The Stolen

I didn't know what to expect from this movie but I enjoyed. It could have been a lot better if they had developed the characters a lot more as well as the story.

Here we have another clichéd and very unimpressive attempt at what could've been a strong, memorable revenge tale. Since the first few scenes and spoken lines of dialogue I knew just how uninteresting and predictably bland this film was going to be. Although the writing of the script is highly questionable I think the story should have been considered better as a soap opera. Alice Eve delivers an unconvincing yet borderline-acceptable performance. The acting overall is evidently deficient and it becomes distracting after a while. The climax leaves you unmoved and careless after a lot of weak acting and predictable plot points. On the other hand the cinematography and landscape shots are pretty nice as you would expect in any 'western' flick. The musical score is alright for the most part but at times it feels a bit out of place. Camerawork and editing are pretty average and acceptable. Production design is suitable although some of the sets look clearly unfinished and hurriedly made. All in all not recommended, do not waste your time in this. Go watch a real american western instead.

Not sure about the negative "western" comments as if the US was the only place that ever had horses and gold towns. We thought the story, the acting and the scenery were all quite good.

This movie is a bit disingenuous in its advertising - a woman with a gun behind her back and the tag line, "She's Coming For You". The Alice Eve character was weak and needy for 95% of the movie. She wasn't a vigilante by any means - never armed and "coming for anybody" in the entire movie! She was stupid, naive, and man-dependent throughout. Even after being horribly wronged, she seemed stunningly unchanged. Poor writing or directing or acting? As the credits rolled I had no faith that our "hero" would live to see another day unless some kind-hearted man saved her. Pretty much the OPPOSITE of what I hoped for. I recommend the movie Sweetwater, starring January Jones if you want to see a satisfying vigilante movie.

The first act is pretty good and succeeds in engaging the viewer. But as the plot unravels it gets harder to stay engaged as disbelief sets in. Several interesting plot points are introduced but never resolved.

The best part is the scenery, it is very beautiful to look at, with majestic mountains and rich flora. It is New Zealand after all. I kept looking for Frodo to pop in for a cameo.

The presentation of frontier life in the fringes of civilization was also interesting, and illustrated very well the randomness of death that could surprise even the seasoned and experienced,

Alice Eve does a great job with the starring part as the distraught mother, but as the story collapses there is not much she can do.

But the scenery and the dangers by themselves does not make a god movie. The last 30 minutes steadily go downhill until the weak ending.

Side note, a better movie with Alice Eve is Replica, with Keanu Reeves. That one is a 7.5 .