Untraceable
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Movie Reviews of Untraceable
Movie Review: CYBER CRIME TO THE EXTREME
Summary: 4 Stars
It seems today that people will watch almost any and everything they can find online. Sites that promise titillation, sites that offer fetishes, sites that offer the most gruesome acts that man can do to man proliferate the internet. UNTRACEABLE takes that idea and runs with it
Diane Lane stars as Jennifer Marsh, an FBI agent in the Portland, OR who specializes in cyber crimes. Whether it's illegal downloads or identity theft, Marsh and her co-workers filter through the online conundrum to track down the criminals and bring them down.
By way of an anonymous tip, the team is sent to a website called Kill With Me. At first it seems a bit twisted as a kitten is lured to its death, the process sped up as more and more people click on to the site. It takes a more tragic end when a human becomes the next victim.
The first victim is tied up, the web site address carved into his chest and an IV running and anti-coagulant into his bloodstream in higher dosages the more viewers the site gets. Eventually he bleeds to death and the FBI agents take the site more seriously.
The killer behind the site is skilled not only in the machinations of death but in the use of computers as well. He reroutes his web site through numerous servers around the world making the origin of the site untraceable (thus the title).
Each victim seems to be unconnected with the previous one. And with each victim the popularity, the curiosity of viewers grows to the point that hits to the site grow at an astronomical rate. It doesn't matter to those turning in that they are seeing actual suffering, it's more about getting a chance to see a real death.
The team follows up any and all leads in their search for the killer. Marsh's home life suffers as her daughter and mother have to share her with the case. But the killer involves them to after learning that Marsh is the head of the FBI team looking for him, dropping the car and corpse of a victim across the street from her home, a camera attached to the roof and transmitting live online.
Eventually the pieces of the puzzle come together and the link between the victims is found. But not before Marsh is captured by the killer and set up to be his latest "star". Will she survive or will she be just another object of short span attention online?
The move moves along and a steadily building pace, drawing you into the dark world of the killer. Unlike the SAW films where the killer is a man on a mission (at least in his mind), this killer is truly insane from the events in his life. It is a movie that is involving on so many levels and a white knuckle ride that holds you in its grip until the end.
Diane Lane has grown from a child star of the seventies into one of the most talented actresses of her generation. Never given the respect due, she makes you believe that she IS the character she portrays.
The movie does offer a sad note though. Sad in that it holds so many truths when it comes to the net. People do seek out sites with the most grotesque images possible. Beheadings, suicides, accident victims have all become entertainment for anyone to see there. It's a sad state when that becomes entertainment. And though it is the same here in a roundabout way, at least this is Hollywood effects as opposed to the real thing. And that makes all the difference.
Movie Review: Great thriller, great characters but lack of development SPOILERS
Summary: 4 Stars
I agree about the lack of relationship development, other than that i think it was a good movie and strongly represented its genre.
Maybe I'm a sucker for romance, but I think they could have enhanced the scenes between Diane Lane and Billy Burke just a little because, as you said, they are both definitely workaholics. I know the kind of character they were trying to go for with the detective, but he was a little too numb towards Diane Lane, especially considering he knew her husband and said that he remembered seeing her (with a kind "i never forget a pretty face" nuance, but I could be reading too far into that). I checked out the DVD to see if there were any deleted scenes, but there aren't. And even though the film is jam packed, they could definitely have tacked a few minutes on for further personal interaction, even between Diane and her daughter and mother.
I guess I am most interested in the Diane Lane/Billy Burke relationship because I honestly cant believe how gruff he was with her and abruptly he would leave her desk after serious conversations. And I guess there must have been some sort of 'change' in his attitude towards her when he came to see her in her hotel room. He was quite respectable, but he obviously slept in the same bed that she did (over the covers) when there was another twin bed right next to hers. That was, of course, never explored. And what ticked me off THE MOST was that it ended before he could come find her in the basement. Obviously I'm thrilled that she killed the guy herself and showed all those people on the net who was boss, but we didnt get to see them lock eyes or exchange ANY kind of emotion (i.e. i did what i had to do or i was majorly worried about you and im glad that youre alive). Obviously many will say thats cliche of me to want to see, but even if it didnt go down like that, there needed to be more closure, even if it was seeing her daughter again.
What disappointed me more than that, though, was that she GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND DID NOT CHECK THE BACK SEAT! Really? Not only would I not go near the car in the first place, but I would definitely check the back seat before i even thought of going in. I feel that they could have had her abducted without making her look so stupid. Like a chase scene along the bridge or something.
