Starts very promisingly, degenerates into mediocrity.

Rating: 5/10 (21 August 2004)

I think the reason COLLATERAL has been so over-rated by critics and audiences is the fact that the studio wisely slipped it into the summer film slate, when we're more accustomed to seeing big-budget, effects-driven event films. COLLATERAL is definitely a character-driven film, and for the first two thirds, is fairly thoughtful and well-made. The digital cinematography and pick-up locations lend an authenticity to the story of a hit-man and his cab driver. The performances are truthful, and the screenplay allows us time to get to know the characters of Vincent and Max, the proverbial cat and mouse. The third act of the film, however, degenerates into typical Hollywood gunplay. The mental chess match becomes a tired physical shoving match, and Jada Pinkett Smith's character re-appears for a wildly improbable plot twist that all but loses the film its credibility.