Skip to main content

Dome Pondering Movie Review: Columbiana (2011)

What is it about? 

A woman, now a professional assassin, who had her parents killed in front of her as a child seek revenge on the killers.

Who is in it? 

Zoe Saldana - Cataleyna

Jordi Molla - Marco

Lennie James - Ross

Favorite Scene: 

Opening chase scene where a young Cataleyna escapes her parent's killers and makes her way to America to find her uncle. 

Favorite Quote:  

"Never forget where you came from"

Review: 

Columbiana is a movie, especially after viewing the trailer, that will let you down tremendously. While Zoe Saldana was pretty decent and believable as a mysterious assassin, the film which has such a typical, yet interesting, plot of revenging the death of the protagonist's parents, does an extremely poor job of executing the plot throughout the movie.

What should be an easy to produce plot, Columbiana offers lack of character depth, a lack of plot direction, and so many logistical holes in the overall plot to the movie that it leaves you wondering where the film just took you. After viewing the film, you find yourself with numerous questions and searching for answers related to the direct plot rather than any comment or praise for the film. It is simply one of those head scratching productions that just felt rushed. 

What about the positives? Well, the film has decent action, especially the opening scene with young Cataleyna running away from her parents killers. The scene is very reminiscent of the opening scene to Casino Royale. And besides the action, of course, there is the always attractive Zoe Saldana. 

However, not even Zoe can save this film from mere disappointment and utter mediocrity. 

Not a bad film if you don't expect much. 

Grade: 2.5/5

Recent Favorites

Dome Pondering Movie Review: The After (2023)

What is it about? In a short film, a grieving man confronts his past when he comes face-to-face with a passenger.  Who is in it? David Oyelowo - Dayo Jessica Plummer - Amanda Amelie Dokubo - Laura  Favorite Scene: It's an extremely short film, so...the final few moments.  Favorite Quote:  None. (not much dialogue) Review: This eighteen-minute masterpiece is amazing. You're absolutely taken on this ride of emotions that ultimately leaves you with a great realization of questioning what we value in life.  The lead character, in eighteen minutes, is powerful. His grief is carried through the film, exploding at the end. It very much leaves the viewer with so many questions - what was his life before the tragedy? What was his life after that moment? Did he ever reconnect with that family? Did he rediscover happiness?  Again, a very, VERY, powerful eighteen minutes that will jolt the heart, mind, and soul about life, what is important, and what we overvalue in its place.  Grade: 4/5

2024 NBA All-Star Weekend Thoughts

There's something wrong with the All-Star Game.  Yeah, we've definitely had this conversation before. Expect to pick up this very discussion (again) in July when Major League Baseball has their version in the "Mid-Summer Classic" when it is the ONLY current topic to bounce around in the stratosphere of sports discourse.  What's wrong with the All-Star Game?!  I'm not dismissing the obvious - yes, the NBA All-Star Game is very much at an alarming point of necessary refinement and change - evaluation is needed. What we saw on Sunday night was not disappointing, but outright embarrassing. Also yes, gone are the days when the game flooded your television screen at a respectable 6:30pm on NBC, and you were wowed by the athleticism and star power of the first half of the game, and treated to what felt like the world's best players playing pickup basketball on the grandest stage.  Now? Not so much. So yeah, we got the message. The outrage - and shock TV and hot t

Quick Ponder: Daily Armor

Imagine, if we can see the dents and scratches, the smashes and chaos,  on the daily armor, each of us put on. Just imagine.