Hostage

[NightStalkerGtx]

Comes out this week what do u guys think. Will you see it?
I think it looks good, but ill be busy this week so i wont see it this weekend.

[MadsenOMC]

It looks OK. Not terrible, but not all that interesting either. Based on the trailer and the reviews, I expect a fairly standard action thriller. A decent matinee or rental, but nothing more. I'm guessing Willis could play this role in his sleep and I doubt it is much of a stretch for him. I'm a fan of the R rating, though. Happy to see that.

[ilovemovies]

I think it looks like a really intense, gripping and exciting action flick! That and Bruce Willis is always great so I definately look forward to this.

[Strider]

Hostage looks like a fairly decent popcorn thriller. I like Bruce Willis, and the R-rating is a plus, so I'll check it out.

Strider

[Duke Nukem]

I saw it and wasn't pleased with it. The story felt rushed and the whole thing felt muddled. One thing that was a turn-off was the violence. I was happy that the movie was rated R, but it felt like overkill here. At some parts of the movie, I thought the violence was too brutal making the whole affair unpleasant to watch. I normally don't feel that way about action movies, thrillers, and especially horror movies, but I found this movie to be an axception for what was supposed to be a thriller.

*1/2 or ** out of 4.

[Browntown]

Review: Hostage
http://www.browntownjohnny.com/index.php


Bruce Willis made 3 'Die Hard' flicks and they created the "Die Hard Inna" knockoffs for so many other action film stars. Why would he do a 'diehardinna'? It's redundant to make a movie like "Hostage", because it is totally unoriginal...a formula movie for Willis fans. "Hostage" falls into the 'so bad it's good' category of Willis movies (Hudson Hawk is totally watchable). It just gives up after the first half and goes into the 'what the fuck is this shit', over the top, popcorn movie.

The story is familiar, an LA hostage negotiator named Jeff Talley fucks up on a case....goes into burn-out mode....moves to Ventura County to take a peaceful police job. A gang of 3 teen perps break into a rich guys house and hold him and his 2 kids hostage. Jeff is on the case but it turns out the rich guy is a mob accountant with a file disc of offshore holdings. Jeff's family is kidnapped at gunpoint by masked baddies and want the disc. That's just the first half. Here's a list of movies we have packed into this fiasco....Desperate Hours...Die Hard (with a kid)...Assault on Precinct 13 (the remake)...Panic Room (mostly)...Nick of Time (Johnny Depp film)..... and more!

Willis tries harder with his acting here, and the opening is solid. He produced this mess so it's his game, so he hired good actors (Kevin Pollak is fine as the rich guy). The French director Florent Emilio Siri has gone over the edge for overkill here. The main bad guy is Ben Foster (a great youth actor) who plays one of the silliest psychos ever on screen. Smoking pot and enjoying the thrill of the kill is right out of 'Reefer Madness". The endings(2 storylines) were so bad that I was punchy. I laughed at the "Passion of the Christ" parody (Foster doing a Goth Jesus with firebombs). So if this is what you want from Willis...here it is. Another awful and fun movie to see.

[chilli pepper]

Man, another shitty movie theater experience. I liked the flick just fine, problem was, the guy up in the front row, possibley the fattest man on earth, wouldnt shut the fuck up, and was loud enough for the whole theater (even me, all the way up in the top row) to hear.

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN TRAILER:
"I DONT THINK I WANNA SEE THAT" (in his awesome southern accent)

MARS SHOOTS OTHER TWO GUYS:

"NOW THE MONEYS ALL HIS"

He said a whole bunch of other stuff, those were the ones I laughed at.

[MadsenOMC]

SPOILERS!!!!!

What a reprehensible, insulting, obnoxious and worthless piece of fucking shit movie. I went to an afternoon showing today because it looked like it might make a decent matinee on a cold March day. For a little while, I was entertained. Nothing exceptional and pretty cliched, but it held my interest. Unfortunately, that does not last. The last 45 minutes or so of this garbage is like being punished. Non-stop shooting and explosions and slow-motion. I felt like I was being beat over the head the entire time. Talk about loud. I think my ears are still bleeding. I couldn't believe some of what I was witnessing, that it had made it to the big screen. Ben Foster walking in slow motion holding molotov cocktails in each hand. Bruce Willis getting all teary with the little boy. Foster trying to be frightening. I was laughing hysterically during most of it, that is, when I wasn't disgusted by how big, dumb and loud everything was. I've really lost my taste for action movies like this, where people are getting killed left and right for the titillation of the viewer. It's cheap, manipulative and repulsive filmmaking as far as I'm concerned. I walked out with a really bad taste in my mouth and I really didn't like anything at all about this movie. Willis can do this shit in his sleep and does nothing special here. Foster is laughably bad. The music is ridiculously loud. Way, way too much slow-motion. Lazy, obvious script. This is one awful movie. I am pissed off that I paid to see it.

2/10

[Duke Nukem]

You know, for once, I agree with Madsen. I can't explain why, but this movie was just a mess to watch. I know we've all miss good `old fashioned rated R action movies, but this movie is not a substitute for that. It is nothing but mishmash that I personally felt awkward to watch. The story was truly rushed and contrived, while the blaring violence was just pushing it. Don't be enticed by the rare R rating, this movie is no better than today's cookie-cutter watered down PG-13 action films.

