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Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "HOSTAGE" (2005) (Bruce Willis, Jonathan Tucker) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Extreme Extreme Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Mild Extreme *None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Mild Heavy Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Suspense/Action: Having previously failed to save some hostages while on duty, a former police negotiator becomes a town's chief of police, only to find himself in familiar surroundings when some young thugs take a family hostage and he's forced to resolve the situation. PLOT: Jeff Talley (BRUCE WILLIS) is an experienced hostage negotiator who'd rather talk a perpetrator down rather than allow sharpshooters to deliver a kill shot. Yet, when his tactics don't work and a kidnapper kills himself and his family, Jeff is shaken to his very core and gives up the job. A year later, Jeff is facing another crisis. While he's settled into his low-key job as chief of police for a small community, his marriage to wife Jane (SERENA SCOTT THOMAS) is failing, and their teenage daughter, Amanda (RUMER WILLIS), is not taking it well. Even so, Jeff has a job to do, but doesn't expect what's going to occur next. Three young thugs -- brothers Dennis (JONATHAN TUCKER) and Kevin Kelly (MARSHALL ALLMAN) and their volatile long-haired friend Mars (BEN FOSTER) -- have spotted the SUV driven by accountant Walter Smith (KEVIN POLLAK) and would like it for themselves. Accordingly, they sneak into his garage but then get greedy and head into the house. There, they encounter Walter, his teenage daughter Jennifer (MICHELLE HORN), and her younger brother Tommy (JIMMY BENNETT). The situation quickly turns from robbery to kidnapping, with Mars then shooting and killing one of Jeff's officers who's responded to a silent alarm. He arrives on the scene, only to find the home -- with its high-tech security -- impenetrable and the situation rapidly deteriorating. Jeff does what he can, but hands off the situation to other law enforcement agents when they arrive. He thinks he's done with all of that, but he's not. It seems that some big-time criminals want a certain important disc that Walter has made for them, but with the police outside and the thugs inside, they need an "in." Accordingly, they kidnap Jane and Amanda, thus forcing Jeff to return to the scene of the crime. From that point on, he must deal with both sets of criminals, the other agents who are now in charge, and his own doubts about his ability to resolve the situation and save his family. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're into action flicks or are fans of anyone in the cast (particularly Bruce Willis), it's a good bet they might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong graphic violence, language and some drug use. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: BRUCE WILLIS plays a former hostage negotiator turned local police chief who's reluctantly pulled back into his old line of work when some big-time criminals kidnap his family to make him resolve a hostage situation regarding their client and some important work he has for them. He doubts his abilities, but gets the job done (including killing various villains), all while using some strong profanity and smoking once. KEVIN POLLAK plays an accountant who cooks the books and does other high tech criminal work for some big-time criminals. He also shoots and kills a villain. JONATHAN TUCKER plays a hot-headed, small time criminal and thug who gets in over his head when he robs Walter's place and then takes him and his family hostage. He uses strong profanity, threatens to kill others and knocks Walter unconscious. BEN FOSTER his long-haired and equally volatile thug friend who kills, smokes and uses drugs (pot). JIMMY BENNETT plays Walter's young and resourceful son who tries to outwit Dennis and the others. MICHELLE HORN plays his teenage sister who's frightened by the turn of events in her home, and has a bong under her bed. MARSHALL ALLMAN plays Dennis' younger brother who doesn't want to be involved in the SUV theft or resultant kidnapping. SERENA SCOTT THOMAS plays Jeff's estranged wife. RUMER WILLIS plays their teenage daughter who's rebelling due to being distraught over her parents' failing marriage. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this action-based suspense/thriller that's been rated R. Profanity consists of at least 55 "f" words, while plenty of other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. A thug makes an oral sex gesture at a female teenager, while another spreads her legs with a knife (in a sexually charged fashion) while tying her up (for abduction and not sexual reasons). Violence consists of many scenes of deadly and very bloody gunfire, other deadly acts and the striking of others. The various villains all have bad attitudes, while some of those scenes and other moments of real and potential peril may be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers. Tense family material involves two fathers worrying about the safety of their families after they're kidnapped, as well as a failing marriage (resulting in a teen daughter sulking and rebelling). A character smokes pot and blows some of the smoke into a teenage girl's mouth (she earlier has a bong hidden under her bed), while some regular smoking occurs as well. