By: Ted Pfeifer
Title: Collateral Damage
Director:
Andrew Davis
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Rated: R
Opened: February 8, 2002
Official Site:

Andrew Davis the director of "The Fugitive" has brought Arnold Schwarzenegger back to the big screen in the film "Collateral Damage".

This movie feels very choppy from the get go. I would have to believe that since it got pulled from its original October release date due to the tragic events of September 11th, the film most likely got re-cut and we now have a new version.

The problem is that it has all the trappings of a big summer popcorn movie, but coming out in February it seems out of place.

Arnold plays a Los Angeles firefighter whose wife and son and killed by a Colombian terrorist's bomb. He witnesses the explosion and also sees the mad bombers face. After feeling like nothing is being done to bring the terrorist to justice he decides to do it himself.

The film goes from Los Angeles to Panama to Colombia to Washington D.C. The problem with the movie as I see it is that it has a bunch of good parts and some very good cameos from John Turturro and John Leguizamo that you think you are in for a good flick. But then it falls apart. It feels like the violence was lessened and the relationships between Schwazenegger and his firefighter pals was enhanced but it doesn't quite work.

Sure things blow up and I think this was better than "End of Days" but not as good as his last film "The 6th Day".

Andrew Davis is a good director but this film has little chance of being successful because of the attack on America, it just hits all too close to home and it made for some strange editing choices.

All in all Arnold is back in a film that has its strong moments, but not enough of them.