Perhaps the best premise for thrills since Speed, only this time the bad guy's on board and the battle of wits is more philosophical debate than pop quiz.
Collateral (2004)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:221
Fresh:191
Rotten:30
Average Rating:7.4/10
Consensus: Another taut and stylish thriller by Michael Mann.
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Three-time Academy AwardŽ nominee Tom Cruise ("Magnolia," "Jerry Maguire," "Born on the Fourth of July"), Jamie Foxx ("Ali," "Any Given Sunday") and Jada Pinkett Smith ("The Matrix Reloaded," "The... Three-time Academy AwardŽ nominee Tom Cruise ("Magnolia," "Jerry Maguire," "Born on the Fourth of July"), Jamie Foxx ("Ali," "Any Given Sunday") and Jada Pinkett Smith ("The Matrix Reloaded," "The Matrix Revolutions") star in the thriller "Collateral," under the direction of three-time Academy AwardŽ nominee Michael Mann ("The Insider"). Max (Jamie Foxx) has lived the mundane life of a cab driver for 12 years. The faces have come and gone from his rearview mirror, people and places he's long since forgotten...until tonight. Vincent (Tom Cruise) is a contract killer. When an offshore narcotrafficking cartel learns they're about to be indicted by a federal grand jury, they mount an operation to identify and kill the key witnesses, and the last stage is tonight. Tonight, Vincent arrived in L.A...and five bodies are supposed to fall. Circumstances cause Vincent to hijack Max's taxicab, and Max becomes collateral-an expendable person in the wrong place at the wrong time. Through the night Vincent forces Max to drive him to each assigned destination. And as the LAPD and FBI race to intercept them, Max and Vincent's survival becomes dependent on each other in ways neither would have imagined. Jada Pinkett Smith stars as United States Attorney Annie Farrell. Rounding out the main cast are Mark Ruffalo ("In the Cut"), Peter Berg ("Cop Land"), OscarŽ nominee Javier Bardem ("Before Night Falls") and Bruce McGill ("Runaway Jury"). A co-production of DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, "Collateral" is being produced by Michael Mann and Julie Richardson from a screenplay by Stuart Beattie. Frank Darabont, Chuck Russell, Rob Fried and Peter Giuliano served as executive producers. -- © DreamWorks [More]
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Javier Bardem, Bruce McGill, Irma P. Hall
Director: Michael Mann
Director: Michael Mann
Screenwriter: Stuart Beattie
Producer: Michael Mann, Julie Richardson
Composer: James Newton Howard
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC
Reviews for Collateral
Awesome vision and a compellingly villainous Tom Cruise save this cool contemporary noir from its lukewarm patches.
A stylish, impressively directed, smartly written thriller with superb performances by both Cruise and Foxx.
For Vincent's sharp-witted command of the cab and the echoes of The Third Man and Heat, Collateral is well worth targeting.
A superbly well-structured screenplay and an unhurried, sure-handed directorial style. Otherwise, alas, there's not much to it.
Someone's been playing a little too much Hitman on their PlayStation 2.
It's too bad that halfway through, Collateral turns into a series of loud, chaotic, over-the-top action set pieces in which the existentialist Mann proves he's lousy at action.
Mann's film makes Tom Cruise fun to watch again, because he occasionally plays someone besides Tom Cruise.
Collateral crackles with energy and purpose, a propulsive film with character on its mind and confident men and women on both sides of the camera.
[Mann's] still looking out the car windows for something to make a movie about as he's filming the convictionless scenes.
Could someone please let Michael Mann know that we're in the 21st Century, Miami Vice has been cancelled and he can move on?
Michael Mann has whipped up a slick neo-noir, rife with mordant humor and hard-boiled action set in a town without pity
Throughout the gruesome cat-and-mouse game being played by Vincent and Max in Collateral, there's something psychologically, dramatically and even sociologically interesting going on.
Latest News for Collateral
February 07, 2007:
Ben Stiller & Tom Cruise: The New Hardy Boys?
Will Tom Cruise resort to comedy in an effort to salvage his semi-damaged image? And if so, is Ben Stiller to be his partner in hilarity? More...
December 19, 2006:
New Screenwriter Boards the "Punisher" Sequel
Thomas Jane has been making the internet rounds lately, and he's been telling anyone who'll listen that the world simply MUST have a sequel to "The Punisher." His most... More...
August 07, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: Will Ferrell Scores His First #1 Opening with Talladega Nights
Comedy superstar Will Ferrell scored his first-ever number one opening in a lead role with the stronger-than-expected debut of his latest hit Talladega Nights: The Ballad of... More...
July 31, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: "Miami Vice" Knocks Pirates From #1 Spot
Detectives Crockett and Tubbs shot their way to number one in North America with the cop thriller Miami Vice which finally managed to knock the megablockbuster Pirates of the... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Collateral at Rotten Tomatoes
- Collateral at IGN
- Collateral at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

