Movie Review:

‘Collateral’ Mixes Action, Philosophy

By: Eliot John Hagen (December 20, 2004)

In his first truly villainous role, Tom Cruise delivers an astounding portrayal of veteran assassin Vincent. Co-starring Jamie Foxx, who plays innocent Los Angeles taxi driver Max, winds up with Vincent in his cab, and that’s how the story starts.

Vincent, a deadly assassin who has been hired to kill four key witnesses and a prosecuting attorney, offers Max $600 to drive him around LA for a “real estate deal.”

 

Vincent’s plans, are, however, foiled when his first target falls out of a window and lands on Max’s cab.  This forces him to take Max hostage as his driver, as opposed to carrying his missions out in anonymity.
Cruise does an amazing job, and it’s not just action.  There are some good jokes (that are thankfully not out of line,) and it’s a philosophical film.  Cruise’s theories about death and killing seem sadistic at first, but, once you think about them, they make sense.  Vincent is not just some evil Bond type killer.  He’s an incredibly interesting character.

With a good dose of action, suspense, and philosophy, along with a superb performance by Cruise, ‘Collateral’ is a film that stands out on the “New Releases” shelf in Blockbuster.