Collateral Damage

Review by Clint Morris

If you love your Ah-nuld, you'll agree Collateral Damage is a return to form, if you tore your bedroom posters of Mr 'moofies' down after seeing Last Action Hero all those years ago.

If the title sounds familiar - it's no surprise. The film's been in the news since September 11, when it was decided the 'terrorist' theme of the plot was too close to real events at that time.

And rightly so, checking out much of the template here. Skyscrapers falling to the ground, innocents die, terrorists flee in celebration… the hairs will stand up on your wrist. But look, think of the movie as what it is: big dumb Arnold action and you'll benefit from it that little bit more.

Anyway, firefighter Gordy Brewer (Schwarzenegger) is an immense savoir of the people. He loves his young son and wife, and when El Lobo, The Wolf, (Cliff Curtis), a feared rebel leader in Columbia, bombs a mall where his family is waiting for him - he blames himself personally. When Brewer sees that the intended targets, Columbian consulate and American intelligence agents, are befuddled as to how to bring El Lobo to justice, he decides to go to Columbia and terminate El Lobo himself.

Brewer doesn't have a plan. No weapons, he can't speak Spanish, but he's got his rage and fortitude - and a handful of action movie quips in his side sack.

Brewer faces the daunting task of getting into the pitiless Colombian jungle, making contacts in a dangerous environment and finding El Lobo. Along the way he gets arrested and meets up with Selena (Francesca Neri) and her adopted son who she is trying to raise in a war zone. They remind him of his own family… and so he has a double mission to play over the next hour and a half or so.

Collateral Damage, unlike Arnold's last couple of movies, is actually quite good. It's no Terminator, it's not True Lies, but it isn't Eraser or Commando either. It's a singular almost 'thrilling' episode in the credentials that is 'the Arnold' that doesn't slip into any association box.

If you like your action movies but don't fancy actually leaving the lounge room for them, you can easily wait for this one hit to hit DVD (after all, Terminator 3 is on its way - we don't want to get Arnold overdose now do we?). But it's the big screen, big sound system and audience quip-feedback that makes the Schwarzenegger experience even more delightful so maybe you'll want to take the boys out tonight?

3 out of 5

Collateral Damage
Australian release: Thursday May 2nd.
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Francesca Neri, Elias Koteas, John Leguizamo, John Turturro, Cliff Curtis, Jsu Garcia.
Director: Andrew Davis.
Website: Click here

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