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The 2000s aren’t recognized for producing Bruce Willis‘ greatest films. The motion star’s fame rose after The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, however the momentum slowed with much less acclaimed initiatives, resembling Hart’s Warfare and Tears of the Solar. Nevertheless, it was presently that Willis made Hostage, one in every of his greatest and most underappreciated movies. Nevertheless, the movie did not impress critics and stays an neglected chapter within the profession of the Die Arduous star.

Nevertheless, Hostage is one in every of Willis’ best movies. The motion thriller showcased the actor at his greatest, delivering his normal motion persona in a well-written script that paired him with criminally underrated performers. With a believable crime plot, a unstable villain, and Bruce Willis’s signature motion fashion, Hostage is a rewatchable thriller that deserves re-evaluation past its poor Rotten Tomatoes rating.

What Is Bruce Willis’ ‘Hostage’ About?

Hostage, launched in 2005, tells the story of a hostage negotiator who decides to retire from the tough craft after a case ends in tragedy. He turned sheriff and stepped away from hostage negotiations. That’s, till three younger delinquents break into the house of a rich man and discover themselves embroiled in a extremely complicated plot. Nevertheless, Talley fingers the case off since hostage negotiations fall outdoors his jurisdiction.

Nevertheless, Talley has one other downside. When he finds out his family has been taken hostage, Talley should discover a method to adjust to the calls for of harmful criminals. A vital DVD containing proof is contained in the mansion the place the hostage scenario unfolds, and Talley should forestall the authorities from seizing it, or his household will face dire penalties. Per the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis of the movie:

After one in every of his hostage negotiations goes awry, LAPD officer Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) quits the power and relocates his household to the suburbs. Because the sheriff in a sleepy city, Jeff thinks he has escaped the hustle and bustle – till an elaborate native heist places him again within the middle of a hostage scenario. When his family is pulled into the fray, Jeff is compelled to determine whether or not he ought to attempt to assist the hostages or observe the criminals’ hands-off mandate to guard his family.

‘Hostage’ Is One in every of Bruce Willis’ Greatest and Most Underappreciated Films

Hostage is an intense thriller that retains viewers on the sting of their seats with its relentless plot. Willis delivers one in every of his most compelling and multi-layered performances, particularly notable given the spectacular caliber of his co-stars. Jonathan Tucker, the younger star of The Virgin Suicides, Sleepers, and The Ruins, is ideal as one of many criminals making an attempt to maintain issues collectively. Nevertheless, Hostage is Ben Foster’s present, because the younger actor of Hell or Excessive Water fame manages to steal each scene he is in by taking part in an erratic madman who breaks the conventions of villain tropes. Among the many criminals, he stands out as essentially the most unpredictable and harmful.

The movie was directed by Florent-Emilio Siri and written by Doug Richardson, who tailored the script from Robert Crais’s novel, Hostage. Upon its launch, the movie achieved a modest field workplace efficiency, grossing over $77 million in opposition to a $75 million manufacturing finances. Hostage was critically panned, and right this moment it holds a 32% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The viewers rating is greater, registering a 62% score. Famed critic Roger Ebert was one of many few who appreciated the film, awarding it three stars out of 4. Maybe this excerpt from his evaluate will persuade you that Hostage deserves re-evaluation:

“I’m not a lot involved about such logical flaws, as a result of the principle line of the film is emotional, pushed by the Willis character, who is ready to mission extra depth with much less overacting than most of his rivals… The mechanics of the ultimate showdown are sudden and but present an simple logic, and are offered by the appearing expertise of Willis and Pollak.”

Hostage is on the market to stream on Paramount+.