Colombian (2011)

Directed by: Olivier Megaton | 107 minutes | action, drama, adventure | Actors: Zoe Saldana, Amandla Stenberg, Callum Blue, Cliff Curtis, Michael Vartan, Jordi Mollà, Lennie James, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Max Martini, Graham McTavish, Monica Acosta, Affif Ben Badra, Beau Brasso, Sam Douglas, Jim Nieciecki

Want to know what Zoe Saldana can do with a toothbrush? Then you should not miss ‘Colombiana’! Fans of action films with excellent production values ​​can indulge in this revenge film, in which the sexy, hard-core actress from ‘Avatar’ and ‘Star Trek’ shows that she is in top form.

Bogotá, Columbia, 1992. Cataleya Restrepo (Amandla Stenberg) is a nine-year-old girl whose father does odd jobs for the local mob boss. When this Don Luis (Beeto Benites) suspects that her father cheated on him during that last assignment, daddy Restrepo just has time to hand his daughter an important chip (“This is your passport”) and instruct her to to flee her uncle in Chicago. Both her parents are murdered in cold blood by Don Luis’ henchmen. This is a beautiful, emotional scene, as the action stays out of the picture and the camera only catches Cataleya’s anxious gaze. In an adrenaline-boosting, tightly filmed chase scene through the favelas of Bogota, the young girl then manages to spectacularly escape the bullets being fired at her. She leaves the chip (very original!) on the desk of her contact person at the American embassy who ensures that she ends up in Chicago, but already during the flight the little one shows that she can take care of herself very well. She has already mapped out her career: Cataleya wants to be a murderer. Thanks to the training of her uncle Emilio (Cliff Curtis), she manages to do this.

Fifteen years later. Cataleya has now gone from cute-looking but revengeful inside, grown to a beautiful woman with the body of Zoe Saldana. In the first ravishing scene where we see the adult Cataleya, she’s disguised as a drunken lady who has her own reasons for crashing into a police car. Cataleya has found her calling, it seems. Led by Emilio, she is a highly skilled assassin. What Emilio does not know, however, is that in her spare time Cataleya continues with her work, but then chooses her prey herself. With the drawing of a South American orchid (from which she takes her name) on the bodies of her victims, she gradually entices Don Luis and his accomplices to her. Cataleya plays with fire, but ignores her mentor’s warning when he finds out.

Written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and directed by Olivier Megaton (‘Transporter 3’) ‘Colombiana’ is bursting with action, narrow escapes and unfortunately also clichés. The revenge principle has been stripped down to the bone in films, but ‘Colombiana’ is nevertheless a very pleasant sit. The pace is excellent, the lead actress is sexy and dangerous (Cataleya is a better Catwoman than Catwoman), and the kills are original. The fact that the added romantic subplot in which Michael Vartan appears is not really convincing is of little consequence for the viewing pleasure. ‘Colombiana’ is such a delicious guilty pleasure that every fan of action movies will enjoy with a big smile. ‘Colombiana’ kicks ass!