Carjacked

There is a reason why some films get a direct to video release. As it is the case here with "Carjacked", this is the kind of film that was destined to fall into mediocrity. It seems that the people behind it never believed that they could come up with something good so they didn't care that much about the final result.

I really wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking with this movie, but I still felt disappointed after seeing it. Not only that the film doesn't bring anything new, but it also incorporates some of the most annoying elements present in kidnapping movies. For an instance, the two main characters are incredibly generic. They really could have been taken out from any similar movie and put in here. On top of that you get the usual clichés of the genre and there are also some cheap thrills along the way to provide the entertainment. The film lacks suspense and can be very predictable at times not to mention the fact that some of the decisions that the characters took along the way really defied logic. Also, the directing really felt amateurish at times, especially towards the end of the movie.

Stephen Dorff is a really good actor and so is Maria Bello, but they alone cannot save this movie. Here, the script and direction doesn't allow them to put their acting skills to good use and the final result doesn't do them justice. They manage to bring some depth into their characters, but overall this is a waste of their acting talents.

In the end, "Carjacked" is not a completely bad film, but it suffers from a lack of originality and some bad directing. A below average film that should be watched with diminished expectations.

My rating: 4,5/10

It's good to see Stephen Dorff in a good movie once in a while. And he has a good partner in Maria Bello. Of course she plays the main character in the movie. Still it is one heck of a good show Stephen lays out there. The movie does work for most of its running time (2/3 I'd say, the last third being a "bit" OTT for my liking), even though you're wondering why Maria does some of the things she's doing.

Still the last parts of the movie might ruin it completely for you, unless you are looking for it to go completely crazy and show things that do not make any sense (in the realm of the movie that is of course). A decent effort, but nothing new

I have to say that both the actors have given the best what they could. Stephen Dorff has a class of his own and so does Maria Bello. The Only downside I could point out ,is the script. A new dimension could've been added to the story by introducing another character in the likes of Eric Roberts or Ted Danson or even Mickey Rourke. They held the movie together to the end, however, you always need the edge on a script like this. In one scene where Dorff kills his partner in crime when Bello is dumped in the car trunk watching them, could have been elaborated a further more , which adds more suspense value. Catherine Dent's character was not much explored in the movie ,as she gave a good performance as a Shrink in the flick. Last but not the least , there is no romance at all except for those cheesy conversations between the two of them. I just hope they will collaborate again with another movie and make it much more sharper and eccentric than this very predictable version .

I like realistic dramas/thrillers; I like to imagine that the movies that I watch could really happen in real life. This movie was so far-fetched that I found myself yelling at the television due to the lead's stupidity. "Just call the police, lady!, Just call the damn police" Without going into detail, I got sick of the movie about 45 minutes into it... The characters were very weak, and the plot was horrible.

I could have written myself if someone had asked me...I really can't imagine why people can rate this movie higher than a two or three star...Highly NOT recommended.

This one of those rare gems that does almost everything right in a very straight forward manner. The beginning is underscored with a sublime intensity and continues to surprise throughout with twists and turns you can't see coming. Nothing is "Over-the-top". It's a simple film with a good yarn, and since I was expecting less that I was rewarded with, I am grateful for all the professional effort and talent that went into making this film. Honestly, I rate it at 5.8 overall. But with what I wasn't expecting to have happen, I would give it a 6.1. I believe it will end up averaging 4.9 to 5.2 or so. Hope I'm wrong. Directing, acting and dialog (often editing) is usually what kills a movie. This one did all of them rather well. Worth a watch I believe!