Colombiana

Okay, Angelina Jolie may just as well hang it up. We have embraced a new, skinny, gorgeous, female action star! Zoë Saldana is ready for her closeup... (Remember her in "Centerstage" as a teenage ballet dancer?)When Luc Besson ("Taken") writes the screenplay for a movie to be directed by Olivier Megaton ("Transporter 3"), brace yourself for a LOT of action. In my opinion, Besson has created the adult version of Natalie Portman's Leon-trained assassin from "The Professional." Saldana is a capable, athletic gal who can deliver the goods, and the Besson/Megaton team can deliver an audience pleaser.Here's who they work with:* Amandla Stenberg ("The Hunger Games") is perfect as a nine- year-old girl whose parents are killed in Columbia as the film opens. She is the quarry during an exciting chase sequence which starts the action: Leaping off buildings, dashing down alleys, diving into drains... Yup... Parkour... my favorite! This young actress looks like she could grow up to be...* Zoë Saldana ("Star Trek"), our heroine, orphaned since childhood, an assassin since adulthood, and still seeking revenge for her parents' murder 19 years ago. She is smart, cold-blooded and has nerves of steel. Her vigilantism won't be done till she kills the kingpin.* Michael Vartan ("Jolene") is her lover, an artist who evidently can't afford a razor blade...sigh.* Cliff Curtis ("The Last Airbender") is her uncle who gave her a choice when she fled Bogota to Chicago at age nine: Grab a gun and shoot people, or go to school and be really smart about revenge. Guess which she picked?* Lennie James ("The Next Three Days") is the FBI agent who identifies the mysterious killer behind the deaths of 23 thugs associated with drugs. His biggest problem seems to be the CIA.This actioner is exciting, Saldana is perfect, and the movie remains carefully PG-13 (three bits of profanity, we don't see any of the bullets splatter blood, and sex scenes fade out as the guy slips off his t-shirt). There is a LOT of gunfire and some really satisfying blowie uppie stuff.This is entertaining, but be sure to suspend disbelief! I got my DVD from Amazon.

This is a pretty good, let me rephrase, it is a good action revenge film.Zoe Saldana as well as the kid girl was amazing and from the beginning till the revenge is fulfilled, there is no place to breaze or take a rest at all.Because of this movie's success the director was able to make the movie <TAKEN 2>.The story is quite cliche and if I tell you it will ruin your appetite.The great thing about this film is not the story but about how to show, the duration the way how she does it. The charactor, the each moments watching it as audience.The first moment, when both parents got killed and the kid girl is escapeing from a bunch of killers zig-zag town camera up and down, hellicopter shots, hand held, quick cuts crazy scene crazy to watch better then <TAKEN 1> from that moment you will feel how decent this action flick is.This movie never lingers or stops any moment.She manages enough to be a brave girl to go to America all by herself to meet her uncle. Amazing! That process and you will be so proud for her for her work. Yes unreal for some how. But who cares.It just dashes to the moment she grows up to ZOE SALDANA grows up to a revenger.She goes to the prison to kill a guy. Yes intentionally.Then from then on, the movie dashes to show all the revenge. Some dangerous, some very intensive.Also there is a love story too. Lovely one.Each charactor interwoves together to make a new story and no one were wasted at all.Luc Besson as a writer only is a fine one for the screen writer for this movie and he did a great job.If you want something you want to enjoy your evening, this is it. No question asked.Plus the Unrated version is about 5 minutes added from the theatrical verrsion.

Great movie

This is not the first story of its kind. An assassin taking on an organization much bigger than themselves, all for the sake of- vengeance, retribution, revolution? The premise is one that is familiar, though consistently enjoyable.However, there is a few new elements in 'Columbiana' that I find lacking in other films of its kind. The title character finds herself in a position of desperation, more often than she cares to admit, and in each instance we are allowed to see a genuine, believable response to the situation at hand. The cast of characters supporting and opposing her likewise have a depth that lends to relating them to real people, drawing one into the plot that much more.In addition, there's an air of practicality about the effects of the film, which doesn't rely as heavily on overpowered explosions that have become commonplace in film (though there are plenty of them as well). Rather than depending on Bond-esque technology to accomplish her goals, we see more low-tech solutions to issues than anything else, hearkening back to her origins.More than anything else, the theme of this film is not action, is not revenge, is not romance- though all of these play a part. It is consistently a tale of losing, and finding, and losing one's self. There are so many facets, both to the characters and the plot itself, that any expectations one develops while watching are almost certain to be proven wrong before long.I enjoyed this film, both for its plot and cinematic appeal, and would strongly recommend it to others.