Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent action movie is all about killing and revenge.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Colombiana
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
- In theaters : August 26, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : December 20, 2011
- Cast : Cliff Curtis , Michael Vartan , Zoe Saldana
- Director : Olivier Megaton
- Inclusion Information : Polynesian/Pacific Islander Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Tristar
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 107 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, disturbing images, intense sequences of action, sexuality and brief strong language
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : September 12, 2024
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