Hostage

Starring Bruce Willis,  Kevin Pollak

Rated R

            Bruce Willis is one of my favorite actors, and ever since I saw “Die Hard” and “Pulp Fiction,” his star power alone has led me to every one of his recent films. After slogging my way through the dreadful “The Whole Ten Yards,” I was refreshed to find that Willis had returned to his action hero roots in the gripping “Hostage.”

            Willis is Jeff Talley, a Los Angeles negotiator who, after a hostage situation goes terribly wrong, moves to a small town outside of Los Angeles hoping to start a better life. He becomes chief of police at the local police station, and crime is usually scarce. That is until one day, when three teenage boys take the rich family of Walter Smith (Kevin Pollak) hostage (their only mission is to steal Smith’s car.)

            But when one of the boys kills a police officer outside of Smith’s home, the situation becomes more complicated. Talley is called into action, and soon enough, he hands the situation over to the Feds. He thinks his night is over until his family is threatened (by unknown perpetrators) to be killed if Talley does not retrieve an important DVD inside Smith’s house.

            If the plot sounds too complicated, don’t worry; “Hostage” wraps up all loose ends. While not up to the standard Willis set 17 years ago with “Die Hard,” the film still manages to be a successful thriller. 

   
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