Film Reviews

Hostage

• Rating:
• Director: Florent Emilio Siri
• Starring: Ben Foster
• Details: US/ 113 mins/ (16A).

Perhaps fearful of winning a measure of respectability in his advancing years, Bruce Willis goes right back to his roots of really awful action thrillers, with the low rent, desperately convoluted shenanigans of Hostage. Not willing to give up his action man crown without a fight, Bruce plays Jeff Talley, a former hostage negotiator who retired after a standoff went horribly wrong and innocent lives were lost. A year later and he's the chief of police in sleepy Ventura County, where nothing much of any consequence ever seems to happen. Of course, you don't need me to tell you that that all changes when three kids run amok and take a well off local family (headed by Kevin Pollack) hostage. One murder later and Jeff's been called to the scene to resume his former duties to save the lives of the family. And as if that wasn't enough plot for one movie, it soon emerges that there's a master crook floating around, who - get this - kidnaps Talley's own family to ensure he plays by the rules.
Hostage is one of those films where the director seems to be under the impression that he cannot film for more than ten minutes without some sort of crisis or explosion occurring. Glossily shot, the film rips through any number of action movie cliches with a savage ruthlessness, pausing only to longingly document - usually in slow motion - another scene of carnage. Since it's so ridiculously overblown and the performances so random, there's some enjoyment to be gained from the unwitting comedic value of Hostage. Whether that's worth the bones of ten euros of your cash is entirely up to you, though.

Review by Garreth Murphy