Abduction (2011)

So I made a few jokes at the fact I was going to see this movie, sure it was a free ticket but I’m not that interested in Taylor Lautner’s abs. But in all honesty I hope to be impressed by movies that are out of my comfort zone. As I sat down to watch this movie I hoped that this would be like I Am Number Four, and entertaining enough to get me over the all teen drama this movie would surely have.

Okay the surprise here was I was kind of into the movie at the beginning. It wasn’t my cup of tea but I could see other people getting a kick out of it. Taylor Lautner was okay, and there was a slow build up. It gave us some character development. Not a hell of a lot but enough to get people to give a damn about them. But then maybe a quarter of the way through there is a line that signifies a wave of stupidity that’s about to hit. A wave that washes away any good will the movie was building. That line? “There’s a bomb in the oven.” Basically it is the first plot point that makes little sense, and is only there to add an action beat.

This movies biggest problem is the script. It’s written in clichés and has some of the worst dialogue I’ve heard in a while. By the end of the movie there were people behind me laughing at nearly every line being uttered by the characters. What was worse was they were being uttered by good actors who were turning in some of the worst performances I’ve seen them do. It seems that plot is sacrificed for the sake of action, and even then the action isn’t all that to write home about. Though Taylor Lautner does show glimmers of potential in becoming a fully fledged action star in the future.

Taylor Lautner is competent in acting in the beginning. All he needs to do is act like a teenager and show a little inner turmoil. But it’s all pretty one note. When the action kicks in however he does seem to have a problem transitioning from emotion to emotion. It’s almost like he can’t actually show two emotions at once. I do think he has potential in becoming an action star but this will probably take time. As for the other actors they all are weighed down with the script and only three manage to overcome it. Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello and Alfred Molina, with Maria Bello being the best of the trio. I really dug Alfred Molina but his character of Burton is written in pure cliché and I’ve seen this character so much that as much personality he brought to the role, I knew exactly where it was all headed.

Abduction was a disappointment because the first quarter of the movie did promise that it would be at least a competent movie. I think fans of Taylor Lautner might still like the movie, and find enough action to not be bored. However I saw first hand the demographic of this movie start to reject it with laughter which isn’t a very good sign.