Wrestlers have always tried to move on to different ventures in life after spending so much time in the squared circle. Some of them have gone on to try a life of music and become rock stars. Others have traveled into the world of other professional sports like the NFL or even MMA which would help them stay in a world of hard hits and violence. Most of those that move away from the bruising male soap opera though have tried their hand at acting because they know how to behave on camera. A good number of them have moved on to Hollywood for good while others make their way back into wrestling because it didn’t quite work out. The trend today, though, is seeing wrestlers take a few months off and shoot a film with the intent of being a bruiser again. Guess not quitting their day job is being taken to heart.
Actions going on in Colombia have become quite suspicious and gained the attention of those in the United States and its military. A Colombian group that goes by the name of FARC is meeting in far off jungles and now a team of Navy SEALS are petitioned out to find out exactly what is going on. Strangely enough they get involved in a battle between FARC and a Colombian military group that is battling over peace but now lives are being lost in endless battles all over the country. Now things are taking a turn for the worst as the Colombian government is accusing the SEALS of all the killings and starting the battles so that all wrongdoing can be taken off their shoulders. It is up to the small remaining amount of SEALS to stay alive and prove their innocence to the government of not only Colombia but also the United States.
If you’re able to free your mind of everything for a while and just enjoy a good old action movie then this is for you. The plot is overly simple in terms of having something bad happen down in a foreign country so the United States steps in to help by sending a crew of their baddest Navy SEALS. After they arrive, things get really ugly and it is a fight for truth and to stay alive. Lots of explosions, a ton of gunfire, and even a few hand-to-hand combat battles go down in Colombia making action junkies foam at the mouth. Considering that there is not much to follow along as far as storyline; it makes it easier to just relax and enjoy the murder and mayhem.
While there are a great number of people in this film, the focus is on Ken Anderson or as wrestling fans know him better, Mr. Kennedy. Kennedy is the latest WWE wrestler to get in front of the cameras in a different way and star in a feature film. John Cena, Kane, Triple H, and a great number of wrestlers in the past have played their acting card and come up short but that won’t stop more from trying. Hulk Hogan has been in countless films and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has gotten off the road and moved into acting full time. Kennedy is still an active wrestler and merely took some time to star in a film that is already the third in a franchise, but ends up being one of the better ones. The first Behind Enemy Lines with Owen Wilson was rather decent but found it hard to take him seriously in an action role. The second film entitled Axis Of Evil just sucked. Colombia is mindless and senseless fun and that is in large part to a surprising performance from Kennedy so here’s hoping he appears in more films on his own.
The film is shown in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and wasn’t the best in the world, but the video quality is always what suffers when screeners arrive on my doorstep. Not much can be said here because the video of this screener in particular is quite awful.
Colombia is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and it is great. If it gets better in the final released version as opposed to this screener then it’s going to be fantastic. All dialogue can be heard perfectly but the gunfire and explosions are what really make this film fun to watch.
Audio Commentaries – Two commentary tracks have found their way onto this DVD and only one of them is really worth checking out honestly. The first (and better) one consists of director Tim Matheson sitting down with actors Ken Anderson and Joe Manganiello. They talk about some backstage stuff and include more on the shooting locations and long days, but they also have a lot of fun. They’re joking around and having fun and are overly proud in their work. It seems as if they enjoyed the hell out of themselves while shooting Colombia and want everyone to know it.
Track number two consists of some guys from IGN gaming and do nothing but ramble about what is happening on screen. Imagine getting a group of your friends together, watching a random film, discussing it, and then forcing strangers to listen to it. I felt like the stranger here.
Making Of Featurette – This feature is split into six separate sections that cover every aspect from behind the scenes and they are: “The Big Guns,” “Colombia Norte,” “The Rockets Red Glare,” “The Art Of The Fall,” “Comedy In Colombia,” and “Stars With Stripes.” Pretty much they threw everything that could consist of multiple extras into one big continuous piece which isn’t a bad idea, but it sort of makes the DVD look barer then it actually is. They can all be viewed separately but it’s obvious that they go together. Every piece is pretty good and enjoyable enough to want to check out. (37:58)
Trailers – Babylon A.D., X-Files: I Want To Believe, Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead, and The Betrayed
Inside Enemy Lines: Colombia is so much better than it has any right to be, and that is one of the things that makes it fun. Going into this direct-to-DVD sequel to a direct-to-DVD sequel to a theatrical film, I had very little expectations and whatever I did have were exceeded completely. Ken Anderson aka Mr. Kennedy has been one of my favorite wrestling personalities since arriving on the scene a few years ago and when news came in that he’d be starring in a film, I knew he’d have the ability to act well. Little did I realize just how well he’d do starring in his first feature film and making it a fun action-packed adventure. The special features are a lot deeper then what they appear to be so you’re going to get more then you may think you are. The “making of” featurette is pretty good, but doesn’t provide overly much. The commentary tracks are one hit and one miss, but at least it isn’t a total loss. Having seen the films of other wrestlers such as John Cena and Kane, Mr. Kennedy has given me one of the most entertaining performances yet and I hope to see more from him in the future…IN-THE-FUTURE!
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20th Century Fox presents Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia. Directed by: Tim Matheson. Starring: Ken Anderson, Joe Manganiello, Channon Roe, Steven Bauer, and more. Written by: Tobias Iaconis. Running time: 93 minutes. Rating: R. Released on DVD: January 6, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
