Collateral - 6.5/10
Look, I'm not going to pretend like this film is a masterpiece or anything, but it is one DAMN fine thriller and is more than worth your time. Jaime Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith are both pretty incredible in this, with Foxx really bringing home the feelings of nervousness and panic that his character, Max, must feel being thrust into a sitaution like this. Michael Mann brings beautiful choreography to the table as well as some pretty exquisite directing. The man's a master of his craft when it comes to action films, and this is no exception. That being said, I can't let this movie off the hook for a few things. For one, there are a few scenes that just feel unnecessary or cheesy, mostly in the second half, and sometimes the dialogue is just a bit too witty for its own good. There are also a pretty, well, dumb lines. At the final big line that was essentially the payoff for the whole movie, I was cackling so hard that I had tears in my eyes, and I'm pretty damn sure that was NOT the intention. While all of that detracts, and the film itself isn't necessarily trying to push any boundaries, I still found it to be a terrific, gritty rollercoaster through the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles that kept me gripped right up to the final credits. If you've got the time, check it out. It goes by very quickly.
(Personal grading scale note: 1 - Abysmal, 2 - Terrible, 3 - Bad, 4 - Meh, 5 - Mediocre, 6 - Decent, 7 - Great, 8 - Incredible, 9 - Godlike, 10 - Masterpiece, I rarely give anything above an 8.)