Hostage **** (2005, Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollak, Ben Foster) – Classic Movie Review 1512

Bruce Willis is back in top gear in 2005 for his die-hard fans as a failed LAPD hostage negotiator who’s now the police chief in a small California town. When their convenience store robbery goes wrong, the three crooks move in on an unsuspecting family.

But Willis is on hand to save the day when the three bad boys chase a girl (Michelle Horn) to her top security home, taking the girl hostage, along with her father (Kevin Pollak) and kid brother (Jimmy Bennett). Dad turns out to be a bent accountant who has a disk that his Mob bosses want, and they kidnap Willis’s family to get his help.

Mixing a gripping film noir mystery yarn with red hot thrills, director Florent Emilio Siri’s great old style Willis B-movie is a real heart-pounder with non-stop action all the way, a flashy visual style and not a moment to think about the crazy excesses of the plot.

Ben Foster is a bit of a one-dimensional teen psycho, but never mind, that still works OK. The excellent credits and Alexandre Desplat’s score are also on the plus side.

Doug Richardson’s screenplay is based on the novel by Robert Crais.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1512

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