Collateral Damage (2002)

Director:

Andrew Davis

Writers (WGA):

Ronald Roose (story) and
David Griffiths (story) ...

Release Date:

8 February 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

The Act Itself Wasn't Personal...HIS VENGEANCE WILL BE [UK tag-line]

Plot:

After his family is killed by a terrorist act, a firefighter goes in search of the one responsible.

Plot Keywords:

Box Office Flop | Latin America | Women Killing Women | Dead Woman On Floor | Policewoman Killing

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Gordy Brewer
Francesca Neri	...	Selena Perrini
Elias Koteas	...	Peter Brandt
Cliff Curtis	...	Claudio Perrini
John Leguizamo	...	Felix Ramirez
John Turturro	...	Sean Armstrong
Jsu Garcia	...	Roman
Tyler Posey	...	Mauro (as Tyler Garcia Posey)
Michael Milhoan	...	Jack
Rick Worthy	...	Ronnie
Raymond Cruz	...	Junior
Lindsay Frost	...	Anne Brewer
Ethan Dampf	...	Matt Brewer
Jorge Zepeda	...	Rocha
Miguel Sandoval	...	Joe Phipps

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #38392) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | New Zealand:M | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Malaysia:18PL | Hungary:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Philippines:R-18 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:16 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The movie was supposed to include the famous Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, who played an airplane hijacker. But, after the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack the scene where Vergara would hijack a plane was scratched from the movie. Moreover, scenes which might be considered unpatriotic have been excluded. The film was originally scheduled to be released on October 5, 2001, but it was postponed due to its terrorism theme and eventually released on Friday, February 8, 2002.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Matt and his father are playing with toys, Matt's front left tooth is just growing in. When when Matt is coming out of the shower a short while later, the tooth is fully grown.

Quotes:

Selena: Claudio is now a man consumed by hate, just like you.
Gordon Brewer: I'm not like him.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Soundtrack:

Selena's Song

Ideological story.

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.