Abduction

Movie, 2011, PG-13

Premise - When a teenage boy finds his own childhood picture on a missing persons website, he starts to suspect that his parents are not who they seem. Confusion and adventure unfold as he and his childhood crush go on the run from the CIA, not knowing who to trust.

Review – Umm… so… I was forced into watching this movie because I’ve been on a Twilight-binge lately (review on that to come) and this is Taylor Lautner’s movie so… I watched it, despite the horrid reviews. My conclusion is that it’s not horrible, but definitely… subpar. It’s got a good musical score though. I’ll give credit where it’s due.

There are several problems with this film, the most obvious of which being the acting. I’m not talking about Taylor Lautner, because while he’s not the best actor, he definitely held his own in this leading role. Same with Karen, and his parents. Instead, I’m talking about all the side acting parts, which were just cringe-worthy.  Although, it’s not necessarily the actors’ faults. When in doubt, blame bad directing, which is justifiable when you notice just how much subpar directing is in this film. The other problem lies with the script, which at times felt forced and more like it came out of “Screenwriting 101.” All of the important elements were there, but they did not unfold naturally. And lastly, the story doesn’t mean anything. You can get away with a stylistically subpar movie if the story is good, but this one had nothing to offer.

The film succeeds in its ability to create suspense. You want to know who Nathan’s parents are. You want to find out why his old parents had to lie. And you want Nathan to make it out alive. There were some fantastic “gasp” moments in this film, where my heart did skip a beat. I again want to give credit to the music editors and composers for this film, who definitely helped create this suspense. But once the story is over, it offers nothing that could possibly stick with you. Taylor Lautner is really hot though (41/100). 

Quote -  "Trust needs to be earned."

What to watch for - Taylor Lautner

If you liked this movie, I'd recommend Finding Carter!

Director: John Singleton

Distribution Company: Lionsgate Films