Review of Hostage (2005) by Jonny P — 15 Apr 2016

"Hostage" is a decent action movie but gets far too aggressive with profanity for the story that it tells. Unlike films like "Shawshank Redemption" that use profanity to create a sense of realism, this film does the opposite by using an unacceptable amount of swearing (we're talking one character shouting the f-word or s-word 4-6 times in row) in place of intelligible dialogue.

There are many moments where a strong point could be made with one f-word, or even another choice of profanity, or imagine a world when a well-written line that doesn't rely on profanity could make an impact; instead, the writers turn to repeated f-words to show frustration.

I find this completely unacceptable in this sort of film. Outside of the profanity, Bruce Willis revisits his traditional kick-butt cop role with a variation in which he has to become a vigilante because of a clever plot twist.

He does a nice job while the rest of the cast is very average. This movie makes me really mad at dumb teenage boys who give in to peer pressure. The events of the film escalate quickly and (for the most part) realistically, but the entire of the story develops from one mentally unhealthy boy who is able to convince two others to get in trouble with him.

Although no part of this film could be classified as horror, there are a few scenes that are so intense that you'll want to retreat to a happy place. "Hostage" is definitely a step down from the "Die Hard" series but it is worth watching for its intensity and unpredictable nature.

Just prepare yourself for an abundance of swearing that is not necessary in portraying these events.