Collateral on Cruise control

Collateral may entertain you, and even thrill you, but the violent caper is not likely to blow you away.

The reason? Despite sure direction (from Michael Mann, director of several superior thrillers, including the excellent HEAT), and equally strong acting from Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, the film simply refuses to break new ground.

Instead, you sense the filmmakers are content to sit back and let the sizeable gamble of casting Cruise as a bad guy carry the film.

Lucky for them, Cruise is pitch perfect in his role as a hired assassin making his way through a night of killing in LA, forcing cab driver Foxx to be his chauffeur.

The film looks beautiful, but the screenplay is often painfully obvious. It also employs several clichés at key points. One especially heinous one involving a cell phone practically ruins the final third of the film.

But did I mention Cruise’s performance? The box office pretty boy is utterly convincing as the methodical killer. The crazed look he gives his character when things don’t go “just so” is something to see.

Foxx also surprises with his performance, playing the frightened, disbelieving cabbie with just the right mix of whimsy and fear. It certainly raised the bar for his performance in the upcoming Ray (based on the life of Ray Charles). For all its faults, the atmosphere, pace and performances in Collateral ultimately keep it headed in the right direction.

Collateral opened Aug. 6 nationwide.