For someone who supposedly "retired" from the movie business in 2006 to concentrate on working behind the scenes of the industry, French film icon Luc Besson seems more busy than ever. Granted, he's not directing much, but his resume over the last few years includes 20 some pictures as either writer, producer, or both. Responsible for such flailing franchises as The Transporter and Taxi, his latest is entitled Colombiana, and continues his run of over the top schlock action efforts. With dithering disciple Olivier Megaton on board as director and the fantastically fetching Zoe Saldana as our title assassin, Besson stays close to his glorified guilty pleasure roots.
When she was nine-years-old, Cataleya (Amandla Stenberg) saw her parents killed by Marco (Jordi Mollà), the henchman of a local Colombian drug lord named Don Luis (Beto Benites). Escaping before they can eliminate any 'witnesses,' our tiny heroine manages to make it to the US Embassy, and then Chicago, where she falls under the tutelage of her Uncle Emilio (Cliff Curtis). There, she becomes a highly trained hit woman (Saldana) who leaves behind an orchid -- her namesake -- calling card on each one of her victims. Naturally, she has not forgotten her past and is actively seeking revenge against those who destroyed her childhood, leaving a trail of 23 victims in her wake. This gets the interest of FBI Special Agent Ross (Lennie James), who believes the flower symbol is the work of a tag serial killer. Desperate, Cataleya hopes to satisfy her need for revenge before the law tracks her down.
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