"Colombiana"

Hey, guys, it's me. Sorry about neglecting you for so long. I've been out of the country and then been away from the nearest theater. So naturally, I missed the tail end of the summer movie season.

Fortunately, to make it up to you guys, I've got a double feature lined up for today! So what's this double feature about?

Covert Revenge Ops

In which people do things without trying to get caught by other people. Looooong story.

So first on the list... we get revenge carried out by a single woman, on a more personal level. Let's get to today's movie...

Colombiana

Cataleya (Zoe Saldana) is an American immigrant from Colombia, where her father and mother were killed by Marco (Jordi Mollá), a mafioso under the employment of drug lord Don Luis. She thus grows up, hell-bent on getting revenge on the ones who killed her family. And she does it while working as a hitman by day.

And each death is carried out in a very covert style.

So let's talk this movie: Zoe Saldana makes an incredible action heroine. Cataleya can come across as unlikeable at times, but Saldana makes sure we're rooted in her motives. Even through her more morally questionable moments, we're with Cataleya pretty much all the way, as Saldana manages to infuse her character with some kind of emotional gravity that a lesser actress would not have found. There are a few moments that shatter the suspension of disbelief, but it honestly has more to do with some of the more ludicrous stuntwork than it does with anything in Saldana's acting. So a large part of it works because of her. It also mostly works thanks to the action sequences, which are rather intense, particularly around the time the third act rolls around.

However, it does suffer from a few very glaring flaws. For one, it is fueled by a rather implausible plot that does have you questioning multiple things at various times. Sometimes, it even makes you question how skilled Cataleya really is, which is unfortunate. The movie's pacing is also fairly uneven, and it's also quite clunky in a few places. So unfortunately, the rather uneven nature of the plot drags the movie down quite a bit.

But don't let that stop you from seeing Colombiana, because otherwise it's a great showcase of why Zoe Saldana makes a great action heroine. Apart from the myriad plot issues, it does have some very good action, and it works as a vehicle for Saldana. That really sums up this review in a nutshell.

2.5/4

If you want to go see it, go see it. If you don't want to, don't.

This is Herr Wozzeck Reviews. I'll see you guys in a few hours with a review of The Debt.