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Writers Robert Fyvolent, Mark Brinker and Allison Burnett, along with director Gregory Hoblit ("Fracture"), have come up with a humdinger of a premise for their dark thriller "Untraceable." It seems that a techno-savvy serial killer has set up a website where people can go to watch him torture and murder his victims in real time. The kicker is that the degree and speed of the torture are in direct proportion to the number of viewers logged onto the site, thus making the general public morally complicit in the crimes. The always superb Diane Lane really classes up the joint playing a cyber-cop who is not only hot on the trail of the killer, but might actually be one of his intended targets as well.

The idea for "Untraceable" is probably better than the movie itself, yet, despite its weaknesses, this is a reasonably engrossing and gripping thriller, provided one can stomach the sleaziness of the material and the too-clever-by-half "ironic" ending (the movie is at least more believable in its approach than the similarly-themed "The Condemned"). "Untraceable" certainly has some depressing things to say about our natural human propensity for sadism and voyeurism, and it raises the terrifying prospect that we will now be able to use modern technology as a means of satisfying our bloodlust with total impunity. The movie might have had a sharper moral and ethical edge to it had it featured some common-folk characters debating within and amongst themselves whether or not to log onto the site, knowing that, by doing so, they would be contributing to the death of a fellow human being. But because the writers fail to incorporate such scenes into the screenplay, the premise never gets much beyond the "intriguing idea" stage. Still, the concept is compelling enough on its own to keep "Untraceable" a few steps ahead of the psycho-thriller pack.

Well, I can say one thing about this movie is that is was very original. Most of the pessimistic losers out there who are fans of 'Gorror' movies will cry, and complain that it was a rip-off of the Saw series. Yeah, yeah... whatever. In reality... THIS could ACTUALLY happen. And the saddest part, is that people would log onto the site to watch THAT happen.

This movie was a little slow... It is not an action movie, does not have any nudity, no car chases, no monsters, no sex, no love triangle, no street fighting.. so the average movie-goer will find it lame, slow, and boring. I like slower movies, lets you think as you watch. Diane Lane was good, but not super. She has had better, no... much better roles. Joseph Cross plays a really creepy bad guy, with sick twisted emotions.

The movie was not great, but is surely was not a bad film. I believe if you are a real fan of Murder mystery, police detective films, with some thriller thrown in, you would, or may like this flick. With ONLY 1 Hr. and 40 Mins. if someone complains about length, they need to get checked for A.D.D. or they need to stick to teen-age comedies like Strange Wilderness, or Meet the Spartans.

Check this movie out with an open mind, don't let the pessimists cloud your idea of this film. It is an innovative film, with a good cast, and the shots of Portland, Oregon are not bad at all. I will actually give this film a 6 1/2 out of 10.

25 January 2008. This played straight movie incorporates elements of SAW and MANHUNTER (or RED DRAGON) into a fusion film that carefully balances the creepy horror elements with an intelligent thriller. The plot is tight and there is a delicate underlying element of fear and anxiety built from the very beginning of the movie. The relationship between the two primary FBI agents this time around is much more authentic without the typical emotional cliques. The reveals are handled well. The music fits the movie and paces it well. The photography and shot angles add to the movie's intensity. Overall, this movie elevates itself and adds a new and important angle regarding the internet, mass media, and the issues of blatant exploitation and almost public lust for violence and disaster. UNTRACEABLE avoids being pandering and avoids being exploitative itself, the horror is presented not in exciting and titillating terms but more in a repulsive and rejecting manner. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't allow for the full development of the antagonist character and still appears much more two-dimensional even though he does across as a person to be reckoned with. In other words, this movie could have been significantly even more than what it accomplishes. Seven out of Ten Stars.

Entertaining thriller about a crazed young computer geek who becomes the deranged moderator of his own "Kill With Me" live internet feed where he displays new victims being slowly tortured to death. The more hits he gets at his site, the faster the people featured on his webcam die. This is disturbing in making us realize what depths we've sunk to in our society, and what morbid curiosities can do. I especially liked that the 40-something Diane Lane is the star as the police woman who tries to apprehend the killer, instead of relying on the usual Jessica Alba or Sarah Michelle Gellar "honeys" of late.

*** out of ****

With the internet and cyberspace so common in everyone's life today, plus with the reported upswing of crimes like identity theft and pornography on the net in it's own way "Untraceable" is very relevant and common with today's times. "Untraceable" a crime computer thriller that's set in Portland, Oregon it involves an investigative computer unit of the FBI headed up by a single mother Jennifer Marsh(Diane Lane). Interestlingly the unit comes across a website of a creep who broadcasts live torture and killings of hostage victims in various grisly ways live over the internet. The bloody catch is the more the web surfer logs onto the sick website, the faster and quicker the victims will die in the various forms of bleed outs, fried by hot mirrors, or seasoned by sulfuric acid. The drama only gets more interesting when the computer of Jennifer is hacked into by the sicko setting up for a dramatic finish and showdown encounter. Lane gives a fine performance as a serious investigative agent, and yet no matter how grisly that many scenes are the theme of net crime and hacking overpowers and gives a strong message of awareness even over the well liked and popcorn moments of torture and nasty horror. Overall "Untraceable" is not a bad flick nothing great, yet it's enjoyable and does hold interest by making us aware of the web crime and hacking identity problem.