Steve Wolf	....	special effects foreman
Lily Wolff	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Rodolphe Chabrier	....	visual effects supervisor
David Danesi	....	visual effects supervisor
Sebastien Gombeaud-Saintonge	....	Flame artist: Mac Guff
Aurélien Grand	....	retouch and restoration
Caroline Journo	....	visual effects
Christophe Lucotte	....	visual effects
Romain Moussel	....	digital artist
Rodney Musso	....	assistant colorist
Guillaume Schmitter	....	I/O management: Mac Guff
Antonin Seydoux	....	visual effects
Stéphane Stradella	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Hugo Aguilera	....	stunts
Frédéric Alhinho	....	stunts
Jay Amor	....	stunt coordinator
Jay Amor	....	stunt driver
Malki Attar	....	stunts
Odin Ayala	....	stunts
Omar Ayala	....	stunts
Omar Ayala	....	utility stunts
Stanton Barrett	....	stunt driver
David Belle	....	parkour choreographer
Carlos Bonelli	....	stunts
Jean-Louis Bonnet	....	stunts
Amadéo Cazzela	....	stunts (as Amedéo Cazzella)
Bernard Chevreul	....	stunts
Danny Cosmo	....	stunt driver
Cristina Da Silva	....	stunts
Laurent Demianoff	....	fight coordinator
Laurent Demianoff	....	stunt coordinator
Oumar Diaoure	....	stunts
Danny Epper	....	stunts
Jonathan Eusebio	....	on set stunt coordinator
Alain Figlarz	....	fight choreographer
Dominique Fouassier	....	stunt coordinator
Sébastien Fouassier	....	stunts
Felipe Franco	....	stunts
David Genty	....	stunts (as David Gentil)
José Gómez Rebolo	....	stunts
Vincent Haquin	....	stunts
Michel Julienne	....	stunt supervisor: car
Karson Kendall	....	stunt performer
Marissa Labog	....	stunt double: Young Cataleya
Benoit Lavelatte	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Michael R. Long	....	stunt performer: SWAT Team
Eddie Matthews	....	stunts
George Mederos	....	stunts
Franck Merenda	....	stunts (as Francesco Meranda)
David Mueller	....	stunts
Stéphane Orsolani	....	stunts
Michael Ortiz	....	stunt performer
Sébastien Peres	....	stunt double
Sébastien Peres	....	stunts
Steve Picerni	....	stunt double
Steve Picerni	....	stunt driver
Gary Robert	....	action coordinator
Christophe Roblin	....	stunt driver
Chad Rose	....	stunt performer
Jean-Charles Rousseau	....	stunts
Michaël Troude	....	stunts
David Lee Valle	....	stunts
César René Vigné	....	stunt performer
Daniel Vérité	....	stunts
Garrett Warren	....	stunt coordinator
John Zimmerman	....	stunt rigger

Camera and Electrical Department
Thierry Alais	....	grip: France
Adèle Belliot	....	electrician
Fabrice Bismuth	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Elodie Boulard	....	loader
Magali Bragard	....	still photographer
Richard Brooks Burton	....	aerial cinematographer
Joe Cassano	....	dolly grip: New Orleans
Mathilde Cathelin	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera: Paris
Francesco Cavazza	....	first assistant camera: d
Thomas S. Ciciura	....	second assistant camera
Dawn Copeland	....	electrician: Chicago
Julien Coquillet	....	grip
Fanny Coustenoble	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Lawrence Daufenbach	....	second assistant camera
Brandon Dauzat	....	second assistant camera: Louisiana unit
Philippe Deneau	....	gaffer
Lorenzo Donati	....	Steadicam operator
Eric Dvorsky	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit
Pierre Garnier	....	key grip
Marco Graziaplena	....	first assistant camera: "c" camera, Paris
Keith Hueffmeier	....	camera loader: Chicago
Browar Ken	....	still photographer
Erwann Le Pogam	....	grip
Eric Le Roux	....	steadicam operator
Jonathan Leys	....	first assistant camera
Joe Lotuaco	....	grip
Sandie Louit	....	camera operator: making of
Kevin Luster	....	grip
Scott Luttrell	....	grip
Robert Morrison	....	technocrane technician
Dick Oakes	....	rigging gaffer: Chicago
Justin Painter	....	first assistant camera: Chicago
Mike 'Chewie' Pappas	....	electrician
Jonathan E. Robinson	....	b camera second assistant
Ron Ruanphae	....	camera operator: making of
Derek A. Schwebel	....	video assist
Derek A. Schwebel	....	video assist: second unit
Lilla Smoluch	....	assistant camera
Tiffani L. Stephenson	....	film loader: new orleans
Johan Suisse	....	electrician
Timothy Troy	....	grip: Chicago
John Waterman	....	second assistant camera: Chicago unit
Dave Wightman	....	first assistant camera
Mark N. Woods	....	technocrane operator
Kevin Worthy	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jennifer Cram	....	casting associate
Stéphanie Doncker	....	casting assistant
Dylan Jury	....	casting assistant
Meagan Lewis	....	casting: New Orleans
Joan Philo	....	extras casting
Nicolas Ronchi	....	casting: Europe
Savannah Strachan	....	casting assistant
Giota Trakas	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Stéphane Zito	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Guillaume Attwood	....	set costumer
Jackie Beatka	....	set costumer
Malikka Coston	....	costumer
Marylin Fitoussi	....	costume supervisor
Marylin Fitoussi	....	key costumer
Steven Frendreis	....	set costumer
Capucine Martin	....	wardrobe assistant
Renee Ragucci	....	set costumer
Lin Sanders	....	costume supervisor
Frédéric Tournant	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Chloé Besomi	....	post-production runner
Jerome Brechet	....	dailies color grader
Sophie Chatin	....	assistant editor
Thomas Dessane	....	assistant editor
Akrivi Filippakopoulos	....	assistant editor
Charlotte Mazzinghi	....	colorist
Mathieu Reid	....	color timer
Carlo Rizzo	....	addtional editing
Audrey Simonaud	....	additional editor

