Endure

I see lots of bad movies--usually with an understanding shrug and some appreciation of the difficulties involved in making the film. There are very few films that actually make me angry, but the script and direction of "Endure" were infuriating.

A pregnant girl is chained to a tree by a serial killer, and if the detectives don't find her quickly, she is going to die an agonizing death. And so, you would expect the director to create a sense of urgency. Hurry up and find her before it's too late! But there is no sense of urgency at all. A totally unnecessary subplot involving one detective's seriously ill wife slows the action down to a crawl. When he isn't by her bedside holding hands and exchanging "I love you's" and listening to her complaints, he's answering his cell phone with continual updates on her condition. And when he's sitting by her bedside engaged in these slow sad conversations, there is nary a thought of the pregnant girl out there tied to a tree. The plot is further chained by constant adolescent banter between the veteran detective and the rookie who resents being talked to as a newbie. On and on and on. Frequent flashes to suffering girl, hanging nearly comatose from tree; return to extended scenes with sick wife and boring banter, the detectives in no apparent hurry to do their job. And yet, still I watched, onward and onward, slogging through the cinematic tedium, hoping that these boring and seemingly uncaring slugs would finally get moving and show some signs of urgency about rescuing the poor pregnant girl....Ugh!

Nice plot and a chance for suspense. But don't expect any.

After finding an accident scene, two detectives discover a Polaroid of a girl tied to a tree, indicating that this guy is a hostage/ransom guy.

But despite this great set up, there is no suspense. No OMG, and pulse driving content, like Silence of the Lambs. This is a eat your popcorn slowly type movie, take a bathroom break, check email, type of suspense.

Why? The focus is too, too much on the back story of Detective Llyod's wife. And the faux anger between the two detectives is too much Nolte and Murphy in their forgettable movie 48 hrs. This cop diversion is way to Hollywood. Doesn't the victim have more importance than personal squabbles? Do real cops work this way? Doesn't the girl ever try to escape or chew through the gag.

Aren't they forgetting that time is of great importance in finding the Polaroid girl???

Ånd no search party? Why not try backtracking the accident scene and look for tire tracks that turn off the road. Duh! Going a mile per 1/2 hour, that would allow for a 30 mile back track of only 15 hrs. The first thing cops do is set up a search, even based on scanty clues. Detective Lloyd is not taking those yearly detective seminar classes.

Great set up and plot, but was to dry and slow for movie release, and as others have said, great TV, Lifetime movie. Had a non-aggressive mushy Canadian and video feel to it.

There was kind of a Hannibal/protégé deal with the baddies, but not played out much. Worth a look though, but not edge of seat suspense. You know, you have to have audience participation in mystery movies. They are trying to figure out the answers too.

If you can figure out how to put suspense/drama in this movie, which has a great set up and plot, you are the next Jonathan Demme.

Can you find someone in the middle of nowhere with no clues? After an attacker, who kidnaps a woman and ties her to a tree in the middle of a forest, dies in a car accident there are no clues to where she is at. Detective Lane (Nelson) and his partner Arnold (Sawa) are in charge of finding her before it's too late. From the opening shot the movie grabs you and doesn't let go...for 20 minutes. It slows down quite a bit, but does pick up at the end. This was actually a pretty good movie, but it would have been much better as a "Without A Trace" episode. The movie really did drag a lot in the middle, and if it was a 60 min show it would have been great. The extra half hour hurt it a little. The acting was not terrible, but Judd Nelson is past his days of carrying a movie. Tom Arnold, who is in it for about 10 min, is very creepy. I would be interested to see if he takes on more roles like this one. Overall, not a bad movie, just a little too long. As a TV show I would say A-, as a full length movie, I give it a B-.

Would I watch again? - I don't think I will

Whoever edited the amount of music that literally overtakes, pervades and cheapens this movie was either drunk or let his lesser brain/minion? fill each and every moment of this otherwise ok film. Whomever wrote and performed the music itself did a nice job. But we actually need music sometimes guys, sometimes much less is WAY more.

The acting was great in this film. Unfortunately the music was inappropriate at times and actually hindered the mood. The raging electric guitar during a poignant scene in the hospital was particularly jarring! Just showing how very important music is to the film and likely why so many ratings are low.