Collateral Damage (2002)

 

You know, Schwarzenegger can't really do anything wrong for me. Yes, I confess I have a soft spot for the guy. But let's be fair: not every film he has made, is on point. The comedies were surprising, the over-the-top action films were his massive successes and in his later years, he has tried to branch out into new territories. 'Collateral Damage' is a bit of an in-betweener, in that you get the feeling they wanted to go a more serious and gritty route, but eventually just went for the action. As a result, this one falls in between and isn't as engaging as it might have been. 

The Schwarz is Gordy Brewer, a firefighter who is just a swell guy. One day, one faithful day, his wife and son are in the wrong place at the wrong time and are killed during a bombing in the city. This makes Gordy break down, as it would anyone. It is discovered that the terrorist is a Colombian guerilla nicknamed The Wolf. But when Gordy wants justice for his family, the red tape and callousness of government kicks in. 

Brewer decides to head to Colombia himself in order to find this Wolf and confront him. But if you're expecting an explosion-filled tale of vengeance and kickassery: this isn't it. No, Gordy just stumbles along like most normal people. Sure, he has more luck in finding those pesky guerillas, but still. 

Okay, most of the events are way too coincidental to be taken seriously. 

So yeah, Gordy finds the culprit, but in the meantime befriends said culprit's wife and adopted son. So you can see where this is heading. Of course you can. 

Gordy escapes with the woman and boy, but there is still a threat of a new bombing. So now it's up to Gordy to stop it. And there's a twist you can see coming a mile away... 

So yes, it's okay, but that says it all. Arnold is his charismatic self, and he does show some early glimpses of his dramatic range, but it is soon brushed off in favour of action that in itself is rather underwhelming. Like said before, this film doesn't really know what it wants to be and it suffers as a whole. The villains are way too one-dimensional, most characters are stock and cringeworthy stereotyped (poor John Leguizamo!) and the story falls a bit flat. 

Not the best out there, but okay if you like Arnold.