Music Department
Jean-Pierre Arquie	....	composer agent
Guillaume Clément	....	assistant music supervisor
Jérôme Devoise	....	score mixer
Najib El Yafi	....	assistant music
Antonio Gambale	....	synth programmer
Gisèle Gérard-Tolini	....	conductor
Alexandre Mahout	....	music supervisor
Marie Sabbah	....	composer agent

Transportation Department
Richard Brown	....	picture car captain
Rafael Campos	....	driver: Mexico
Gabriel Collier	....	driver
Ernesto Diaz Mata	....	driver: Mexico
Edward Dorsey III	....	driver (as Big Ed Dorsey)
Ricardo Díaz Avilés	....	transportation coordinator (as Ricardo Díaz)
Enrique Díaz	....	transportation captain
Sergio Galicia	....	transportation co-captain
Miguel Angel Guerrero	....	driver: Mexico
Quincy Howard	....	driver
Earl R. Hurst Sr.	....	transportation captain
Earl R. Hurst Sr.	....	transportation coordinator
Ernesto Mata Jr.	....	driver: Mexico
Alfonso Paredes	....	driver
Edmundo Pérez	....	transportation dispatcher
Gwendalane Ramos	....	transportation dispatcher
Kenneth Rester	....	driver
Ricardo Villegas	....	driver: Mexico
Jonathan Wensel	....	generator operator/driver

Other crew
Segolene Amice	....	production coordinator: prep
Barbara Babb	....	key production assistant: New Orleans
Jose Manuel Ballesteros	....	catering coordinator
Eric Bassoff	....	post production supervisor
Melanie A. Bonhomme	....	set production assistant: New Orleans
Erin Booth	....	assistant to producer
Erin Borel	....	production coordinator
Bret Borgeson	....	production secretary
Beau Brasseaux	....	stand-in (as Beau Brasso)
Gregory Brecher	....	production assistant
Robert C. Campion	....	production accountant
Sam Carmichael	....	production assistant
Yuriy Chernin	....	set production assistant
Jennifer J. Collins	....	script supervisor
Angel De La Vina	....	set production assistant
Henri Deneubourg	....	location manager
André Des Rochers	....	production counsel: US
Brittney Diez	....	production assistant
Claire Dumaze	....	script supervisor
Zack Earl Edwards	....	additional set production assistant
Mike Eisenberg	....	production assistant
Giuseppe Ferlito	....	personal assistant: Jordi Mollà
Ashley Foster	....	set production assistant: New Orleans
Evan Gabriele	....	assistant location manager
Ernesto Garabito	....	assistant production coordinator: mexico
Liz Goldsmith	....	assistant location manager
Jonathan Gray	....	production counsel: US
Nathen Grigsby	....	set intern
Kevin Grimon	....	production assistant
Christian Hardy	....	production assistant
Amy Hawkins	....	payroll accountant: US
Nisso Kaboulova	....	production staff
Alex Kirschenbaum	....	production assistant
Mitch Koepp	....	production assistant
Vincent Lassort	....	production administrator
Marc Leroyer	....	weapons coordinator
Vinh Lu	....	location manager: Chicago
Emilie Maison	....	press attache france
Emilie Maison	....	press attache
Maël Marivint	....	production assistant
Duncan Maxwell	....	set production assistant
Virginia McCollam	....	location manager
Katrina Meier	....	set intern
Marco Montalvo	....	production assistant
Norberto Nava	....	security coordinator
Peggy Pere	....	aerial coordinator
Rachel Perez	....	set production assistant: basecamp, New Orleans
Annie Poirier	....	assistant production coordinator: New Orleans
Steven James Price	....	stand-in: Michael Vartan
Walter Vega Puig	....	key production assistant
Elise Romestant	....	assistant script supervisor
Julie Saint-Hilaire	....	production coordinator
Heather Sharpe	....	production coordinator: Chicago
Paul Sharpe	....	production assistant
Nicole Soriano	....	production coordinator
Ken Speed	....	armorer
Sean Stager	....	set production assistant: New Orleans
Adrienne Swan	....	first assistant accountant: chicago
Lindsay Tessier	....	additional office production assistant
David Lee Valle	....	armorer
Mattia Venni	....	making-of
Lauren Von Huene	....	travel coordinator
Derrick Bentley Wells	....	production assistant
Nicole Williams	....	office production assistant
Kevin Worthy	....	location scout (uncredited)

