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COLOMBIANAMovie Reviews
Action drama about a woman who becomes a professional killer in order to seek revenge against the ruthless gangster who murdered her parents. Cast:Zoe Saldana, Jordi Molla, Michael Vartan, Lennie JamesDirector:Olivier MegatonRelease Date:August 26, 2011DVD Release:December 20, 2011From:Sony PicturesRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 45 min.
Colombiana played to mixed reviews. • Christy Lemire wrote for the Associated Press, "A brawny B-action picture with a gorgeous, graceful woman wreaking havoc at its center: Yup, 'Colombiana' is a Luc Besson movie.... at least it's enjoyably staged and crafted." • And Rafer Guzman wrote in New York Newsday, "...a clumsy, dumb film.... From the start, the movie feels tired of its own shtick." More Reviews Below...
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A brawny B-action picture with a gorgeous, graceful woman wreaking havoc at its center: Yup, 'Colombiana' is a Luc Besson movie.... at least it's enjoyably staged..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 08/25/11
Keith Staskiewicz, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...silly fun at first, but as her break-ins and escapes grow absurdly complex -- and her motivations increasingly muddy -- it turns into the same silly stuff we've seen before..."(See all of Keith Staskiewicz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 92 words, 09/02/11
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "Zoe Saldana makes it work. Her energy pretty much electrifies the screen... All killers should look this good doing their dirty work."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 08/25/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...isn't content to be a comic-book joyride (though it is that); it has pretensions to a more turgid class of revenge melodrama, along the lines of Tony Scott's 'Man on Fire.' "(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 426 words, 08/26/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...this is B-movie territory, and that means taking the eye-rolling moments along with the heart-pounding ones. Zoe Saldana keeps the balance tipped in the right direction..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 371 words, 08/26/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a hyperactive action-thriller/fashion-week catwalk.... a scandalous blend of action, sex and violence. My apologies in advance for having so much fun."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 08/26/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...dull... for those who enjoy the prospect of watching Zoe Saldana slink around in her undies wielding a rifle roughly the size of a kayak, this is the film for you."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 08/26/11
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: WEAK(cg) "...a clumsy, dumb film.... From the start, the movie feels tired of its own shtick.... there's no poetry in self-named director Olivier Megaton's violence."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 08/26/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: POOR "There's bad acting all around, but you can't fully blame the performers. The dialogue needed a writer to come in and punch it up -- the lines sound like placeholders."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 351 words, 08/26/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...pretty rote stuff, even with well-connected producer Luc Besson co-writing with Robert Mark Kamen, the pens behind 'Taken' and 'The Transporter'.... visually, it's often a treat..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 480 words, 08/26/11
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: WEAK "...a great vessel to tumble clichés into: snide CIA men; FBI-procedural filler; 'Never forget where you came from'; 'You must expect the unexpected.' No, don't."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 08/31/11
Andrew Dowler, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...rises above its overworked action story to become pleasant featherweight entertainment thanks to smart directing and a slightly unusual hero."(See all of Andrew Dowler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 09/01/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: WEAK(cg) "See Zoe kill. See Zoe strip. Many times... See Zoe go for a swim. With sharks. In a sexy swimsuit.... a laugh-out-loud exploitation film..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 459 words, 08/26/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "The director Olivier Megaton blows things up, demolishes a fruit market, and throws in some parkour foot-chases as if he's completing a checklist."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 430 words, 08/27/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: WEAK "...a great vessel to tumble clichés into: snide CIA men; FBI-procedural filler; 'Never forget where you came from'; 'You must expect the unexpected.' No, don't."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 08/31/11
Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend: POOR(cg) "The plot and characters are paint-by-numbers... The entire premise hangs on the idea that an assassin with a need for revenge is more than enough for audiences..."(See all of Eric Eisenberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 679 words, 08/26/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The latest bag of pork rinds from producer Luc Besson... Thinly textured and technically proficient, with a cartoonishness that takes it out of the real world."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 421 words, 08/26/11
Michelle Orange, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "Who needs hyperkinetic camerawork or budget-busting effects when a director knows what to do with a woman, a shark pool, and a big fat drug lord?"(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 670 words, 08/25/11
Nick Schager, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Saldana is a sultry and surprisingly heartfelt executioner... she finds a way to make this by-the-numbers genre retread feel, if not fresh, then at least sporadically electric."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 405 words, 08/27/11
Andrew Dowler, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...rises above its overworked action story to become pleasant featherweight entertainment thanks to smart directing and a slightly unusual hero."(See all of Andrew Dowler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 09/01/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: POOR(cg) "Zoe Saldana gets to run around killing people in tiny cutoffs and tank top, in between taking sexy showers and sexy-breaking-and-entering her boyfriend's apartment..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 792 words, 09/06/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...isn't content to be a comic-book joyride (though it is that); it has pretensions to a more turgid class of revenge melodrama, along the lines of Tony Scott's 'Man on Fire.' "(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 426 words, 08/26/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a hyperactive action-thriller/fashion-week catwalk.... a scandalous blend of action, sex and violence. My apologies in advance for having so much fun."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 08/26/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: WEAK "...trashy and ridiculous... 'Colombiana' is like a brain-damaged or attention-disordered imitation of a Michael Bay or Justin Lin or Tony Scott movie..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 860 words, 08/25/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Boyd Van Hoeij, Daily Variety: GOOD "...may not be the brainiest of actioners, but Besson's latest thriller is a pretty good time.... Saldana exudes sexiness but also generates a certain amount of sympathy."(See all of Boyd Van Hoeij's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 06/29/11
Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...there are guilty pleasures to be had... Zoe Saldana gives an acrobatic performance that makes the overcooked material watchable, if not entirely enjoyable."(See all of Jordan Mintzer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 699 words, 07/26/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...a hyperactive action-thriller/fashion-week catwalk.... a scandalous blend of action, sex and violence. My apologies in advance for having so much fun."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 08/26/11
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...isn't content to be a comic-book joyride (though it is that); it has pretensions to a more turgid class of revenge melodrama, along the lines of Tony Scott's 'Man on Fire.' "(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 426 words, 08/26/11
20.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Colombiana's reviews are separated by an average 20.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Colombiana (25 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Colombiana's reviews cover 39.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 11,950 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 478 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 2.2 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Colombiana's reviews on average broke 2.2 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Colombiana's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Colombiana (25 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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