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Mars offers a cigarette or joint to the Smith kids, but they decline the offer. Tommy mentions breaking the bong under Jennifer's bed (to get a shard of glass to cut their bindings). We then see them on the floor, with him trying to break the visible bong. Mars smokes a joint and blows some of its smoke toward Jennifer who turns away and coughs. He does it again, and this time she accepts it. BLOOD/GORE We see blood on and behind a man who's killed himself, on his murdered wife and on their mortally wounded son (Jeff then has that boy's blood all over his hands). Walter initially has a red mark on his head from being hit there several times with a gun, and then had blood down the side of his head. A mortally wounded cop is very bloody. Tommy's hand is very bloody after holding a shard of glass (that he uses to cut his bindings). Jeff discovers his dead and bloody dog (briefly seen). A person who's been thrown down to the floor has blood on his face, while another person who's just been shot has blood on their clothing. Jennifer stabs a villain in the face with a knife (and we see it sticking out of his cheek, with very bloody results). Mars smears his blood on a two-way mirror, writing the words "Burn it" on it in blood. Jeff is shot and wounded and we later see blood soaked through his clothing. We later see a blood-soaked bandage on him. Mars' face and clothing are very bloody. Some shootings have bloody results on the dead men as well as on the floor around them (pooling). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE All of the various villains, especially those involved in kidnapping and murder, obviously have extreme cases of bad attitudes. Walter does criminal accounting work for big-time criminals. Dennis and Mars want to steal Walter's SUV, but then decide to get greedy and go inside the house for more. Jennifer looks through her dad's wallet for money. Jeff slaps Walter, trying to rouse him from unconsciousness. He then orders a paramedic to use adrenaline or something similar to wake him up, despite that paramedic's objections. Jeff tells a white lie to Dennis about Walter being dead (making Dennis think he murdered him). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Jeff is on the scene of standoff where he's trying to talk a deranged man out of killing his wife and boy. When the talks fail, Jeff races to the scene, pleading for the man not to kill his family, and finally speaks with the boy who's scared. Jeff hears gunshots inside a house and races inside only to find the deranged gunman (the father) dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the wife dead and their young son mortally wounded (all are quite bloody). A cop arrives at Walter's gate, responding to a silent alarm, unaware that Mars (holding a gun) is just on the other side. Tommy mentions breaking the bong under Jennifer's bed (to get a shard of glass to cut their bindings). We then see them on the floor, with him trying to break it. They then panic when the bad guys approach. Jeff gets into his SUV, only to have a handgun held on him from the backseat. Moments later, a gun is held to his head as he's ordered to do several things (such as cuffing himself to the steering wheel). Mars aims his gun at Jeff, but then disappears into the darkness. Tommy slowly makes his way toward his dad's office, hoping the intruders don't hear or see him. We see Kevin spot Tommy doing that, but he lets him go without alerting the others. Tommy grabs a gun and holds it at Mars who slowly walks toward him, pulling the gun toward his chest and telling the boy to fire (but he doesn't). Mars chases Tommy and Jennifer through the house's large ventilation shafts, grabbing her foot at one point (with her repeatedly kicking him in the face). Mars breaks the outer layer of reflective glass on a two-way mirror and then repeatedly shoots into the bulletproof glass while Jennifer and Tommy cower on the other side (but aren't hurt). A man purposefully drops a Molotov cocktail to ignite himself (we then see him engulfed in flames). GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Automatic weapons/Sniper Rifles/Molotov cocktails/Knife: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. In the cartoon like opening credits, there are drawings of men with automatic weapons and sniper rifles. We see a handgun in the young thugs' glove compartment. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*cker," "F*ck you," "I hate this f*cking guy," "Tell me something I don't f*cking know," "I f*cking hate it here," "What the f*ck is that?" "Shut the f*ck up," "F*cking sh*t," "F*cking this sh*t up," "F*cking rich people," "F*cked-aphobic," "F*cking check this out," "F*ck-head," "Smart f*ck," "Don't f*cking touch me," "Thank you very f*cking much," "Little sh*t," "Bullsh*t," "I'm running this sh*t," "Holy sh*t," "Oh sh*t," "Keep your sh*t together," "Do it right without d*cking it up," "Bastard," "Whore," "Balls" (testicles), "Sucks," "Pissed you off," "Shut up," "Rich bitch," "The hell you don't," "Get your ass on the floor," "We're bugging in here," "Hell no," "What the hell is going on?" and "Don't be a dumb ass." Dennis litters by throwing a defective CD out onto the road. After Dennis makes a male oral sex gesture with his hand and mouth at Jennifer, she gives him "the finger" and mouths "f*ck you" back at him. Jennifer wears a shirt that reads "Burn This" and shows her midriff and cleavage. Jennifer looks through her dad's wallet for money. Jeff has a tattoo on his shoulder. A man purposefully drops a Molotov cocktail to ignite himself (we then see him engulfed in flames). JUMP SCENES One of the guys suddenly grabs Jennifer. A door is closed and Mars is suddenly there. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song had lyrics that we couldn't fully understand, thus offering the possibility of it containing potentially objectionable lyrics. PROFANITY At least 55 "f" words (3 used with "mother" and another is mouthed), 38 "s" words, 1 slang term using male genitals ("d*cking"), 4 hells, 3 asses, 2 damns, 1 S.O.B., 4 uses of "G-damn," 2 each of "God and "Jesus Christ" and 1 use each of "Christ" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY After Dennis makes a male oral sex gesture with his hand and mouth at Jennifer, she gives him "the finger" and mouths "f*ck you" back at him. Walter comments about the outfit that Jennifer is wearing (a shirt that reads "Burn This" and shows her midriff and cleavage) by saying that men see it as a sexual invitation. We see Jeff and another man in just their boxers (to show the young thugs they're not armed). While tying Jennifer (a teenager) to her bed, Mars uses a knife to slowly spread her legs to the point where he can tie off each (done in a sexually charged manner). Jennifer shows a little cleavage (in a non-provocative manner). SMOKING Mars smokes a number of times, while Jeff smokes once. Mars offers a cigarette or joint to the Smith kids, but they decline the offer. