Colombiana

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Colombiana Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Violent action movie is all about killing and revenge.

PG-13 2011 107 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 15+

Based on 9 reviews

Kids say

age 15+

Based on 10 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that although this action movie from producer/writer Luc Besson (The Transporter, Taken) is rated PG-13, it's very violent and intense, revolving around the brutal murder of a 9-year-old girl's family and her subsequent dedication to revenge. There are lots of killings, and the main character kills without any punishment (except for the fact that she has lost all of her loved ones). There's no nudity, but the main character (played by popular Avatar actress Zoe Saldana) wears an array of tight/revealing outfits -- including a see-through tank top -- and there's lots of sexual suggestion. Language is infrequent but includes "f--k" and more than one use of "s--t." Bad guys drink cognac and smoke cigars from time to time.

Community Reviews

doctora
doctora Adult
June 4, 2022
age 15+

Once they go to the restroom you know something interesting is going to happen

The story is a bit contrived but is still very entertaining. Saldaña sells it...however impossible the stunts seem. The film revels in it's extreme and cartoon-ish violence. Every time she went to the restroom I knew there was going to be some elaborate jump out of a window. Although predictable in many spots I enjoyed seeing Saldaña "convince" the CIA to help her.
jkv9789
jkv9789 Adult
November 12, 2021
age 16+

Great movie but not for teens.

Common Sense miss spoke when it stated no nudity. In the shower scene from the top angle her nipple is seen. Gotta pay closer attention CSM
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

As a 9-year-old, Cataleya sees her mother and father killed by Colombian kingpins. She escapes to Chicago, where she's raised by her gangster uncle (Cliff Curtis). She grows up with a thirst for revenge and killing; she becomes a contract killer (played by Zoe Saldana) but carries out her own secret revenge on the side, leaving calling cards -- a drawing of an orchid -- in the hopes of reaching the big boss. Unfortunately, Special Agent Ross (Lennie James) is hot on her trail, and she has made the mistake of finding a part-time boyfriend in artist Danny Delanay (Michael Vartan). Can Cataleya complete her longtime goal before the trail of dead bodies becomes too much?

Is It Any Good?

Overall, the movie has enough clever chases, break-ins, and escapes -- not to mention a sweet, small tragic romance -- to make it worthwhile. But this isn't one of Besson's stronger efforts. It's by turns effective, silly, and sluggish, sometimes forgetting the usual slick, lightweight mood of Besson's best films. Colombiana has a great deal in common with Besson's films La Femme Nikita and The Professional, but it lacks the former's pathos and the latter's warmth.

Though producer/writer Luc Besson has endorsed a stable of good action directors over the years, Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3) is one of the most bombastic; his action is a little less slick and a little harder than that of his colleagues. Here Besson and Megaton have focused on a female character shaped by violence as a young girl who grows into an adult life of irredeemable killing and revenge.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. How is the violence portrayed in the scenes with the 9-year-old girl, as opposed to the scenes with the grown-up character?

  • What message does the movie send about revenge? Does it make you feel better to "get back" at someone who has wronged you? Is violent vengeance ever justified?

  • Is the main character a heroine? What makes her interesting?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate