Arnold Schwarzenegger

Francesca Neri

Elias Koteas

Cliff Curtis

John Leguizamo

John Turturro

Jsu Garcia

Tyler Posey

Michael Milhoan

Rick Worthy

Raymond Cruz

Lindsay Frost

Ethan Dampf

Jorge Zepeda

Miguel Sandoval

Harry Lennix

Madison Mason

Don Fischer

Shelley Malil

Jack Conley

Todd Allen

Rick Garcia

Penny Griego

John Verea

Greg Collins

Bruce Ramsay

Michael Cavanaugh

Nicholas Pryor

Rodrigo Obregón

Gerardo Albarrán

J. Kenneth Campbell

Flor Eduarda Gurrola

Pedro Altamirano

Salvador Sánchez

Fernando Sarfatti

Raúl Pozos

Ehécatl Chávez

Víctor Carpinteiro

Natalia Traven

Enrique Munoz

Omar Ayala

Pedro Damián

Millie Slavin

Jane Lynch

Jossara Jinaro

Clint Lilley

Marianne Lewis

Louis Bernstein

Doralicia

Jay Acovone

Ronald Donahue

Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc

Daniel H. Friedman

Joe Renteria

Norm Compton

Esteban Cueto

Marcio Rosario

Bill Hader

Kevin Beard

John Strand

Kathryn Roberts

Michael T. Travers

Craig Haagensen

Michael Orefice

Alan Cohen

Mark Walpole

Camille Freer

Ray Milazzo

Tommy Tieche

Greg Hall

Joe McCloskey

Euplio Tellez Rodriguez

Laura Macias

Donald L. Warner Jr.

Bernard Weiser

Kim Secrist

Richard E. Yawn

Philip Rogers

Krista Benson

David Fogg

Mark Kochinski

Tammy Sutton

Dave Lockwood

Lincoln Kupchak

Ken Stranahan

Claudia Becker

Jenny Syrup

Franklyn Warren

Edna Guerrero

Sonia Guerrero

Sergio Jara

Peter Ciardelli

Daniel Kupresan

Florent Danny Retz

Andrew Davis

Ronald Roose

David Griffiths

Peter Griffiths

Salvatore Basile

Adam Greenberg

Dov Hoenig

Dennis Virkler

Hawk Koch

Nicholas Meyer

David Foster

Steven Reuther

Amanda Mackey

Cathy Sandrich Gelfond

Billy D. Lucas

Danny Epper

Philip Rosenberg

Marc Fisichella

Richard Reseigne

Theresa Wachter

Enrique Estévez

Thomas L. Roysden

Jeff Dawn

Raúl Sarmiento

Mitchell E. Dauterive

Anna Roth

Alisarine Ducolomb

Carol Kiefer

Carlos Benassini

Tom Frohling

John B. Josselyn

Kenneth A. Larson

Erick Monroy

Hugo Santiago

Glenn Williams

Bruce Stambler

Glenn Hoskinson

Steve Mann

Steven F. Nelson

Tim Walston

Will Riley

David E. Campbell

John T. Reitz

Gregg Rudloff

Thom 'Coach' Ehle

Thomas L. Fisher

Cosmas Paul Bolger Jr.

Penny A. Mesa

Jeffrey White

John P. Mesa

William Mesa

Tim Everitt

William H. Burton Jr.

Moshe Levin

Stephen St. John

Eduardo Flores Torres

Robert Jason

Greg Banta

Susi Campos

Nina Lucia

Matthew Schmidt

Emily Wallin

Action

Thriller

Drama

Collateral Damage

David Foster Productions

Hacienda Productions

Bel Air Entertainment

Warner Bros. Pictures

United States of America

Don't even look at those guys unless you can kill 'em.

Hmm. As with all action films, especially those that feature one of the action heroes we grew up with, there will be supporters of even the most turgid of productions. Collateral Damage was the point where the truest and honest of Arnold Schwarzenegger's fans knew it was the end of an era. 

Famously held back from release for a year due to the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers, the film pitches Schwarzenegger as a L.A. fireman, who after his wife and child are killed by an act of terrorism, decides to take the law into his own hands. The focus here is Colombia, and the big guy goes off to Colombia on a one man crusade to kill those responsible for his grief. Cue explosions, kinetic action, bad effects, bad dialogue, mucho posturing and hissing villains.

It works on a very basic level for fans of such fare, in fact it's nice to see Arnie playing a vulnerable role where he quite often gets hurt - both physically and mentally. It's just that it feels tired, feels too long, while it wastes a cast that includes Elias Koteas, John Turturo and John Leguizamo. Decent enough as a time waster? Yes, just, but really if this wasn't on Schwarzenegger's CV then nobody would lose any sleep over it. 5/10

***Lacks heart, but there are highlights and the compelling last act features a nice plot turn***

A vengeful Los Angeles fireman (Arnold Schwarzenegger) goes to the jungles of Colombia to apprehend a terrorist (Cliff Curtis) where he meets the man’s dissenting wife (Francesca Neri) & their son. An angry CIA agent (Elias Koteas) also travels to Colombia to join with paramilitary allies to take down the same man. When the two teams learn of a planned terrorist attack at Union Station, Washington DC, they return to the USA.  

"Collateral Damage" (2002) is an action/adventure originally set to be released a few weeks after 9/11, but due to that tragedy it was set back four months wherein an anti-CIA subplot was removed, as well as a plane hijacking. What we are left with is a by-the-numbers film with a couple of highlights that perks up in the final act with an unexpected twist.

There’s a spectacular waterfall sequence shot in southeastern Mexico, which takes place near the beginning of the second act. Another highlight occurs at the end of the second act where the movie drives home the problem with military attacks and the eventual revenge of the enemies: One nation’s military attacks a paramilitary organization wherein innocent civilians are killed, which is considered “collateral damage,” and so the paramilitarists attack the nation in question with more “collateral damage.” Who’s right and who’s wrong? And where does it end?   
  
The film runs 1 hour, 48 minutes, and was shot in  Los Angeles & Burbank, California; Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico (standing in for Colombia); Union Station, Washington DC; and New York City .

GRADE: C+/B-

Okay action-thriller that has some decent action and overall was entertaining. However, this is one where I think Schwarzenegger was the wrong choice to lead as someone like Bruce Willis (circa 2002 mind you) would've worked better. Still, has its moments. **3.25/5**