ABDUCTIONÂ (12)
D: John Singleton
Lionsgate/Vertigo/Quick Six (Doug Davison, Ellen
Goldsmith-Vein, Lee Stollman, Roy Lee, Dan Lautner & Pat Crowley)
USA 🇺🇸 2011
105 mins
Action/Thriller
W: Shawn Williamson
DP: Peter Menzies, Jr.
Ed: Bruce Cannon
Mus: Edward Shearmur
Taylor Lautner (Nathan Harper/Steven Price), Lily Collins
(Karen Murphy), Alfred Molina (Frank Burton), Jason Isaacs (Kevin Harper), Maria Bello (Mara Harper), Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Geraldine Bennett), Michael Nykvist (Nikola Kozlow)
A teeny-bopper Bourne Identity, moderately
enjoyable if you ignore how ridiculous it all is.
High school bad boy Taylor Lautner discovers he is
adopted the same night his adoptive parents are murdered and goes on the run with girl-next-door Lily Collins as two rival groups are pursuing him, one being the CIA and another far
more sinister. Not to worry though, because Lautner is a secret Jedi, or whatever.
As a brainless action thriller it passes the time,
but it's clear to see that this was a rushed effort, squeezed into production in-between two Twilight instalments to capitalise on the fame of its lead. There's some glaring gaffes,
including bad continuity and many of the potentially interesting characters aren't developed enough while the principal focus isn't particularly likeable, but this is simply due to a
poor performance from someone who has muscular tone, but the tough guy act is merely laughable.
The worst thing is that there's no actual
abduction. A more fitting title would have been 'Adoption'.
4/10