Collateral
So I don't like Tom Cruise. I've made no secret of this fact. True he has done some good things, but overall I tend to associate him and Tom Hanks with Steven Spielberg, who I've also expressed my great distaste for. But every now and then I suck it up and go see a Tom Cruise movie. I mean if Spielberg isn't involved it might have a chance. Collateral is one such movie. The movie does have its faults, but it was entertaining and well done enough to let me get through it. The musical choices were perfect and varied. It always seemed to fit the mood and enhanced the experience. I especially enjoyed how they used the Korean version of Ready, Steady, Go! in the Korean club. The acting wasn't all that bad either. Both Cruise and Fox did fine jobs.
So let's get to the problems, cause that's always more fun. First off you have the one that I was expecting. This is of course a big Hollywood film, so of course there has to be a love interest, Fox has to beat Cruise in the end, and Fox has to get the girl (I hope I didn't spoil anything for you there). I came in knowing this, and although I held out a little hope that they would deviate from the standard path, in the end I was let down. No biggie though, you get what you pay for. The other problem comes in the form of Cruise's character. For a man who prefers his anonymity he sure does make a spectical of himself. Case in point, going into the club for hit #4. He went through all the hassle of Fox getting the list of who was next for him because he didn't want his employers to know his face, but then he goes and starts a major fire fight in a club, which is filled with hundreds of people staring at the man with the gun who's killing everyone. Personally if I was trying to stay hidden I would have taken a less extreme approach. In the end it doesn't make much of a difference though since we all know he's gonna lose, and maybe secretly he knew as well and just wanted to go out with a bang.
RATING: Worth a Cheap Ticket, Worth a Cheap Rental/Netflix Choice.