Get ready for a white-knuckle ride with “Hostage,” a film that proves sometimes the quiet life is just a fantasy. Bruce Willis, back in his familiar grizzled hero role (he might as well be named McClane), attempts to escape his past as a hotshot L.A. hostage negotiator by becoming a small-town police chief. What could possibly go wrong in a sleepy suburb, you ask? Well, naturally, everything.
Our hero’s peaceful new existence is shattered when a botched car theft escalates into a full-blown hostage situation at a seemingly normal, yet surprisingly fortified, mansion. As if dealing with three unpredictable, idiotic teenagers wasn’t enough, it turns out the homeowner has more secrets than a politician’s offshore bank account. And those secrets? They’re about to put our man’s own family squarely in the crosshairs. Buckle up, because things are about to get very, very complicated.
Review by Ben Dover
Alright, so “Hostage.” Another day, another Bruce Willis movie where he scowls his way through a mess. You know the drill. He’s a cop, he’s got a tortured past, and suddenly, he’s the only one who can save the day. It’s like they just plug in a new script to the same old Willis template. Don’t get me wrong, the guy can still carry a movie, but I swear, I’ve seen more emotional range from a brick. At least he’s not trying to sing this time, I suppose.
The premise itself is decent enough. A former hostage negotiator, trying to escape the trauma of a past failure, finds himself right back in the thick of it. And of course, his own family gets dragged into it because that’s how these things work. It adds a nice layer of personal stakes, I’ll give them that. But then they throw in these dumb teenagers who bumble their way through the initial robbery, and you’re left wondering if they’ve ever watched a movie about crime. They’re more annoying than threatening, except for that one freak.
Now, that freak, Mars, played by Ben Foster, he’s the real gem here. This kid is genuinely unsettling. While the other two delinquents are busy being incompetent, Mars is just… off. He’s got that wide-eyed, unsettling stare, and you know he’s capable of anything. He’s the only character who feels truly dangerous, and he elevates what could have been a very generic thriller into something a bit more tense. Honestly, without him, this whole thing would just be Willis grumbling at some whiny kids.
The plot twists and turns like a crooked politician trying to avoid a subpoena. Just when you think it’s a straightforward hostage situation, they introduce a shadowy organization, a dirty accountant, and a bunch of other shenanigans. It gets a bit convoluted, and frankly, I was starting to lose track of who was double-crossing whom. But hey, at least it keeps you guessing, even if it feels like they’re just making it up as they go along. Overall, it’s a decent enough time-waster, especially if you’re a fan of Willis doing his thing, which, let’s be honest, we all are, despite our complaints.
Starring
- Bruce Willis as Jeff Talley: The former LAPD hostage negotiator, now a small-town police chief. Still got that brooding intensity, even if he looks like he’d rather be on a golf course.
- Kevin Pollak as Walter Smith: The accountant with more secrets than a squirrel buried nuts. He’s the reason all this mayhem happens, naturally.
- Ben Foster as Mars Krupcheck: The truly disturbed and unpredictable member of the teenage trio. This kid stole every scene he was in. Give him more roles where he can be creepy.
- Jonathan Tucker as Dennis Kelly: The “leader” of the teenage thugs, who probably watched too many gangster movies and thought he knew what he was doing. He didn’t.
- Marshall Allman as Kevin Kelly: Dennis’s younger brother, caught up in the stupidity of his older sibling. He’s the slightly less annoying of the two.
- Michelle Horn as Jennifer Smith: Walter Smith’s teenage daughter, stuck in the middle of a nightmare, and far too smart for these buffoons.
- Jimmy Bennett as Tommy Smith: Walter Smith’s young son, who proves that even little kids can be resourceful when their lives depend on it.
- Serena Scott Thomas as Jane Talley: Jeff’s long-suffering wife, who probably wonders why she ever married a cop.
- Rumer Willis as Amanda Talley: Jeff’s daughter, played by Bruce Willis’s real-life daughter. A bit of nepotism never hurt anyone, I guess.
