Movielogr

Rating: 2.5 stars

All movies seen on 02/08/2002

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Collateral Damage (2002)

Directed by Andrew Davis

Action

Overview

Firefighter Gordon Brewer is plunged into the complex and dangerous world of international terrorism after he loses his wife and child in a bombing credited to Claudio ‘The Wolf’ Perrini.

Rated R | Length 108 minutes

Actors

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

Viewing History (seen 1 time)

Viewing Notes

You would expect any Schwarzenegger action film to be another run of the mill “one man against the world,” but COLLATERAL DAMAGE isn’t. This film marks Schwarzenegger’s second try at an action film with a more intelligent ending and plot. Perhaps what makes the film interesting is the small reflection of September 11 it provides. Arnold still takes on a country for a time and Arnold still stops the evildoers by himself, but the message hits closer to home than COMMANDO ever could.

Fireman Gordon Brewer (Schwarzenegger) cares about two things in the world: saving people and being with his family. He pushes himself to the extreme in both areas. When his son gets sick after coming home from his shift at the fire department, his wife agrees to take him to the doctor and Gordon will pick him up. But Gordon Brewer never gets to pick his son up; he only gets to see he and his mother die in front of his eyes in a terrorist bombing by Columbian Claudio “El Lobo” Perrini.

Brewer eventually learns to deal with the grief that has consumed him. Three weeks go by and no one in the US government will move to capture Perrini. Brewer tries to contact for help CIA Agent Peter Brandt, who heads the Columbian terrorist division of the CIA and is working the investigation. However, his operations are shut down by the Senate Intelligence Committee because of his lack of action and has his hands tied. Brewer decides to go it alone into the country. Through sneaking around, he eventually makes it to the terrorist camp of Perrini only to be captured and held for ransom. The movie follows his escape from the compound and Brewer’s trip back to America with Perrini’s wife Selena and son in tow to stop The Wolf.

It’s ironic that the film was set to be released about the time of the September 11 events. The explosion scenes bring back heart-wrenching memories of the real life events in America and build up your anger both towards the real life villains and El Lobo. Schwarzenegger was typical Arnie - a man whose family is somehow ripped away and he must avenge them. Ironically, however, his character Gordon Brewer never touches a gun throughout the whole movie. He relies on his knowledge of flammable materials and wits to make it through the adventure and stop Perrini.

The plot wasn’t complex, but it never drug. But there was an interesting plot twist and if you pay attention, you can smell it coming a mile away. The scribes simply gave it away too fast. Editors should have spent a bit more time in post-production, as they had almost 5 months in which to do it. For example, towards the end of the movie, a news reporter calls the fictional attack, “the first attack on the nation’s capital.” Also, a scene where Arnie falls over a waterfall could have used more CGI work - it looked completely fake.

The only reason this movie really sticks out is because it is a sign of the times. Patriotism abounds and it is a butt-kicking adventure that many can appreciate. Even though the film tries hard, other than in event-related memories and sentiments, it probably won’t be a film that sticks with you.

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