Production Companies

• EuropaCorp
• TF1 Films Production (co-production)
• Grive Productions (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)
• A.J.O.Z. Films (executive production)

Distributors

• Kinepolis Film Distribution (KFD) (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• EuropaCorp. Distribution (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Rialto Film AG (2011) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• TriStar Pictures (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Pictures (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Incognito Films (2011) (Estonia) (theatrical)
• Incognito Films (2011) (Latvia) (theatrical)
• Incognito Films (2011) (Lithuania) (theatrical)
• MVP Entertainment (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Film Distributors (2012) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Showgate (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing Canada (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Viva International Pictures (2011) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• Aurum Producciones (2011) (Spain) (all media)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• EuropaCorp (2011) (France) (DVD)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• MediaPro Distribution (2011) (Romania) (all media)
• Mongkol Major (2011) (Thailand) (all media)
• Odeon (2011) (Greece) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2012) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2012) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2012) (Argentina) (all media)
• Stage 6 Films (2011) (USA) (all media)
• Vicol Entertainment (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Vicol Entertainment (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2011) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Digital District
• Mac Guff Ligne (visual effects)
• Special FX International
• Wolf Stuntworks

Other Companies

• ARRI / Camera Service Center  camera equipment provided by
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Cineworks Digital Studios  HD dailies telecine transfer
• Digital Post Services  delivery and international servicing
• Digital Post Services  quality control
• Equipment & Film Design  camera equipment provided by
• Equipment & Film Design  grip and lighting equipment
• Event Restroom  restrooms
• Film Music Services  composer's agency
• Gray Krauss Des Rochers  legal services
• Hollywood Trucks  Entertainment Transportation
• Joan Philo Casting  extras casting
• Louisiana Entertainment  state film office
• Pictorvision  Eclipse aerial camera system
• Planet Jump Productions  teaser trailer
• Silver Screen Supply  location equipment/rentals
• Volare'  picture cars

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, intense sequences of action, sexuality and brief strong language

Runtime:

108 min | 111 min (unrated version)

Country:

France

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | Datasat | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | South Korea:18 (original rating) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Ireland:16 | UK:15 | Malaysia:18 (edited version) | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:16 | Australia:MA15+ | Netherlands:16 | France:U | USA:Unrated (uncut) | South Korea:15 (edited version) | Mexico:B15 | Argentina:16 | Japan:PG12

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

EuropaCorp

Trivia:

The film will be skipping theaters in Australia and heading straight to DVD and Bluray in early 2012.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Cataleya enters the US through Miami as a child she escapes from her federal guardian through a window out the bathroom in the airport. There isn't an international airport in the US with bathrooms that have windows connecting to the outside.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Don Luis Sandoval:I can't believe this.
Fabio Restrepo:Why not?
Don Luis Sandoval:Because I love you, Fabio, like a son.
Fabio Restrepo:I love you, Don Luis, like a father.
Don Luis Sandoval:I'm going to miss you.
Fabio Restrepo:And I'm going to miss you.
Don Luis Sandoval:Okay. Enough of this sentimental bullshit. One last drink? Next we'll be crying like two old women. Come on! To the future.

