Collateral, Michael Mann’s intense LA noir thriller starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, marks its 20th anniversary with a 4K UHD Steelbook.

In one corner, we have contract killer Vincent (Tom Cruise).  Over in the other corner, there is cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) and even though he also has dreams, he isn’t quite there yet. For a thriller of this nature, it is certainly inevitable that their lives intersect. Before he knows it, Max finds himself having to transport Vincent across five stops on the same night. If you’re counting, that’s also five different hits lest we forget the getaway. Max just happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Suffice it to say that neither person’s life is will probably be the same after this.

It’s supposed to be a regular job for Max. Pick up the customer and drive them to where they need to be. Next thing Max knows, one of his customers decies to hold him hostage. You know what? Is this vaguely reminding anyone of Stuber? Except instead of a detective taking an Uber driver hostage, we have a hitman instead. Oh, well. I certainly appreciate both films for what they are. What Vincent doesn’t know is that Max also picked up federal prosecutor Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith) and has her business card.

While I’m not surprised at all by Tom Cruise’s performance in the film, can we stop for moment to applaud Jamie Foxx? In the same year that Foxx earns a supporting actor nomination for Collateral, the actor also made a clean sweep as Best Actor for his performance as Ray Charles in Ray. Foxx is just that good.

In addition to Foxx’s acting nomination, film editors Jim Miller and Paul Rubell were nominated for their work on the film. The American Film Institute (AFI) would also honor the film as one of its top ten of the year. In a world where the Oscars now nominate up to ten films, it is certainly hard to imagine Collateral not getting a nomination if that had been the case for 2004 releases.

Imagine a world where Russell Crowe and Adam Sandler were on board as Vincent and Max, respectively. Think for a minute about what this could have probably done for Sandler’s career if he picked up an Oscar nomination like Foxx! Or Mimi Leder, Janusz Kamiński and Fernando Meirelles behind the camera as director. Once upon a time, this was almost what happened.

While Tom Cruise is billed as the first lead of Collateral, Jamie Foxx manages to steal the show.

Bonus Features

• Commentary by Director Michael Mann (4K/Blu-ray)
• City of Night: The Making of Collateral
• Special Delivery
• Deleted Scene with Commentary
• Shooting on Location: Annie’s Office
• Tom Cruise & Jamie Foxx Rehearse
• Visual FX: MTA Train

DIRECTOR:  Michael Mann
SCREENWRITER:  Stuart Beattie
CAST:  Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill

DreamWorks and Paramount released Collateral in theaters on August 6, 2004. The film is available on 4K Ultra HD.

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