Review of Hostage (2005) by Julia F — 31 Mar 2012

Implausible yet enjoyable.

Super stylish action flick sure to please any fan of Bruce Willis.

The Story: There's a lot of twists and turns, but what it really boils down to is this... A former negotiator turn cop must save the lives of a wealthy family being held hostage in their own home, while trying save his own family from a mysterious group of criminals... His family, and the other family are tied together in what makes the story all that more unlikely... It's got a killer sense of style, and the action is cinematic, it's only the storyline that brings it down.

The Cast: Bruce Willis, Ben Foster, Jonathan Tucker, Marshall Allman... Bruce Willis is Jeff Talley, the hero... It's up to him to save two families as the clock ticks away. It's a good performance, not the best performance, but far from the worst. Some might feel a solid connection to him, others might not. Any fan of Willis will find something of interest here, but it's hardly a seminal moment in his long running career. Ben Foster is Mars, he's a ruthless young criminal holding the wealthy family hostage. He's effectively sinister here as the films main villain. Not a brilliant performance, but someday I think he's going to be one of the better actors to come out of Hollywood. Jonathan Tucker and Marshall Allman are accomplices to Fosters character. These two are pretty much one in the same as they play two brothers in over their heads. They give mediocre performances and their characters blend together to make them feel unimportant and unnecessary.

One to Five Scale: 3.

It's your average action movie, but it's style and cinematic edge make worth watching. Rent first buy later.

Tyler.