Collateral Damage on DVD

It's just as well that they held back this Arnold Schwarzenegger release in light of the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States. The theme of terrorists bombing civilians inside the US is just a little close to home for comfort, and would have been in poor taste right then.

Unfortunately, holding it up may have hurt its box office potential and that's a shame because it's a nifty yarn in Arnold tradition, though it doesn't display the imagination of such Schwarzenegger flicks as Total Recall, Terminators, Sixth Day, etc. Still, it's well written, well made and, fortunately, well transferred to DVD.

Arnold is Gordy Brewer, a heroic Los Angeles fireman whose wife and son are killed in a terrorist bombing. They just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and become collateral damage in Colombian terrorists' war against the US. But the State department and the CIA jerk Brewer around, so he takes it upon himself to head for Colombia to kill the killers himself.

Unfortunately, especially for the Colombians, the country is an armed camp and you can't just travel around it at will. This forces Brewer to go undercover so he can infiltrate the guerilla-controlled areas to search for The Wolf, the terrorist leader he's seeking.

He manages to infiltrate the terrorists' jungle compound, befriending and turning to "the light side of the force" the bad guy's wife (Francesca Neri), whose life he has saved. He doesn't succeed there and then in killing the bad guy, but he does discover his new plot - another bombing, this time in Washington, D.C.

There are some good twists and turns, and plenty of action and explosions, so Arnold fans will undoubtedly go away happy.

Director Andrew Davis does a good job here, keeping things plausible even when they aren't, and the supporting cast which includes John Turturro and John Leguizamo add some pretty good spice to the movie's heavy use of things military.

And finally some mention is made of Schwarzenegger's immigrant status and the accent that accompanies it.

The DVD is excellent. It's presented in anamorphic widescreen (16x9 TV compatible) and the picture quality is superb. Not only is the image razor sharp, but the colors are beautifully rich and this comes in handy in the tropical locations. The audio, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, is also excellent, and the gunfire and explosions pack the appropriate punch; your subwoofer will love it!

Warners has even included a good selection of extras on the disc. First up is a full length commentary from director Davis. There are also some additional scenes and a couple of documentaries ("Behind the Scenes" and "The Hero in a New Era"). There's also some cast/crew filmography stuff and the trailer.

So while this might not be one of Arnold's absolute best movies, it's still a worthwhile viewing for his fans - and the DVD gives us the best possible picture and sound to display in our home theaters.

Collateral Damage, from Warner Home Video
109 min. anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1), 16x9 TV compatible, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elias Koteas, Francesca Neri, Cliff Curtis, John Leguizamo and John Turturro
Produced by Steven Reuther and David Foster
Written by David Griffiths & Peter Griffiths, Directed by Andrew Davis.

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