Not that I belong in Hollywood directing or writing professional reviews or anything, just my thoughts! :)
All in all, the subject of this movie was far more profound and deeper than Saw (which it is compared to), it is not the slightest bit campy. In a couple of ways its a 'one of a kind'. The side kick (Colin Hanks) is well developed and even though you figure out hes going to get killed pretty early on, he lasted more of the movie than i thought he would. And I guess its also deviates because it pairs up two attractive, single workaholics who dont even share a smile, let alone touch, the whole movie (Im not kidding). So these are a few of the elements that set it apart from other movies it could be compared to (ie. Saw, The Net and I think its a little like Feardotcom too).
It is special!
If you've made it this far, thanks for reading!
Movie Review: Suspense With A Good Dose of "Ick"
Summary: 4 Stars
Ethical Question #879: If you could go on a website to watch a person being tortured to death--knowing that each "hit" to the site hastens the demise of said person--would you visit that website? Of course our first, visceral reaction to the question would be a resounding "No!"; but. . .really? Given the relentless dimensions of human curiosity? After all, when there's a train wreck, don't we all go to gawk at the wreckage?
This question is answered rather pessimistically in the suspense/thriller UNTRACEABLE. In a word, people would flock to such a website in droves, consequences to the victim be danged. When such a site suddenly appears in the rain-soaked Portland metro, it draws the instant attention of the FBI Cyber Crimes Unit, led by Agent Jennifer Marsh (a surprisingly stoic Diane Lane). As the manhunt ensues, as each subsequent victim is killed in more gruesome and awful ways (in streaming live video, of course), the killer plucks off a member of Marsh's own team, then terrorizes her family. The ending is predictable yet still heart-pounding, and this film--from start to finish--pulls off suspense in spades.
Again, Lane is stoic and a bit too composed (yet does let down her hair a little as the story moves along); and some of the components to the plot were so farfetched I had to snicker (an agent immersed in a vat of battery acid using his eyes to transmit Morse code, for cryin' out loud). The supporting cast is good, including Colin Hanks (who has proven the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree), while Joseph Cross is just plain creepy as the crafty, techno-savvy bad guy. All the computer mumbo jumbo flew right over my head, but didn't take away from UNTRACEABLE being one whale of a seat-squirmer.
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning
Movie Review: Untraceable Unwatchable? Not At All!
Summary: 4 Stars
January is usually the dumping ground for movies that didn't cut it for the holiday season, but starting in 2008 with Cloverfield and now Untraceable this is no longer the case.
Untraceable is the story of FBI agent Jennifer March (Diane Lane), a single mother who is part of the Cybercrime division in Portland, Oregon. Life is normally mundane for the Cybercrime division (taking down the normal teenage identity thief) , but all that is about to change with a cat...
Untraceable's suspense never lets up , and with quick witty dialog by the characters (and a great performance by Tom Hank's son, Collin Hanks) the movie is over even before it starts. While most movies fall into the typical plot devices and settings Untraceable easily avoids them.
When a studio decides to mix technology and movies they usually have two dilemmas.; How to make the movie understandable for the normal moviegoer and the technological advanced once (aka geeks) Most movies choose to dumb down the "cyber talk" however Untraceable gets it right, even with the correct using of TTL (Time to Live)
In general, today's audiences have been desensitized to gore and even crave it with movies such as Saw or Hostel. In fact from the opening of Untraceable you would think this will occur, but Untracacle's director, Gregory Hoblit is extremely skillful and takes his cues from Alfred Hitchcock and just shows enough for our imagination to take over for the rest.
From the teenager to the baby boomer Untraceable offers something for everyone, action, suspense, an intelligent story that is relevant to our times, and something to keep everyone entertained during the cold days of winter
-- Nathan M Rose (flickdirect.com)
Movie Review: A Pretty Intense Ride
Summary: 4 Stars
A Silence of The Lambs for the computer generation? Absolutely!
I have to admit at the outset that I'm not generally someone who's easily creeped out (one of my favorite films is The Exorcist)...and so it was a pleasant surprise when I found myself not only enjoying this movie but really being pushed to the edge of my seat. I know that to call a movie an "edge of your seat thriller" is a rather cliche review, but in this case, the description fits.
Diane Lane does an excellent job (as she always does) in providing a centered believability to her role, without which the plot here might easily have descended into run-of-the-mill, campy b-movie fare. Whether it's in a romantic comedy or in a thriller, Lane seems to feel genuine in each of her roles. I was also impressed with Colin Hanks's performance...which was perfect for lighter moments as well as some white-knuckle, "oh my god" moments. He is a strong actor in what might otherwise have been a throw-away supporting role.
I'm not going to discuss the particulars of the plot (I'm sure by now that most people are at least somewhat familiar with the over-all premise) however I will say that it was at once basic thriller fare and, at the same time, it went beyond "basic." An interesting story idea for an age dominated by computer webcasts and privacy/security concerns. The movie definitely presents the viewer with a disturbing set of questions: how much freedom should there be on the world-wide web (should there be more regulation), how secure are you really, and what about the human condition: could morality be twisted in the realm of cyberspace in such a way as to create a real threat? Hmmm.....