"Hostage" - Liam Neeson again saves children who want to blow up

On August 24, the film "Hostages" was released in the Russian box office. This is a remake of the Spanish film El desconocido, known in Russia as "The Stranger". At the same time, in the original, “Hostages” are called Retribution, that is, “Retribution”. To be fair, that's 99% of the movies that come out with Liam Neeson.

The director of the tape is Nimrod Antal (“Metallica: Through the Impossible”, “Control”). In the title role, of course, Liam Neeson is the main savior of children in the world of modern action movies.

Matt takes the kids to school in the family SUV. Suddenly, a phone thrown by someone rings under the seat. The voice on the phone states that if Matt or his children try to get out of the car, the car will explode. To survive, you need to follow the instructions received by phone. And to make Matt obey, his colleagues are killed.

predictable plot

The whole movie the main character and his children are in the car. This is already such a standard plot that it is almost impossible to surprise the viewer. Classical "

Speed” with Keanu Reeves showed everything that can happen in such a situation, so that subsequent pictures are doomed to repeat. Perhaps Michael Bay's ER is out of line with the same films, but Bay is a master at creating a wow effect.

Hostages doesn't have a big budget and Bay's visionary, and therefore doesn't offer anything other than a plot.

Where "Speed" made you experience tension, the new film forces you to remember where it has already been. Sometimes "Hostages" is reminiscent of "Loca”, in which Tom Hardy is driving the entire film and talking on the phone. Locke's marriage is at stake, Matt's children's lives are at stake, but the picture with Hardy is much scarier and more emotional.

The predictability of "Hostages" does not allow you to feel the feelings of the characters - it always seems that no danger threatens them.

Emotionless Drama

The predictability of the plot is not a huge problem - after all, it's just an action movie. But we need emotions, some kind of inner content. With this, the "Hostages" is also not very good.

In some places, the writers throw in drama, but each time it turns out to be too comical. For example, Matt must ask his wife to open his secret safe and during the call finds out that the wife went to lawyer She is going to file for divorce. It seems that Matt falls into a stupor and realizes that he lived wrong, but this is such an insignificant moment that it is immediately forgotten.

At the same time, the scriptwriters always remember that children are sitting in the back seat. And the circumstance is used according to the logic “If you want to evoke emotions in the viewer, put a gun to the head of a child or a kitten.” Therefore, there is no need to complicate anything. Need to add fear? We show a close-up of frightened children. But all this is so cardboard that it is not possible to worry about Matt's offspring.

Weird Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson is a brilliant actor if you want to make an action movie about tough guy. "Hostages" slightly changes his image, adding vulnerabilities to him. Neeson's standard hero can fight, shoot, and also has cunning. Matt has a driver's license and a little bit of wit, otherwise he is empty.

But Liam Neeson has become so accustomed to the role of a tough guy that just sitting behind the wheel is obviously boring for him. Literally until the moment when Matt should become a hero (this is not a spoiler, but the rule of the genre), the actor seems to feel uncomfortable. Neeson wants the same thing as the viewer - denouement. And in the finale, he finally shows his true self.

Nice ending

"Hostages" does not have the most original plot, not the best game of the protagonist - but the film looks. Firstly, it is dynamic - the director copes with limited space, drawing a bright world outside cars. Explosions, hints of death, a sense of persecution - these are crutches, but they work, so they maintain interest in what is happening.

Secondly, the timing helps out - the film lasts only an hour and a half. Considering that the ending turned out to be quite good, it is not so difficult to endure it.

"Hostages" is not terrible, but average action movie. Perhaps, in any other situation, he would have gone completely unattended in the Russian box office, but in the absence of high-profile premieres, he even looks worthy. Well, Liam Neeson once again hints that he will star in action movies forever - even at 71, he guarantees brutality.