Colombiana (2011)

When it's over, Colombiana is entertainment trash, where you leave your brain at the door and don't take the film too seriously.  Zoe Saldana plays a young woman who's an assassin by profession, but moonlights as a vigilante.  Saldana holds her own as the lead character, Cataleya, and manages to show the tough and the vulnerable side of a young woman who's determined at all costs to avenge her family's death.  She plays her character well enough to make the film entertaining, but fails to look the part to make the film realistic.  For example, Cataleya has to fight hand to hand combat with one of the Colombian baddies, Marco, and of course, she wins, but that's because it's written in the script.  In real life, in the real world, no way would Cataleya (small and thin) have a fighting chance up against a tough drug dealer like Marco and walk away unscathed.  I think Saldana should have bulked up for the role to make her character more believable, especially since she's doing fight scenes and tugging around heavy artillery.  Plus, the ending didn't fit the "revenge" theme, which was clearly the driving engine of this action flick.  It was unsatisfying, and I thought it was cheesy when she told the dogs to "Eat."  Eat what?  You'll have to see the film to find out.  Again, mindless entertainment, but not worth discussing over coffee.


My rating: 1.5 out of 5

The Debt (2011)

 When it's over, the truth will set you free - the underlying theme for this thriller set in 1965 and 1997 about a trio of Mossad secret agents whose mission was to capture and bring to trial a Nazi war criminal responsible for the mass killing of Jews during WWII.  When the mission goes astray, the trio make a pact based on a lie in order to salvage their credibility and retain their nationalism, but as the years pass, the lie becomes a poison that plagues their lives.  This was a really well crafted film, not so much because of the story, but more because of the strong performances from the cast.  If this film were to have been casted differently, I don't think it would have had the same emotional impact or effect on me as a viewer.  Veteran actors Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, and Ciarian Hinds played the retired agents (Rachel, Stephan, & David) in 1997, and I thought they did a fabulous job at portraying characters who were trapped in a lie and how that lie ate away at their souls.  Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington played the young version of the trio in 1965 Germany.  I think the three actors had great chemistry and played off each other expertly in all the right scenes.  Chastain did such a superb job showing how vulnerable and strong Rachel was and how emotionally complicated it was to be caught between the hearts of two men, while trying to lure her target into her trap.  The conflict in the story was constantly escalating and the plot twists kept fueling the suspense.  I really couldn't predict the ending of this film, and when the ending did come, I was a bit unsettled and surprised. 

My rating: 4 out of 5

Breaking Dawn (2011)

When it's over, if you haven't seen the previous films, don't bother with this fourth installment of the Twilight series, which continues the courtship between a vampire named Edward (Robert Pattinson) and his human love, Bella (Kristen Stewart). I think breaking the book into two films was a way to drag the viewer through an endless series of slow moving scenes.  Director Bill Condon tries his best to bring to the screen a book that lacked any real substance while trying to maintain a PG rating.  The pivotal love scene and the bloody birth of half-vampire half-human baby, Renesmee, could have been better delivered, but with actors whose talents are just “so-so” in a film where the rating can't be compromised, the film looks “wishy-washy” and completely forgettable.  The battle between the Cullens and the Wolves was poorly shot, and even with the help of CGI, the whole scene was a disheveled mess comprised of various inter cuts and fast moving clips that are so fast, they seemed out of focus.  The characters weren't being developed, instead, they became fixtures in scenes rather than the actual motivators of the scenes.  For example, Bella asked Rosalie, who has always given Bella the cold shoulder, to help her, and the next thing we know, Rosalie becomes Bella's protector without any explanation to the sudden change in their relationship.  Another problem with the film was Edward and Bella's chemistry and the lack of it.  The love story between the young couple is suppose to be the driving force of the Twilight franchise, and yet, I found their chemistry dwindling in this fourth installment.


My rating: 2 out of 5

Shark Night (2011)

When it's over, my fascination for sharks continues to lure me to the screen even at the onset of knowing the film will be less than good.  I knew going into this film that it would have a shallow plot and even shallower characters. I find it less disappointing when I don't expect too much from a film and this was definitely the case with a B-movie like Shark Night where once again sharks are terrorizing humans, and the humans become the main feature in some nasty homemade snuff films.  I found the later plot angle a surprise and had not expected the film to take that turn, which kept the story interesting and kept me from nodding off.  Although I didn't love the film, I certainly didn't hate it.  Shot with a low budget and a cast of relatively unknowns, the film served to be decent entertainment.

My rating: 2 out of 5

Adventures of TinTin (2012)

When it's over, the film gets an “A” for animation, a “B” for story, and a “C” for character development.  There is no doubt that the animation was incredible, and it's definitely the most “true to life” form of animation I've seen so far.  Director Steven Spielberg has teamed up with Peter Jackson to bring to screen the popular French graphic novels created by Herge about a young renowned reporter named TinTin who is always on the lookout for the next big story, which in this film, is the mystery and secrets of The Unicorn, a schooner which sank in the 1700's.  Spielberg has stayed true to the comics.  However, although the story is well paced and there's plenty of extravagant action sequences, the character of TinTin suffered from being one dimensional.  He had numerous physical obstacles to face, but no personal dilemmas to overcome.  Even his trusted dog, Snowy, had more gumption and charm than his master.  Plus, Captain Haddock, TinTin's friend, was given a past in which he had to struggle through in order for him to overcome his personal conflicts by the end of film, which not only made him interesting, but memorable.  I think the film would have benefited if the writers had added a few “extras” such as (1) a female character to engage female viewers and arouse conflict among the main characters; (2) a personal struggle which TinTin must overcome in order to fulfill his quest, and (3) the inclusion of flaws or fears that would better define TinTin's personality.

My rating:  3 out of 5