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Jeff worries about his family's safety, as does Walter about his, throughout the ordeal. Jeff is on the scene of standoff where he's trying to talk a deranged man out of killing his wife and boy. When the talks fail, Jeff races to the scene, pleading for the man not to kill his family, and finally speaks with the boy who's scared. Jeff hears gunshots inside a house and races inside only to find the deranged gunman (the father) dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the wife dead and their young son mortally wounded (all are quite bloody). Amanda is upset with her dad and her parents' failing marriage. She yells at them, "Why don't you guys just get divorced?" Jeff's wife is also upset with him. Amanda then walks away from her dad when he tries to talk to her. Walter states that his wife is dead. Jane says she had a fight with Amanda over the notion of her and Jeff getting a divorce. The masked criminals show Jeff (who's cuffed to his steering wheel and restrained by an arm around him from the backseat) that they have kidnapped his wife and daughter (who are bound and gagged in another vehicle). They tell him that if he deviates from their plan, they'll kill them. There's talk of Dennis' father killing his mother and then himself in the past. Dennis punches his brother to the floor and then nearly strikes him with his belt, but stops before doing so (after the two disagree about the elder's actions). The bad guys, posing as FBI agents, show Jeff a photo of his gagged and bound wife and daughter. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Hostage negotiators. How small crimes often lead to bigger ones. Strained marriages and their effect on the children. What causes people to perform criminal acts. VIOLENCE A deranged man strikes his young son on the face/head with a telephone handset, sending him to the floor. Jeff hears gunshots inside a house and races inside only to find the deranged gunman (the father) dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the wife dead and their young son mortally wounded (all are quite bloody). One of the guys suddenly grabs Jennifer, holds a gun to her head and then aims it at Walter. A cop arrives at Walter's gate, responding to a silent alarm, unaware that Mars (holding a gun) is just on the other side. When she gets suspicious, he suddenly fires through the opening, hitting her in the shoulder. As she turns away, he shoots her in the back, mortally wounding her. He then shoots at another cop in his car, hitting it several times. Dennis strikes Walter on the head several times with his gun, knocking him out. Mars shoots at Jeff and another cop as they try to retrieve a wounded cop. Jeff gets into his SUV, only to have a handgun held on him from the backseat. Moments later, a gun is held to his head as he's ordered to do several things (such as cuffing himself to the steering wheel). Jeff discovers his dead and bloody dog (briefly seen). The cops shoot out the security cameras mounted on the house. Jeff slaps Walter, trying to rouse him from unconsciousness. He then orders a paramedic to use adrenaline or something similar to wake him up, despite that paramedic's objections. We see fuzzy, black and white surveillance footage of one of the young thugs shooting and killing a store clerk sometime in the past. Mars grabs Jennifer by the throat and pushes her against a wall. Dennis holds a gun on Jeff and we then hear a shot, but he only fired it into the air. Dennis punches his brother to the floor and then nearly strikes him with his belt, but stops before doing so. Jeff goes at a female cop while angry at her and has to be restrained. Mars throws a person off a second story, indoor level down to the floor below. He then shoots a person (in the chest) who comes to that thrown person's aid, resulting in both of their deaths. Tommy grabs a gun and holds it at Mars who slowly walks toward him, pulling the gun toward his chest and telling the boy to fire (but he doesn't). He then pushes the boy to the floor. Jennifer then stabs him in the face with a knife (and we see it sticking out of his cheek, with very bloody results). Mars chases Tommy and Jennifer through the house's large ventilation shafts, grabbing her foot at one point (with her repeatedly kicking him in the face). Mars breaks the outer layer of reflective glass on a two-way mirror and then repeatedly shoots into the bulletproof glass while Jennifer and Tommy cower on the other side (but aren't hurt). Jeff drives a vehicle through a security gate, with Mars throwing a Molotov cocktail down onto the hood (catching it on fire). With the house on fire (set by Mars), commandos use explosives to blast their way into it. Mars ignites two men with Molotov cocktails that he throws at them. He then shoots a man in the head, killing him, while other men shoot at him in the ventilation system. Jeff is shot and wounded and we later see blood soaked through his clothing. Mars hits another man with a Molotov cocktail, following by Jeff repeatedly shooting him. A man purposefully drops a Molotov cocktail to ignite himself (we then see him engulfed in flames). Jeff holds a gun on a man as they enter a motel where they encounter other armed men. Jeff's man suddenly shoots another man in the head, with Jeff then shooting the rest of the men dead (including repeatedly shooting into one on the floor). Such violence has bloody results on the dead men as well as on the floor around them (pooling). Reviewed February 24, 2005 / Posted March 11, 2005

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