Colombiana

Anyone who knows anything about Luc Besson knows he's a man that loves automatic weapons and stealth like killers. He's also fond of portly white men posing as bad guys, I don't know why. I guess he likes the image of them on the screen begging for their lives but I digress. In the case of his latest production Colombiana starring the incredibly talented and beautiful Zoe Saldana as Cataleya Restrepo you get not only automatic weapons, stealth like killers, and portly white men but you also get Zoe in a body suit. You also get her in various states of undress so if you're going to see this movie because she's in almost every frame of the movie then you won't be disappointed.

Directed by Olivier Megaton who is helming his second English speaking film, his first was Transporter 3 does a pretty good job. Though I would say if the lead was portrayed by anyone other than Zoe, this movie falls completely apart. The story, written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen is weak at best and I think they knew that which is why producer Luc Besson sought out Zoe Saldana to be in this movie. He apparently felt she was the only one that could pull this off and he was dead right. Not only is she the action star but the emotional core of the film, that which you can gleam from the trailer for the movie. Zoe was not the only great casting coup of this film though. Along with Zoe there's the very capable and talented Lennie James who plays Special Agent Ross. Cliff Curtis, Jordi Molla, Max Martini, and Michael Vartan help rounds out the cast. The real surprise though, the true find is Amandla Stenberg who plays young Cataleya. Be prepared to see a lot more of this young girl because she is very talented.

Young Cataleya sees her beloved mother and father murdered in front of her by her fathers ex-employer. Her father was a hit man who did the "wet" work for the big bad guy whose name you never really get. He sends his second in command Marco played by Jordi and almost a platoon of men to wipe out the entire family including the dog. Father and Mother along with their security teamed are laid to waste but not before Cataleya's father gives her a way to get out of Colombia and where to go once she gets to America. Marco fails to kill Cataleya and she makes it to the warm confines of her uncle's embrace played by Cliff Curtis who's Spanish accent can sometimes bring to mind Pacino's Scarface. She then explains what she wants to do with her life and her Uncle Emilio obliges her after a hilarious conversation in front of Cataleya's new elementary school.

She then grows up into a very lethal and efficient hit person who gets work from her Uncle. When she's not working for him though she finds and eliminates men who either had a hand in her parents death or who may have done work with the man responsible for her parents murder. On their stomachs she draws a picture of the cataleya orchid where her name comes from. She also knows she needs to keep her walls up and does so with her love interest if you can call him that. Danny Delany played by Michael Vartan and Cataleya are more like bed buddies than anything else. They are both damaged people who either don't know how to love or is willing to open up to love. So it makes you wonder how these two ever got together in the first place. Danny does something that puts her in danger it amps the movie up into a breakneck pace. If you are a fan of The Professional, another Luc Besson film then you will love this movie.

This movie is hyper edited by Camille Delamarre almost to the point of inducing a seizure at certain points so be prepared. The score done by Nathaniel Mechaly was decent at times but generic and almost utterly forgettable overall. The cinematography is nicely done, especially early on in the film as it tracks a foot chase through the favelas of Colombia. The movie on a whole though is hollow, at least I found it such. Maybe you'll feel differently when you check it out. When you do, I'll see you at the theater!