Cruise has stellar performance - everyone else, *Z*ero...

Rating: 10/10 (2 August 2005)

Tom Cruise delivers another stellar performance in Collateral. Unfortunately, he's the sole actor who sells the tickets. Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith are *horrible* actors -- especially the latter. The beginning of the movie crawls to a start. It's a snooze fest until Cruise enters the story line as the wild coyote-eyed assassin. Granted, the above-the-city cinematography is stunning, but the edits leave us dangling above the lights for far too long, boring the viewing audience. The dialogue between Cruise and Foxx for the most part is good, but the exchange between Foxx and Smith is torturous & tedious. The second shining performance is Barry Shabaka Henley as Daniel. Too bad his part was so short... Folks, you had your money on the wrong pony -- I'd have hired a million Smiths to one Henley. The man is the complete package and wanting for nothing. The worst part of this film is the sub-story, or "love" story. I tried to be patient, but ended up skipping most of it. Please, don't insult your audience, directors! Who would believe Smith could hire a taxi, become seduced by the driver far enough to offer her card (she's a prosecutor, for crying out loud), and then she ends up being the last target of the assassin in the same cab, who Foxx rescues. Even trying to play the "destiny" card flops, it's just too ridiculous. And what an X through the credibility of strong female characters in movie-land. Is this the 70s or what? Definitely not a 2004 plot line with such a lame spin. To cap it, the movie's ending was as boring and stupid as its beginning. This garbage ending has only one gem - that's the Cruise line maxing out on the subway (note: teleology works here). Otherwise, the whole story is a royal tosser.