Special Effects
The special effects in “Hostage” are pretty much what you’d expect from a mid-2000s action thriller. Lots of explosions, shattered glass, and general destruction. It’s all competently done, nothing groundbreaking, but it gets the job done. The house getting shot up and eventually going up in flames looks realistic enough to make you feel bad for the poor accountant’s insurance company. There are a few moments where the practical effects shine, especially with the close-quarters combat and the general mess that unfolds inside the house. No distracting CGI monsters or spaceships, just good old-fashioned mayhem. Sometimes simple is better, especially when the plot is already trying to tie itself in knots.
Music
The score by Alexandre Desplat is… well, it’s there. It’s effective in building tension, with a lot of those low, rumbling sounds that are supposed to make you feel uneasy. You know, the kind of music that screams “something bad is about to happen, but not quite yet.” There are some quieter, more melancholic pieces too, especially when they’re trying to inject some emotional depth into Willis’s character. But honestly, it’s not the kind of soundtrack you’ll be humming in the shower. It does its job, supports the mood, and doesn’t get in the way. It’s not a Hans Zimmer masterpiece, but it’s not elevator music either. It just kind of… exists.
Rating
3.5 out of 5 grumpy action stars
Synopsis and Plot Breakdown
Former LAPD SWAT officer and hostage negotiator Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) is left traumatized after a failed negotiation results in the deaths of a young boy and his mother. Blaming himself, Talley quits the LAPD and moves with his estranged wife, Jane (Serena Scott Thomas), and daughter, Amanda (Rumer Willis), to the quiet, suburban town of Bristo Camino, taking on the role of police chief, hoping for a simpler life.
One year later, three teenage delinquents – the hot-headed Dennis Kelly (Jonathan Tucker), his timid younger brother Kevin (Marshall Allman), and the psychopathic Mars Krupcheck (Ben Foster) – attempt to steal a car in Bristo Camino. The car belongs to a wealthy accountant, Walter Smith (Kevin Pollak), who lives in a heavily fortified mansion with his teenage daughter Jennifer (Michelle Horn) and young son Tommy (Jimmy Bennett). When a responding police officer is shot, the botched robbery quickly escalates into a full-blown hostage situation inside the Smith mansion.
Talley arrives at the scene, and despite his initial reluctance to get involved in another high-stakes negotiation, he’s forced to take charge. However, he soon learns that Smith is no ordinary accountant; he’s been laundering money for a powerful, shadowy criminal syndicate. Smith possesses a crucial encrypted DVD containing incriminating financial information, and the syndicate wants it back. To force Talley’s hand, the syndicate, led by a mysterious figure known as “The Watchman” (Kim Coates), kidnaps Talley’s wife and daughter, threatening to kill them if he doesn’t retrieve the DVD from Smith’s house.
Now, Talley is caught between a rock and a hard place: he must navigate the increasingly volatile situation inside the mansion, where Mars’s unpredictable and violent behavior poses a constant threat to the Smith family, all while secretly trying to retrieve the DVD for the syndicate to save his own family. The film becomes a tense cat-and-mouse game as Talley tries to outsmart both the teenage captors and the more professional, ruthless syndicate members. Inside the house, Tommy, the young son, proves surprisingly cunning, using hidden passages and a cell phone to communicate with Talley. The situation spirals into chaos with gunfights, explosions, and betrayals, culminating in a violent confrontation where Talley must confront the syndicate and protect both his family and the remaining hostages.
5 Famous Quotes from Hostage
- “This is my town now. My rules. You understand me?” – Jeff Talley
- “You don’t understand. I need that money. My family is in danger!” – Walter Smith
- “I like watching people die.” – Mars Krupcheck
- “You think I’m scared of you, little boy?” – Jennifer Smith (to Mars)
- “Some jobs, you take home with you.” – Jeff Talley
5 Notes from the Movie
- Based on a Novel: The film is based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Robert Crais. The movie streamlines some of the more complex crime syndicate subplots from the book.
- Real-Life Father-Daughter Duo: Bruce Willis’s real-life daughter, Rumer Willis, plays his character’s daughter, Amanda, in the film.
- Director’s American Debut: “Hostage” marked the English-language directorial debut for French director Florent Emilio Siri.
- Extensive Research: Before filming, director Florent Emilio Siri spent time with LAPD SWAT officers and hostage negotiators to accurately portray their procedures and mindset.
- Ben Foster’s Intensity: Ben Foster reportedly stayed in character as Mars Krupcheck throughout much of the production, isolating himself from the rest of the cast to maintain his unsettling persona.