Hostage (15)

They could have called it Die Hard 4 and got away with it....Bruce Willis is on top form for this action packed film, easily as good as his previous Die Hard films.

I was thoroughly entertained throughout the film, definitely value for money.

Highly recommended!!!

Hostage is a run of the mill action thriller which sees Bruce Willis return to form as former hostage negotiator Jeff Talley. There should be no prizes issued for originality in this movie, however it is certainly an entertaining popcorn thriller which will keep you interested throughout. The film produces the odd jumpy moment but all in all I certainly wouldn't say this is a nerve wracking thriller movie, but it certainly has its moments of genuine tension and some spectacular sequences.

Jeff Talley is an ex-hostage negotiator who botched a job with tragic consequences which is demonstrated in one of the films most startling scenes in the early going. Talley has never really recovered from this and is shipped out of his department to become a lazy small town sheriff, with yes you guessed, relationship problems with his wife and daughter. Talley though is forced to break out of the comfort zone though as a break-in in his jurisdiction escalates into a murder and hostage situation. There is a good twist in the tale to deviate this film away from the usual formula, as there is a piece of crucial evidence at the crime scene connected to the local mob. Talley then becomes compromised as the gangsters kidnap his wife and daughter to make sure that this piece of evidence is recovered from the house that is now under siege. So the film then poses the question; can Talley save the hostages and his family with the mob pulling his strings?

This extra premise gives the film a good edge and there are some gritty scenes alongside some excellent blockbuster type moments as the action jumps effectively between well built tension and extravagant action. I have to say I did enjoy this film and Willis gives a sterling performance that carries the weight of the film, however I wasn't overly convinced with the contribution of the teenage hostage takers and think that some more realistic villains would have added an extra dimension to what is an enjoyable film. The only serious criticisms I have is that it didn't crank up the tension enough for my liking and that the film at times tries to be an action film when it should concentrate on being an out an out thriller. These aren't major gripes though and I imagine the vast amount of cinema goers will enjoy this film and I would certainly recommend it as worth watching.

Hostage is about a hostage negotiator called Jeff (Bruce Willis) who, at the start of the film, fails to negotiate with a man who kills his own family. It cuts to a year later were he is now chief of police in a small town.

3 teenage kids follow a girl home to her mansion where they break in and hold the family hostage. A police women is called out and one of the boys kills her so now Jeff is called out to negotiate with them. At the end of his shift he is confronted by a masked man who tells him that there is a DVD in the house that he needs and if he doesn't get it then his family will die. He then has to negotiate with the boys to leave the house and save the family inside or he'll lose his own. A very enjoyable, typical Bruce Willis film.