[chinton]

Havent seen this but I saw a clip of some bad guy walking slow mow through the flames with moltov cocktails. The only thing I could think of was that this guy REALLY likes The Crow

[MadsenOMC]

I could not contain my laughter during that scene. I have rarely laughed that hard during a movie, comedy or otherwise. That little dipshit walking in slow-motion, Molotov cocktail in each hand, while fire roars all around him. It was surreal. Who in the fuck thought that looked cool and was a good idea? The movie is R, but I can't imagine anyone over the age of 12 being wowed by that scene. That scene essentially sums up the entire movie and all that is wrong with it.

[daddiefatsacks]

would you guys shut up, you're making me want to see it now for that scene alone

[jaw2929]

I don't know, I'm 22 years old and thought that was a pretty damn kool scene... I liked it.... I'll be the first to say that I really enjoyed this film, same forumula stolen from so many other movies before it... Yet I'm still not sick of it, and will gladly fork over the money to watch movies like this time and again.... Willis was good as always, and I thought it was a solid action/thriller.... Anyone who hasn't seen this, go see it and form your own opinion! It's worth it! :D

[The Prowler]

I definately have to agree with Nukem and Madsen in this one. This movie was an aweful piece of shit full of plot holes, bad acting, implausibilities, and just bad pacing. All of the younger actors were terrible in this and unbelievable. I agree the movie starts out ok with a grisled Willis operating a hostage crisis gone bad but then it goes south as soon as Pollack's house gets taken over. What was up with the bad guys, I guess didn't notice how fake they looked as FBI guys. All of the people involved with this movie seemed to have the brain cells of a rock. At the end I was scratching my head on why I paid 8.25 to see this piece of fucking garbage. Terrible movie, people please avoid this one. Worst movie I have seen this year so far and I have seen some piss poor ones.

2/10

[Tony_Montana]

I thought it was alright, but then again I'm only 15. :)

I liked the acting I thought it was decent. Not Godfather level of course, but acceptable. The directing and camera work was OK too. The R rated violence which is badly missed was great here.
The movie started off good with the crazy guy holding his family hostage. Then it had some really crap and cliched (sp?) dialogue with Bruce Willis' family but after that bit it was back into the good stuff again. Until the last few scenes, or more specifically the house being set on fire and the ending which wasn't very cool at all but I've seen worse.
Finally the music was too dramatic so it sounded cheesy.
Overall, a mediocre (but not terrible) movie "artistically" (is that the right word to use here?) but a good movie entertainment-wise. I never once checked my watch.

7/10

[brodeurnumber1]

Originally posted by MadsenOMC
I could not contain my laughter during that scene. I have rarely laughed that hard during a movie, comedy or otherwise. That little dipshit walking in slow-motion, Molotov cocktail in each hand, while fire roars all around him. It was surreal. Who in the fuck thought that looked cool and was a good idea? The movie is R, but I can't imagine anyone over the age of 12 being wowed by that scene. That scene essentially sums up the entire movie and all that is wrong with it.

I actually kind of enjoyed the movie but laughed like crazy during that scene.

[ilovemovies]

SPOILERS!



I thought it was alright. Bruce Willis is solid as usual. I thought the acting all around was pretty good. I will agree though that the movie does over do the slow motion stuff. And what the hell is up with that ending? What was up with Kevin Pollack's character? And why did Willis just leave him there? Did he actually just let him get away? It left me kinda scratching my head on the way out and wasn't an all together satisfying ending. But the movie was stylishly shot, slick and fairly gripping and exciting for most of the movie.

[MadsenOMC]

I didn't mean to imply that anyone who's over the age of 12 and liked certain scenes is an idiot, and I apologize if I offended anyone. Maybe I didn't choose my words properly. I think the bottom line is that I don't care for shoot 'em action movies like I used to. I feel old. At one time this would have been right up my alley, but not anymore. I just don't care much for all the senseless slaughter and brutality that's made to look cool. In something that doesn't take itself seriously, it wouldn't be a big deal. But clearly this movie aims (and I would say fails) for more than that, what with the opening scene and the attempt to establish Willis an a human hero and not some superhuman killing machine. All the killing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[Quigles]

Originally posted by MadsenOMC
What a reprehensible, insulting, obnoxious and worthless piece of fucking shit movie.

Heh heh. That made me laugh... now I wanna see the movie.

[daddiefatsacks]

Woooooooooooo!!

That's what I got to say about this, Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a good movie by any means, but man, I was certainly entertained. I for one loved the character of Mars, what a badass, I hated the other 2 kids tho. Willis does what Willis does, and then finally starts killin off baddies near the end.

And how about that daughter? I like my girls with meat, and she had some juggs to join the party!

I donno, everyones got their opinions, and everyone shells out their hard earned cash to see movies and they have the right to rant if a movie sucks....but i love seeing this kind of trash instead of the watered down shit we get nowadays!'

6/10

[chinton]

terrible movie although the whole motav cocktail seuquence really made it worth it with its jaw dropping inaneness.

