Hostage: Review By moviegeek

Hostage ought to be titled Hostages. When three reckless teens try to steal a car, they get stuck in the man's house after the silent alarm goes off. Desperate, they hold the family hostage. To complicate matters more, the man, whose car they planned to stead, is an accountant for the mob. They see an opportunity to get what they want from him and get former hostage-negotiator, Jeff (Bruce Willis), to help them out. They take Jeff's family hostage, forcing him to do what they want.

Confusing enough? Apparently not enough for the screenwriters who throw in many other hooks and loops including double-crossings amongst the robbers, connection between the young boy and Jeff, and much more. The problem, don't get me wrong, was not that the movie was confusing. I was able to follow what was going on with some effort. The problem was that the movie isn't a dark, gritty MIND thriller. Instead, it is a rather clunky, misshapen thriller.

One thing to its credit is the fabulous direction and cinematography. The film runs slickly and boldly, not stopping to second-guess itself. I loved the shooting techniques. Bruce Willis gives a commendable, if ordinary, performance.

There are a few misplaced sequences including the unusually-large air vent chases; untimely phone calls that aren't suspenseful, just tedious; there is an odd escape near the end from one of the psychotic 'bad guys'. What is odd about that sequence is that it feels like it is from The Shining, not a gritty thriller.

Hostage is always interesting, but never is it gripping. I was constantly aware of the plot chugging along, so much so that it was distracting to the flow of the film. From intriguing set-up to a lumbering climax, Hostage moves swiftly but rather tiresomely.