This is probably the closest simulation to 9/11 that we’ll get
from the movie industry for a long time; seeing that an actual documentary
isn’t coming very soon. I don’t have a problem with this; for I don’t have
any remarkable fondness for the war genre. All I have to say is that we must
let the entertainment industry be the entertainment industry, without this
kind of movie; there would be no entertainment. The sensitivity to this kind
of material at this point in time contributed to its “R” rating. Sure, there
was some violence and mild language, but without the tragedies of the
eleventh, I have reasonable doubt that this would be “R” rated. This picture
was set out to be entertaining and all in good fun, do people see this? Not
exactly. I have sympathy for these people; but we must move on and continue
to enjoy these movies to the fullest of our potential, as I did.
Collateral Damage is intended to be as far from September 11th
(I know it was filmed before that time) as Pee-wee Herman is from Pamela
Anderson. The film-makers want you to sit back, relax and like what you see,
this movie offers an enormously entertaining experience.
Collateral Damage
opens up to a woman waking to the sound of her alarm clock at
6:30 AM. She walks through the
narrow hallway of her families
New York apartment. In the living room
she finds her husband and son playing with Legos. She briefly discusses the
little boy’s doctors’ appointment with her husband and announces that she
can take him, but he will have to pick him up. Time comes and the mother and
little boy are sitting at a picnic table eating hotdogs that they bought
from a vendor in the central parkway. The father is late picking up. When he
finally comes, he jumps out of his car and starts rushing toward the picnic
table. Immediately and out of nowhere, a bomb explodes right in front of his
eyes, killing his wife and child. He blames their deaths on himself, if he
had been on time, they would’ve been okay. Just ten minutes, just ten
minutes! As a firefighter, he makes a pledge to himself that he will find
the bomber that killed his family. Days later he discovers that third-world
terrorists are responsible for their deaths. The only way to access them is
to go into the Gorillas warfare zone himself. He must find an entrance card
to gain access.
After this movie I can
officially claim that Arnold Schwarzenegger is a true action star. Over the
years, I’ve had my doubts; Jingle All the Way was fun as a kid
(I was very young when it came out, and probably watched the DVD at least
ten times in multiple languages) but hurt ol’ Arnie’s career. But one thing
is for certain, he proved his worthiness here. His performance was fabulous,
Collateral Damage is the first movie that he has been
emotionally gripping in (I’ll have to watch Jingle All the Way
again). Against all odds, nine-eleven improved this movies effectiveness,
and
Arnold’s acting for that matter, for the
better. Because you can relate to what the father, played by Schwarzenegger,
was going through left you more attached emotionally; who ever thought a
dramatic war film could do that?
The screenwriters were very
clever in creating this story, seeing that they wrote it before the
terrorist attack. Believe it or not, to make such a script as they did they
had to think like a terrorist. They had to execute the plans perfectly to
get away with them. Any flaws, any errors; throw the plan away; their
creations, bombs, bullets, grenades, and escapes must be top of the line,
infallible to all human knowledge. Though there is a way to crack the code,
it’s a chance they must take, and very unlikely that anyone will figure it
out. These storywriters had to do exactly so. Think like. Walk like. Look
like. Smell like. Feel like. Taste like. Breathe like. Every type of action,
every movement must be mimicked to the hundredth degree.
If you aren’t bothered by the
terrorist attacks to an extensive degree Collateral Damage will
be an exciting, fun, and emotional adventure encasing one mans journey for
justice. Along with the ride you receive excellent acting, a well thought
out story, and at times; brilliant direction, lighting, cinematography, and
background music. This is one of the summers most excellent Digital Video
Discs!!!
-Danny, Bucket Reviews