Movie Connections:

References "Xena: Warrior Princess" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Hurt

Your run-of-the-mill EuropaCorp action flick

If there is one French director the non-French general public knows about, it's Luc Besson. Even if the name means nothing to you, chances are you've heard of the films he's had a hand in. Among his most famous films are Léon: The Professional (which introduced American audiences to Jean Reno and Natalie Portman), Nikita (which has been remade into an American film and two American TV shows so far) and The Fifth Element (which nearly 15 years later remains one of the most famous science-fiction films as well as one of the 10 most expensive French films).

At the dawn of the new millennium, Besson started his own production company, EuropaCorp, which in the last ten years or so has funded its fair share of diverse movies, both in the French and English language. Nevertheless Europa (as it's known in short) is best known to mass audiences for its numerous, high-octane, medium-budget action films, most of which are written or co-written by Besson himself (often with Karate Kid screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen). Among these are the Taxi, Transporter and District B13 series of films, Wasabi, Taken, From Paris With Love, Danny The Dog (also known as Unleashed), Bandidas, Kiss Of The Dragon, Yamakasi, Crimson Rivers 2, Hit-man,... Through these films, Besson is also responsible for introducing the world to Parkour, which seems to have taken over action cinema in the past 5 years (and even making its way to films such as Step Up 3D).

Colombiana is another product from Besson's action film factory. The story starts in 1992 in Bogota, where some mob guy, Don Luis, orders a hit against a former associate of his who he considers has betrayed him, and naturally his whole family. Only young Cataleya Restrepo escapes the bloody shootout during an intense Parkour chase (what else?), and manages to reach her uncle in Chicago, to whom she swears that she'll become a hit-man and avenge her family. Fast-forward and enter Zoe Saldana as adult Cataleya as the rest of the film takes place, strangely enough, in 2007. With her uncle's help, Cataleya has indeed grown up to be an awesomely skilled contract killer, having performed 22 jobs in 4 years. However, she signs each of her kills with a message destined for her real prey, making her one of the FBI's most wanted. When the FBI decides to divulge her "serial killer" status, Don Luis and his men know what's up, and all hell breaks loose.

Much has been said of the film's similarity with Besson's Léon and Nikita, with many people musing that the film could just have well have been a sequel to Léon with Natalie Portman's character all grown-up and kicking butt (something fans have been dreaming about for years). Now I haven't seen Nikita, but while there are similarities between Léon's Mathilda and Colombiana's Cataleya, the two films are definitely not on the same level. Colombiana is really your typical, run-of-the-mill Besson action production, which is really not a bad thing. It is not in the top-tier of these films (where I place films such as Taken and Danny The Dog), but still a perfectly entertaining romp.

Viewers concerned with director Olivier Megaton due to the perceived lack of action in Transporter 3, his previous film, need not be concerned. The action here is almost non-stop, pretty much to the detriment of plot. While the story has potential and could make for a film with a lot more depth, whatever plot is here is minimal to the max, recycled, cliché and basically a hodge-podge of all previous hit-man/revenge/on-the-run-from-the-law films you've ever seen. There is absolutely zero character development whatsoever and if you didn't know that Cataleya's parents were murdered by Don Luis, you would have no idea why any of the characters are doing what they're doing. I'm not exaggerating, the Transformers films, heavily criticized for this reason, have more character development.

But lack of plot depth isn't really a negative here. More depth would have certainly made it a better film, but Colombiana is still entertaining as a simple, straightforward, "dumb" B action flick. Like all EuropaCorp films, production values are top-notch. The expected Parkour chase is kept fresh by having it unfold with a child. Zoe Saldana gives a great physical performance and spends a great deal of time flitting in and out of vents and the various hits shown in the film are all quite cool. The other actors also do fine, though Michael Vartan's character has very little purpose and is actually barely in the movie. Also this might be the only movie you'll ever see in which toothbrushes are used as weapons.

In short, know what to expect from Colombiana (which literally means Colombian woman by the way), and you'll enjoy it fine. It's a straight-up action movie, no more, no less, very low on plot, high on action, that falls straight into the heap with the scores of other similar Besson-produced films, though it doesn't possess the touches of humor that most of his other productions have. In comparison to the other hit-man movies of the year, it's superior to The Mechanic, but way inferior to Hanna (though it contains a lot more action than Hanna, which shouldn't be seen as an action film). This is no Léon: The Professional 2, fans can keep hoping that Besson and Portman work that one out at some point (interestingly, Megaton is first in line to direct if that movie does happen).