Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11502 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-10-07
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Polish, Greek, Czech, Turkish, Hungarian, Icelandic, Croatian, Dutch, Arabic, Romanian, Bulgarian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Didn't the Arnold Schwarzenegger tough-guy role become outdated way back in the mid-90s? Aren't audiences tired of all this stuff by now? Collateral Damage would have you believe not. Within minutes we see the Austrian Oak in fire-fighter's uniform running to the rescue in cheesy slo-mo. Arnie's two-dimensional character seems a little archaic and so does the revenge-for-the-death-of-his-wife-and-child plot. Someone apparently thought that applying the politics of terrorism addressed in Proof of Life to the Arnie shootout genre was a good idea. Yet here even the Colombian bad guys' motivations seem muddled and hastily obscured under bullet-quick exposition. It's also no good trying to show the muscle man in a different light: so what if he mopes about with a tear in his eye for 20 minutes, we all know he's going to take the law into his hands soon enough. This he does with familiar gusto, of course. Fights and explosions ensue. Johns Leguizamo and Turturro provide comical cameos but add nothing more. The film's release was delayed so as not to offend anyone in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Who were they kidding? No-one ever took an Arnie movie seriously, least of all this one.

On the DVD: Collateral Damage on disc has a couple of documentaries that try to embellish the idea of Schwarzenegger's new on-screen persona, but neither succeed. The additional scenes deserved to be excised. The commentary from director Andrew Davis certainly hints at greater aspirations, but makes no apology for the lack of pay-off. There's supposed to be a DVD-ROM-only commentary from Schwarzenegger, too, but this reviewer couldn't find it anywhere. --Paul Tonks

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

Audio commentary by director Andrew Davis

Audio Commentary by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Documentary: A Hero in a New Era

Documentary: HBO First Look

Additional scenes

Trailer

Ratio 16:9

Language: English, Italian and Spanish

Synopsis
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a lone Los Angeles fireman whose wife and child are killed by a terrorist bomb in this eerily prescient action drama. Vowing revenge against the Columbian guerilla leader who set the bomb, Gordy Brewer (Schwarzenegger) heads down to Central America where he is soon caught in a crossfire between the terrorists and a cadre of CIA operatives led by hard-nosed agent Peter Brandt (Elias Koteas). Escaping prisons, diving off waterfalls, and biting off ears, Gordy seems unstoppable until he realizes his target has a wife and child of his own, and moral confusion sets in. Action fans expecting typical brainless mayhem might be surprised to find emoting, ethical dilemmas and criticism of US foreign policy in an Arnold vehicle, but they needn't worry: he still finds time for plenty of bone-breaking and blowing things up before the credits roll. Gorgeous Italian actress Francesca Neri (LIVE FLESH) is a major asset as the terrorist's wife. Andrew Davis (THE FUGITIVE) directed the film. Though it has nothing to do with the actual terrorist attack on America or political events in the Middle East, this film's mix of firemen, grief, and terrorism may still strike a sensitive nerve in some viewers.

Customer Reviews

'I'm being mean here!'
I really liked the movie, first seeing it on live TV.

I thought the plot was well thought up, and the actors were extremely convincing.

The twists that take place in this movie get you annoyed with yourself, not being able to figure out why you couldn't guess it was going to happen.

I've got nothing more to say about this movie....!

I'm being mean here! Cause when i bought it on dvd, not off amazon :s, for some reason the disc wasnt good and 1 or 2 scenes dont work...

But that aint the movies fault!!

Anyway, if you like good action movies, get this!

Cyas all l8r!

What happened to Arnie?
Collateral Damage or whatever happened to Arnold Schwarzenegger's career? It's hard to say, but this is probably one of the worst films he's done (and let's face it, he's done some rubbish). Now don't get me wrong, I'm a big Arnie fan, but even I don't like this one.

Delayed at release after the September 11th bombings, you wonder why this was ever released at all. But then again, it does do something the American's like to think themselves capable of - taking down a whole terrorist organisation with just one man.

Arnie had been on decline for years after reaching new heights with Predator/ T2 / True Lies - there really was nowhere left for him to go, but did he have to choose this project? It started so well, making amends for Batman & Robin, he came back with End Of Days. Then it all went wrong. The Sixth Day and now this.

It's not an awful movie, but it has the feel of an 80's movie and does nothing for the audience of today - are we still to believe that one man, who looks like Arnie, can infiltrate another country and wipe out a whole terrorist organisation? I just wish they'd put a bit more thought into it.

This could have been a great gritty thriller about a man dealing with the aftermath of his families murder, but this is an Arnie film and we don't go to see Arnie for that.

It's big, it's stupid and it's loud and that's about it. Good thing that he's governor now as with films like this, his career was pretty much over.

Hmmmm......great if you like Arnie!
This movie is not impressive. Classic Arnie movie, high body count, but a thin script, slightly far fetched action (which most of us love from time to time) After watching this film I was left with a feeling of "seen it all before". What was good about this film? Well its a good movie if you like light entertainment with some heavy action scenes, and dont want to exert your brain cells. Very much the John Wayne effect at work here - same man, same part, but different story in each film. A must for all your Arnie fans, indifference or pass it by if you expect higher things from your DVD entertainment viewing! But if you love the Arnie genre then its definitely for you, and guaranteed not to disappoint.