Otage

I just saw Hostage today at an advanced screening and I liked it! It seems to have all the elements of the Bruce Willis action movie, so one might think it cannot surprise anymore. Then again, you rarely see a bad Bruce Willis movie. It has the opening failure of the perfect cop, and the almost "post traumatic stress" side to the character who then moves into a smaller town, but carries his burden along with him.

But this time, Bruce Willis doesn't seem all that perfect, he is scared, his voice is shaking in several situations and even cries. He still saves the day, but he's a lot more... human. And the guy is pretty good at this, too.

Then there are the really powerful scenes that shake your soul! Young actor Ben Foster is involved in many of them and does a terrific (literally and figuratively speaking) job! There are also some unexpected resolutions and some even less expected symbolic shots.

Bottom line is, Hostage is a good pick not only for the action/thriller fan, but also for any movie goer.

I had read Robert Crais's novel some years ago and remember enjoying the book as a good thriller. Now I know most adaptations of novels tend to not match the original in terms of overall quality. Thus I kept me expectations low. But even that wasn't enough. 'Hostage' is very disappointing. It's executed in the form of an uninteresting episode of 'CSI: Miami'. The background score is heavily intrusive and makes every single situation overtly dramatic. Add to that, the over the top performances by every single member of the cast who are mostly yelling and screaming. The director really made it into a 'Die-Hard' style action flick. It lacks the depth of the book. Willis is in his Die Hard mode, shouting at people and running around. Oh and there's also this irritating Jimmy Bennett who tries to be cute and screams. Michelle Horn is pretty but she's the clichéd whiny teen. Foster is unrecognizable but his character has no layer. Pollak doesn't do much to be proud of. Tucker overacts. Allman manages to keep the balance at times and does better than his co-stars. It's pity that a novel which would have made a fine thriller film has been wasted on a poor film due to over-the-top...everything. They didn't even follow the events of the novel properly resulting in plot holes and lack of development (thanks to Richardson's screenplay).

I went into this movie with moderate expectations, but was very impressed with how good it was. Thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, Hostage offered some great action, drama, emotion and most of all some fantastic acting, mainly by Bruce Willis and Ben Foster. I have not always enjoyed Willis' movies, but this one was reminiscent of some of his better roles, ie. Die Hard and Sixth Sense.

I have read some of the media's reviews of this film and some have been unjustifiable harsh. Were they watching the same movie? Once again, I am glad that I did not listen to the critics because I would have missed this movie. If you are in the mood for a tense, gritty thriller with believable and emotional characters, Hostage will not disappoint. I give it 8.5/10.

this is definitely a film that you have to come into with a knowledge that it does pander to a mainstream audience, but not as much as you may think. it does take chances with sensitive subjects that most movies of its ilk usually avoid, resulting in an action flick that's a little more twisted, morbid, but also involving. it's not Seven, but there are similar disturbing touches.

i don't like writing full blown synopses because of my personal dislike of having too much information before i see the film. i like an honest opinion of whether someone loved or hated a movie, but when plot points start being handed off without warning, it irritates me. so here's the stuff:

the direction is more than competent (though nothing special). the writing, while allowing some rather cheap conveniences along the way, still delivers enough material for an exciting ride. the acting is above average, while it's not exactly the bruce willis comeback i was hoping for, this film doesn't insult his abilities either. he is able to showcase most of his dependable acting range in this, most of the time convincingly, though there is the occasional weak point. there are intentional cookie cutter characters who's sole function is to get the story past a certain point with no development, but that didn't bother me. the main characters accomplished their roles in carrying the story. especially ben foster.

after seeing this guy in last year's punisher, i was expecting a little more of the same in the dryly comedic, sidekick potential that shea lebouf turned out as. didn't exactly get that here. in Hostage, he's one of the most convincing psychotics i've seen in film in a long time. he is the devil in this movie, and it's a harrowing thing to watch. he earned his keep and then some.

the bottom line is that i enjoyed this movie. while it doesn't live up to it's full potential, it serves well as an engaging ride at the movies. that is, if you have a tolerance for a few sick twists along the way

I went to see this movie last night for the only reason, it was a free premiere ticket, and I had not much else to do. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by the movie. Artistically and dialogue wise this movie is lacking, except for the first scene, but this is to be expected from a Bruce Willis film. As a an action/thriller the movie hits the mark. It is noir, gritty, violent, and similar to the director's, Florent Siri, style used for his 2002 film, "The Nest". Several very cool shots by the cinematographer, tie this movie together. This is a great movie to go watch on a Saturday night with friends. You will be thoroughly entertained by Willis, who is best suited for this type of role.