[BettyLouisePlotnick]

I know they always say the book is better, but in this case, the book is not only better, the movie makes a mockery of the book in so many ways. For anyone even remotely wanting to pay to see this movie, take that money and go... no RUN to a bookstore and pick up a copy of the novel.

The plot, while a tad unoriginal, is beautifully executed in the book. I knew going into the movie that there was no way in hell that Ben Foster could do Mars justice.... but boy was I grossly disappointed.

The movie seems rushed beyond belief. Is it possible to be bored while rushed? I think so, because that's what I felt! I would like to personally shit on the person who thought up the ridiculous opening titles, as well as the screenwriter for taking a favorite book of mine and displaying it to a broader audience as a piece of mediocre dogshit at best.

Eh, that's my 2 cents.

[chinton]

I might read the book but Im just curious how different the plot is. Did they have that silly ending. Was Mars different

[adamjohnson]

BTW, did anybody else fucking love the opening credits??

[Backstabba]

Originally posted by adamjohnson
BTW, did anybody else fucking love the opening credits??

Yep. Very stylish, this movie.

[Backstabba]

*SPOILERS!!!!*

What a horrible movie, but what a incredably fun movie. I know, there was cliches, there was bad acting, and the script was shit, but this movie was pure fun. The character "mars" though, god was he annoying.He falls in love with the girl? That was pretty...gay ( Yes, I said Gay)...ok, it was stupid. The molotov scene was great, except for the 2 obviously bad parts (Mars walking with 2 molotovs down a hallway, mars doing that stare to the girl, teary eyed, and then dying)...Why the hell did mars have to be a indestructible guy in the last 20 minutes? Why did he even have to run around like a monkey in the vent chase?....WHY THE HELL WAS HE IN THE MOVIE?!

The opening scene was pretty well done ( the first negociation), and this was a very entertaining movie.

8/10.

Im sorry, im so very sorry.....I also gave be cool a 9/10....IM SORRY!

[MadsenOMC]

I think that's the most negative 8/10 review in the history of the joblo Movie Talk forum.

[NightStalkerGtx]

I really enjoyed hostage the only thing slowing it down was that gothic guy that liked the girl and he would blow smoke in her mouth that was just STUPID as for the rest of the movie i thought it was pretty intense and good

7.5/10

[BettyLouisePlotnick]

Originally posted by chinton
I might read the book but Im just curious how different the plot is. Did they have that silly ending. Was Mars different

****************** MAJOR SPOILERS*************************************



************************MAJOR! MAJOR! MAJOR SPOILERS!***************

****************Don't say I didn't warn you *********************************







Smith wasn't involved in the ending as 'actively' in the book. In the book, his injuries are slightly more severe, leaving him the hospital under gaurd for the 'showdown'.

And Mars.... Mars was quiet, very contemplative, very...... pathalogical. Very unassuming. In the book, he's a serial killer. They state he watched his father kill his mother in the movie, but in the book, he was the one who killed his mother. He rode around the country with her head in a cooler, making her watch on as he killed and mutilated multiple people. He actually had 'Burn It' Tattooed on the back of his bald head. A nice touch IMO And there was no 'love interest' subplot with Jennifer in the book. That was a stupid addition to the movie.

To me... it seemed like they made Mars more talkative to give Ben Foster more lines. He was very background in the bulk of the book. It was a very well written character, that would have translated well to the screen, without the talk. Everything you learn about Mars comes from outside information that we learn as Talley and the cops learn it. No need to alter, IMO.

The opening sequence is what pissed me off the most though. The books prologue was stellar. It was packed with raw emotion. You really sense what makes Talley want to get the hell away from LA for. The opening really sets the tone for the rest of the story. While the kids death is gonna have an impact no matter what, the presentation of that death is far, far, far more effective in the book. They altered way too much of the prologue IMO.

[Quigles]

I just watched this movie. Very good in my opinion. Sure, it was predictable, cliche, and completely unbelievable, not to mention it ripped off hundreds of other movies... but damn if it wasn't entertaining and stylish.

I loved most of the characters, especially Mars. Heh heh. He was hilarious. I laughed so hard during the molotov scene (slo-mo time!!!), plus he ran around in the vents reminiscent of ALIEN (another stupidly funny moment).

The parts that were slick and intense I enjoyed immensely. The parts that were dumb and rediculous I enjoyed even more.

So if that's what you dig, then SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

[NightStalkerGtx]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
couldn't have said it any better by the way whats ur score on the movie mine was a 7.5/10 urs?

[chinton]

thanks Betty now I want to read the book

[Watur2Phunk]

The movie was alright. Not good, not horrible, just entertaining. But... I thought those were the worst opening credits in the history of movies. EVER.

[Mystique963]

Eh, it was okay. Entertaining enough. The book is absolutly awesome and I didn't think the movie was going to live up to it... and it didn't. I'd suggest a wait for video. However, if you did like the movie, I would highly recommend the book. Or anything else by Robert Crais. I'm surprised that they don't turn more of his stuff into movies, they have great stories.

Best part of the entire thing was the full trailer for Sin City.