Cinematic Releases: Colombiana

As a hardcore fan of Luc Besson's Leon: The Professional, I had a hard time digesting Colombiana. Initially this film was meant to be the sequel to that modern classic that's influenced so many current films. Some of the themes are shared with it's predecessor but it is nowhere near as strong or dynamic of a movie. Why they decided to abandon their initial idea is beyond me and an absolute missed cinematic opportunity.

Colombiana is not a dreadful film and it features a few moments that highlight Zoe Saldana as an action star, but it's not enough to save a story that is weakened by a  cliched plot and derivative story telling topped off with a stereotyped villain. In the last twenty years, we've seen this story over and over again. There is absolutely nothing ground breaking about Colombiana and it's unquestionably disappointing.

This is not the worst action movie I've seen this year, but it's definitely not the best either. Besson and crew should have taken advantage of the budget and dedicated themselves to making another chapter in the story of Matilda and her matured assassination skills. That would have been so much better. Instead, we're fed another watered down action film that is truly a missed opportunity.