Now let's now fool ourselves, we're not talking about Citizen Kane here. But if you're looking for a Saturday night thriller that's going to keep you on the edge of your seat and have your girlfriend clinging to your arm, look no further.
Now, there's nothing really new about this thriller, other than the fact that it's done very well. It is extremely tense, and there are no 'I can't believe the hero could be so stupid' moments that are so common to movies like these. Other than the climax, which seems a little over-the-top, the movie is also incredibly believable, and it's realism adds to the terror.
It's also amongst the tightest movies you'll ever see. Writer/Director Jonathan Mostow could give a clinic on cinematic efficiency. Not a frame seems wasted, and the action moves along at such breakneck speed that you barely have time between tense moments to spit out one fingernail before you have to start on another.
The performances are solid. Kurt Russell wraps you up in his everyman torn between the terror of losing his wife and the murderous rage he feels towards her abductors. But the show is stolen by the great character actor J.T. Walsh as the creepily cold kidnapper. The only complaint here is that Kathleen Quinlan is given little to do but scream and be helpless.
This isn't a movie that's going to make any Top 10 lists, but that doesn't mean it's not a hell of a ride!
Now, there's nothing really new about this thriller, other than the fact that it's done very well. It is extremely tense, and there are no 'I can't believe the hero could be so stupid' moments that are so common to movies like these. Other than the climax, which seems a little over-the-top, the movie is also incredibly believable, and it's realism adds to the terror.
It's also amongst the tightest movies you'll ever see. Writer/Director Jonathan Mostow could give a clinic on cinematic efficiency. Not a frame seems wasted, and the action moves along at such breakneck speed that you barely have time between tense moments to spit out one fingernail before you have to start on another.
The performances are solid. Kurt Russell wraps you up in his everyman torn between the terror of losing his wife and the murderous rage he feels towards her abductors. But the show is stolen by the great character actor J.T. Walsh as the creepily cold kidnapper. The only complaint here is that Kathleen Quinlan is given little to do but scream and be helpless.
This isn't a movie that's going to make any Top 10 lists, but that doesn't mean it's not a hell of a ride!