Review of Trapped (2002) by Filipeneto — 23 Aug 2018

In this film, a couple will try, each in their own way, to save their daughter, who was kidnapped by a group of individuals in exchange for a ransom. This is a very usual recipe in thriller movies, like this one, and usually works well.

In this case, the force of the film depends mostly on the performance of the actors. Kevin Bacon shone as the gang boss, revealing behavior that ranges from the sadistic, the meticulous, the impulsive, and the misogynist. Beside him, Charlize Theron doesn't disappoint in the role of the young mother. The actress has a strong presence, is beautiful and attractive without being exuberant and can manage the psychological side of her character. On the other side, things don't go so well. Stuart Townsend is quite weak in his character, who demanded an actor with more presence and attitude. Courtney Love isn't properly able to deal with her character and I think it was a casting mistake.

The film also commits, in my opinion, a serious script error. If we had initially a criminal gang that attacked for money and had committed several successful kidnappings, the ending is structured on a different and contradictory premise: that the gang kidnapped this girl in an act of revenge against her father. If so, why haven't they done that before instead of abducting a lot of children? This makes no sense and, along with the final sequence (which looks like something out of a "Die Hard" movie), has done much to make the end of this film unrealistic, far-fetched and much weaker than the initial half. Anyway, the movie isn't bad, deserves to be watched and will please you, if you can forget these flaws. It's not brilliant, but neither it's a disaster.