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"COLLATERAL"
(2004) (Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx) (R)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Mild Heavy Extreme Moderate Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Moderate Minor Extreme None Extreme
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Moderate None Mild Moderate Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Action/Drama: A cab driver finds himself stuck transporting a contract killer from one hit to the next, all while the cops and feds close in on them.
PLOT:
Max (JAMIE FOXX) has been a Los Angeles cab driver for the past twelve years, but dreams of operating his own limo business. He expresses that goal to Annie (JADA PINKETT SMITH), one of his fares who turns out to be a high profile attorney for the Justice Dept. readying herself for a big case. Max's subsequent fare is more of a mystery, but just as powerful and determined.

While Vincent (TOM CRUISE) initially states that he wants to hire Max for the night to drive him around for some real estate business, in reality he's a hitman who's arrived in the city to take out five targets in one night.

With Vincent employing various safeguards and/or giving Max plenty of incentive not to flee, the two set out on a cross-city journey filled with deadly violence tempered by quieter moments of introspection and conversation.

It's not long, however, before Vincent's actions and growing body count soon draw the attention of local detectives Fanning (MARK RUFFALO) and Weidner (PETER BERG) as well as federal agent Pedrosa (BRUCE McGILL) who eventually realizes who Vincent is after. As the hitman makes his way through the list as the cops and feds close in on them, Max has to decide how to react and what he must do.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Older teens might, which would also likely hold true for those who are fans of someone in the cast or the works of director Michael Mann ("Ali," "Heat").
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For violence and language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • TOM CRUISE plays a slick and intelligent contract killer who's in town to kill several people. He hires and then coerces Max to be his driver for the night, drinks a bit and uses strong profanity.
  • JAMIE FOXX plays a cab driver who dreams of opening his own limo business, but finds himself as Vincent's driver/hostage/accomplice for the night. He uses strong profanity and briefly drinks.
  • JADA PINKETT SMITH plays a prosecuting attorney who's preparing for an important case.
  • MARK RUFFALO plays a narcotics detective working some murder cases who's the only one who believes Max might not be the killer. He uses strong profanity.
  • PETER BERG plays another cop working the murder cases.
  • BRUCE McGILL plays a federal agent who finds his surveillance plans upset by Vincent's actions.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated action/drama flick. Profanity consists of at least 22 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Brief, but sexually explicit dialogue is present, as are a few images of women in tight attire.

    Violence consists of lethal and bloody shootings, other deaths, fighting and additional injurious action. Some of that material and/or some "cat and mouse" moments might be unsettling, tense or suspenseful to some viewers, while some of that action and behavior might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Several characters have extreme bad attitudes, some drinking occurs, and there's some brief talk of familial tension and loss.

    Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

    For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, various scenes have jumpy camerawork.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • We repeatedly see an ad for Bacardi Silver on top of Max's cab.
  • We see a miscellaneous person holding a beer.
  • Vincent tells Max that he'll buy him a drink at a jazz club and we then see the two with drinks. Vincent then says he wants to buy a drink for the owner/trumpet player and we then see all three of them with drinks.
  • There's brief talk of the drug business.
  • Vincent states that when he was a kid his father got drunk and beat him.
  • Miscellaneous people drink in a club.
  • Miscellaneous people drink at a club.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • A body suddenly lands on top of Max's cab. We see blood on the victim's face as well as some on the cab.
  • Vincent suddenly shoots a man several times in the head, killing him (with only a tiny bit of blood).
  • We see what looks like blood on a sheet covering a person on a hospital gurney.
  • We see some bodies in a morgue, some of which have dried blood on their bodies and clothes, with one having a hole in his chest.
  • Two men struggle over a handgun that's fired many times, striking a federal agent with blood then squirting out. We see blood on a hand as well as a trail on the floor as he's pulled across it.
  • Some people who are shot have bloody bullet hole wounds and/or blood on their clothes.
  • Following a car accident, Vincent has some blood on his face and hands, while Max has some blood on his as well.
  • We briefly see a dead body that has some blood on it.
  • We see a dead security guard on the floor with a pool of blood around him.
  • A man shoots another man, seemingly in the head or neck, knocking him to the floor with lots of resultant blood on him.
  • Two men repeatedly shoot at each other, with then sitting down (we see a large blood stain on his shirt).
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Vincent is a contract killer who kills those on his list and others.
  • Four thugs approach Max whose hands are tie-wrapped to the steering wheel. One holds a gun on Max and then robs him and steals Vincent's briefcase.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" and/or "Blood/Gore" and may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material.
  • Fanning slowly enters and makes his way through a place with his gun drawn.
  • Some officers pull over Max's cab due to a cracked windshield. Before they get to the car, Vincent informs Max that he has to get rid of them or else. After some stalling, the cops want Max and Vincent to get out and open the trunk (where a dead body is stowed), but the cops are called away at the last moment.
  • Four thugs approach Max whose hands are tie-wrapped to the steering wheel. One holds a gun on Max and then robs him and steals Vincent's briefcase.
  • A man realizes that Vincent isn't a jazz fan, but rather a contract killer there to shoot him. He tries to talk his way out of being killed.
  • Max suddenly takes off with Vincent's briefcase, resulting in a foot chase outside a hospital and across a bridge.
  • Vincent sends Max into a club, posing as him where he must meet a potentially dangerous man (to get some important replacement info from him). Max must then bluff and pretend to be Vincent (who the dangerous man has never met in person).
  • We see Vincent's next victim working in an office building at night by herself as Vincent makes his way into the building and toward her office. Across the plaza, Max can see both of them and tries calling the woman to warn her. When the phone he's using dies, he races toward the building.
  • Vincent cuts the power to a building, leaving his next target in the dark. She then tries to hide and quietly crawl away as we see him nearing her (she sees his silhouette on the other side of some frosted glass). Vincent then slowly makes his way through the dark office, looking for his target.
  • Max and Vincent's target run and try to elude Vincent in an office building and then on a subway platform and then on a subway train (where some close calls and then a confrontation occur).
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns/Knife: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others. See "Violence" for details.
  • Federal agents are seen preparing automatic weapons.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Get in the f*cking car," "I'll f*ck you up," "Get the f*ck out of my face," "F*ck off," "What the f*ck are you still doing driving a cab?" "Who the f*ck is Fanning?" "Go f*ck yourself," "(That's) bullsh*t," "(If) sh*t happens," "Oh sh*t," "Wild sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Your full of sh*t," "Twilight Zone sh*t," "You sarcastic pr*ck," "Damn well know it," "Sucks," "What the hell?" "Piss you off," "Stick this cab up his fat ass," "Who the hell is this?" "You know G*ddamn well," "Flipped out," "Take your bitch with you," "Screw that up," "Beat his bitch ass to death with it," "Big ass" and "Slow the hell down."
  • Since the film makes killing look somewhat "cool" and certainly slick, it's possible some kids could want to imitate the hit-man action. Other action and stunts might be enticing for some kids to imitate as well.
  • Vincent tie-wraps Max's hands to the steering wheel so that he can't escape.
  • A miscellaneous person has tattoos.
  • Max suddenly accelerates in his cab and blasts through red lights and traffic. He then purposefully crashes the cab, causing it to flip over and crash into other vehicles. Both he and Vincent are injured.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • A body suddenly lands on top of Max's cab.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 22 "f" words (2 used with "mother," 1 used sexually), 38 "s" words, 1 slang term using male genitals ("pr*ck"), 16 asses (3 used with "hole"), 5 hells, 3 damns, 1 crap, 1 S.O.B., 6 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "For Christ's sakes," "God" and "Jesus."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • A couple in Max's cab argue, with the woman saying that last time she checked, the guy was sleeping with her. She then adds (about someone else), "So unless you want to start f*cking him..."
  • We briefly see a poster that shows a buxom woman wearing a small top.
  • The camera briefly focuses on three women's clothed butts as the women dance in a club (the shot then switches to Vincent passing by them).
  • SMOKING
  • None.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • Max isn't happy with the way his mother treats him (basically talking about him in front of others as if he's not there).
  • Vincent states that his mother died before he knew her and that his father got drunk and beat him, resulting in him being in foster homes. He then states that he killed his father, but then tells Max that he's only joking as the man died of liver disease.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Contract killers and what makes them do that sort of work.
  • Max reluctantly goes along with Vincent's plan for fear of his life as well as that of his mother (who Vincent threatens, but not in person).
  • The comment that life's short and one day it's gone.
  • VIOLENCE
  • A body suddenly lands on top of Max's cab. We see blood on the victim's face as well as some on the cab (Vincent shot him and he then fell through a window and several stories down to the cab).
  • Vincent holds his gun on Max to keep the latter under control.
  • Vincent shoots two thugs several times each, killing them.
  • Vincent suddenly shoots a man several times in the head, killing him (with only a tiny bit of blood).
  • Vincent hits Max several times, grabs him by the throat and pushes him back against a cab.
  • Max throws Vincent's briefcase off a bridge where it then smacks into a semi and bursts open. In turn, Vincent grabs Max and pins him to the footbridge surface.
  • Vincent tries to get to his next target inside a crowded nightclub. He hits one person and breaks another's neck. He breaks another's leg and hits, knees ad punches others.
  • Two men struggle over a handgun that's fired many times, striking a federal agent with blood then squirting out. We see blood on a hand as well as a trail on the floor as he's pulled across it.
  • More gunfire erupts in the club, with Vincent shooting and killing a guy who had targeted Max and was about to kill him. He then stabs another person, hits others and at least one innocent person is hit during a gun battle. Vincent then shoots and kills at least two people, with one shot to the head and blood being on the target's shirt.
  • Vincent shoots and kills a cop.
  • Max's cab sideswipes some parked cars as he quickly drives off from a bad scene.
  • Max suddenly accelerates in his cab and blasts through red lights and traffic. He then purposefully crashes the cab, causing it to flip over and crash into other vehicles. Both he and Vincent are injured.
  • Max flips a cop to the street and briefly holds a gun on him before running away.
  • We see a dead security guard on the floor with a pool of blood around him (the result of unseen violence).
  • After throwing a large trash can or similar object against a door in a futile effort to break the glass, Max shoots it out to gain entry.
  • A man shoots another man, seemingly in the head or neck, knocking him to the floor with lots of resultant blood on him.
  • Vincent shoots some glass and throws a chair through more glass to chase his victim.
  • Two men repeatedly shoot at each other, with one running out of bullets and then sitting down (we see a large blood stain on his shirt).



  • Reviewed July 26, 2004 / Posted August 6, 2004

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