Trapped
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Movie Reviews of Trapped
Movie Review: Kidnaps and Holds Your attention....
Summary: 4 Stars
Didn't read the book, so I am unable to compare; but the film is a first-rate edgy supsense flick.Kavin Bacon was surprisingly good cast as the main villan; off-center, unpredictable, and with a cruel but precise plan. Pruitt Taylor Vince (in a role that could could have been written for Billy Bob Thornton) and Courtney Love as the accomplices each carried their respective roles well. Charlize Theron was extremely effective as the mother of kidnapped daugher (Dakota Fanning). Dakota was, as in Son Of Sam, so perfect you are just amazed. If there was a weak link in the main cast is would have to be Stuart Townsend. In general he just didn't seem to fit in with the other cast members' style. Also, Colleen Camp, (Joan) as the neighbor appeared a little loopy, the actress not the role.
The DVD with its alternate endings, deleted scenes, and featurette was full of entertainment in addition to the film. Individual commentaries by the writer and director offered a wealth of inside information from different perspectives. Director Luis Mandoki (White Palace, Message in A Bottle, Angel Eyes, etc. etc) is an excellent director. Not enough can be said about the phenomenal camera work and the matching of the styles with the content of the scene. The film itself may have a few weaknesses in plot here and there, but between Mandoki's direction and the intensity of the cast, you were so drawn into the action that those little holes were really nothing more than a small nuisance.
This film was apparently bedeviled by personal crises (deaths, illnesses, accidents, etc.) during the filming, but to their credit the cast and crew didn't seem to lose direction or focus.
All in all this is a smart and taunt thriller with the feel of 'real' people being involved in very suspenseful situations and has a very intimate, nearly claustrophobic feel to the locations. You are there, 'trapped in the moment' and its a chilling, but entertaining. place to be.
Movie Review: Trapped-An Acceptable Thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
Recently, I bought Trapped on DVD and enjoyed it. The film featured some strong performances and intensity, but as some of you know did horribly in the box-office. I was really eager to see this film because I almost had a chance of seeing it in theatres, but you know there was a huge difficulty with that. Anyway, Trapped is based on the novel: 24 Hours, by Greg Iles. To be honest, I didn't read the book so I can't give you a great comparison but from seeing the movie, which was good I can bet the book would be even better.
The plot of the film is excellent, with a well conceived/concocted plan, devised by Kevin Bacon and Courtney Love, who are the villans so to speak in the film. Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend are a happily married couple and have a daughter. Soon, Kevin Bacon's plan goes into action and he kidnaps her daughter but there's much more to the kidnapping than you think, for it's a kidnapping for ransom. Over a 24 hour
period the couple's money is being extorted into Bacon's and Love's hands. After that period is over the child will be relinquished back into the family's hands. So, the film had a great plot, just perhaps there needs to be a few more developments.
The press didn't screen the movie for reviews, and the film duration in theatres was only for about two weeks, which is sorry
to say very pitiful, but all in all I liked this film and reading
the book would be something I'd like to try. Trapped is rated R for Violence, Language and Sexual Content. There is a thrilling action sequence at the end of the film, which I personally enjoyed. There is actually some excessive profanity, not throughout the film but at some certain parts, as for the sexuality it's fairly brief and not explicit. There isn't any nudity.
Trapped, an interesting thriller, with a plot but just didn't do well enough to be a great film in the eyes of many. Own it today on Video and DVD.
Movie Review: Not bad
Summary: 4 Stars
It was a Thursday night, I was tired, wanted to relax, and didn't want to study for my stupid science test. So I turned on my TV and flipped through the channels, only to find this movie on, a movie I had never heard of before. So I decided to give it a chance. Trapped deals with two extremely smart kidnappers who target rich families and kidnap their children for a $250,000 ransom price. So they target the Jennings: a happy, rich couple with their 6-year-old daughter Abigail. The kidnappers kidnap Abigail and their foolproof plan--which they have executed four times in the past successfully and never been caught--suddenly goes awry as they find out Abigail is highly asthmatic and in addition, the Jennings find out more than the kidnappers want them to know. While one kidnapper forces the mother to act as a prostitute at their house, and the kidnapper's wife holds the father hostage in his hotel room away on a business trip, the Jennings hatch a plan to get Abigail back...but there is more than they perceive to this kidnapping. Trapped is ultimately an EXTREMELY exciting, suspenseful, classic nail-biter flick that is fun to watch on a big screen at night with surround sound. The acting is superb, as well, which is rarely seen these days in a non-popular movie like this one. The one thing I didn't like about this film is the ending, which fell completely flat and was very unsatisfactory. It's a good movie overall, but don't knock yourself out with it.Movie Review: nicely done thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
In the tradition of The Tie that Binds, and ransom, this stylish thriller once again puts a loving and somewhat successful family in the worst of all possible horrors, the kidnapping of their child by a sedistic, greedy criminal who is played perfectly by Keving Bacon, in fact he may be one of the better bad guys in recent memory. There are the usual twists and turns that wont be difficult to keep up with, but still keep the film moving nicely. I have stated before that I totally adore Charlize Theron, and this film is no exception. She delivers an emotional performance as the horrified mother, yet manages to keep and edgy and determined face on it all. Courney Love is slightly missed cast I thought, but still is menacing as ever, when she wants to be. There are times when you wander who is pulling off this kindapping anyway, which is just what the movie intends you to do. A brilliant piece of casting however is the accomplice played by Pruitt Taylor Vince.He plays the character as a little unbalanced but yet gives the viewer the ease that he wont hurt the girl. It is interesting that both husband and wife find themselves in seperate bedrooms, he with Courney Love, and her with Bacon, They both use thier wits and she her body to get out of this desperate situation. All in all, a pretty good film with some good acting.
Movie Review: The film makers seemingly lacked courage
Summary: 4 Stars
Trapped is a quintessential example of why so many films fail. The casting is near perfect and the dialogue is riveting. Kevin Bacon has mastered the art of portraying purely evil men that make your skin crawl. The other actors including Charlize Theron admirably perform their assigned roles. It captures your attention and you will care about the characters. Any normal person, needless to add, should easily relate to the parents whose child has been kidnapped for ransom. Trapped effectively begins as a psychological thriller---but regretfully ends with insane car chases and exhausting special effects. The last half hour is difficult to endure and one may be tempted to simply walk out of the screening room. Why did Trapped leave much to be desired? My adamant view is that the producers of these big budget movies prefer to play it safe. They likely think that throwing in expensive action sequences, more appropriate to an Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone flick, lessen their economic risk. They have yet to realize that sometimes less is more. I am utterly convinced that Trapped would have been a big hit if only the top level executives had not lost their nerve...Trapped still deserves four stars, but it was so close to five.