Traded

This is my first review but, trust me when I say I am an avid movie and film watcher. I love anything historical, period films and the Westerns are at the top of my list. This film had a good story line and some good and strong acting but, it also had many terrible aspects as well! I will never forget the short speech by Mr. Kris Kristofferson at the bar about feeding the wolf! It reminded me of the last film by the late great Mr John Wayne telling the fatherless Ron Howard during a pistol lesson in the "Shootist" on the rules a man must follow to be a real man...never forgot that speech and never will! All in all, this is a typical "made for TV movie" with a few rated "R" words and moments. If you love westerns and don't care if they're a couple of great actors, a few good actors, and a cast chocked full of bad ones, watch this film. If you're looking for a film the caliber of "The Outlaw Josey Wales","The Shootist","Tom Horn(with Steve McQueen)","Stagecoach","Shane", "How the West was Won" or the likes of the late great Sergio Leone's famous "Man with no Name Trilogy" spaghetti westerns, and the TV mini series from 80's like "Lonesome Dove" or "North and the South" the old James Michener mini series "Centennial" from 78...This movie,in my humble opinion, this movie has it's moments isn't in the same ballpark...or should I say rodeo? I would however like to say, great work to Mr Trace Adkins and Mr Kris Kristofferson. Those two made this film totally worth watching. Especially Mr.Adkins. I don't want to spoil anything but, the pure "Non-Stop Go Power" that comes from a deep place within all real men and woman, that kicks in when family is involved...I believe that Mr. Adkins would/could be this character in real life! I'm just giving you all out there my honest opinion...and you know what they say about opinions and A holes, everybody got one. So watch it yourself and post what you think. Thanks for your time and consideration... Respectfully submitted, from the North Coast of the USA, Forever searching for MY holy grail, Mike J.

P.S. A special thanks to "Notagoodguy44" for helping fix what's broke even when I didn't know it was broke to start with! thanks again

It's so sad when people write in saying that this is the best western they have seen or even the best movie ever. Since the start of the twentieth century many thousands of westerns have been made with hundreds considered classics and works of art. Will Traded still be watched in fifty or sixty years time? No, probably not even next month. It's great to be loyal if you're a friend or relation of someone in the cast or crew, but don't send movie goers off thinking they'll be seeing a Peckenpah, Ford, Stevens or Eastwood. There is nothing better than a good western, but nothing worse than a bad one and this is bad on so many levels. The direction, (if I slow it right down it will appear more arty) script, (must hold the world record for how many times the phrase 'son of a bitch' is used. Acting often very amateurish (apart from the actress playing Girl), and costumes and props straight from the hire shop. So many shiny new guns. Will the director be kind enough not to make any more. For me and countless others, westerns a too important and you're giving them a bad name.

RELEASED IN 2016 and directed by Timothy Woodward Jr., "Traded" stars Michael Paré as a father ruthlessly pursuing his runaway daughter (Brittany Elizabeth Williams) who has fallen prey to slavers in the prostitution trade. Trace Adkins plays an intimidating saloon owner while Kris Kristofferson is on hand as a bartender seeking redemption from the filth he's forced to live amidst. Tom Sizemore plays a nasty buyer in the slave-whore business.

This is a low-budget Western that has some technical weaknesses, like dubious continuity/editing, but a compelling story, gritty tone, brutal violence and fine locations, costuming & score. If you don't appreciate dark, violent modern Grade B Westerns like "Hickok" (2017) and "6 Guns" (2010) don't bother. The plot is obviously a melding of "Hardcore" (1979) and "Taken" (2008) in the Old West, but without the blockbuster resources. There are a lot of UN-pleasant elements as we see what those saloon babes REALLY had to go through in the Old West.

There are some unexpected highlights, like Marie Oldenbourg as "Girl" in a meaty subplot, but the way it concludes (the subplot) is a missed opportunity. As dark and brutal as the movie is, there are thankfully brief rays of light, hope, reverence and (hopefully) happiness.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 38 minutes and was shot at Paramount Ranch, Agoura, California and areas nearby. WRITER: Mark Esslinger.

GRADE: B-

Like Liam Neeson's 'Taken' franchise, this is a 'father-chases-daughter's-kidnapper' movie. Funny enough, I could not even tell the difference between the two other than the costumes and weapons used. So the verdict is simple - if you like action movies where the goodies always win the day (and get to take the daughter home), this is for you.Sit back and enjoy. Forget about comments made by others that there are acting, stories etc, this is not a film for awards, and I nearly forget ... the veteran actor Kris Kristofferson. He did not even appear for more than 5 minutes. So don't buy your ticket because of him. Other than all that, it's a pleasant film for a couple of hours.

Can't go wrong with Kris Kristofferson in your western, too.

In the same premise as the movie Taken, a man, who just lost his son to a snake bite, loses his daughter to white slavery and has to use a particular set of skills he retired 15 or so years before to bring her back.

The movie gives this speech at the beginning of the film that talks about how slavery has just ended but white slavery still existed. It put me in the mood to see a whole movie about white slavery, but the movie was made very personal as we just followed this cowboy on his journey to finding his daughter.

Although Tom Sizemore is in the movie as a pimp trying to create the best whore house on this side of the Mississippi(his words) which made for a more insightful look at prostitution in the wild west.

Michael Paré does a great job as a lead actor playing a cowboy. silent but deadly and a real talk is cheap type of person. He's traveling all over the west looking for his daughter who was sold and traded into being a whore.

The concept of the movie is really dark, especially when the fact that through the movie you never know exactly what's going on with the daughter as the movie is all from the lead actor's point of view.

Although I must admit, the film itself is not as dark as the concept. I feel like I should have been more on the edge of my seat concern about the whereabouts of this child, rather than how bad ass the cowboy is.

Well overall, I wish this was the Taken for the prequel with Liam Neeson