“Abduction” Movie Trailer Review

“Abduction”

Movie Trailer Review

By our guest blogger, Joe Oliveto

It’s tough being a fan of John Singleton. On the one hand, “Boyz n’ the Hood” stands as proof positive that he is a talented filmmaker who knows how to tell an entertaining story with a strong moral center. On the other hand, he has rarely ever had the opportunity to do what he did there a second time.

Well, from the trailer alone, we can definitely say that “Abduction” will not be another “Boyz ‘n the Hood.” It looks more like a “Bourne” movie meets the “Twilight” franchise, and that can’t be a good thing. While this film certainly sports an impressive supporting cast—Sigourney Weaver, Alfred Molina, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello—the lead, Taylor Lautner, already seems entirely unconvincing in his performance. It’s certainly difficult to gauge whether or not an actor can portray a character based on a trailer alone, but thus far, he appears to be expressing a forced concern that doesn’t come off as genuine.

Still, the trailer is cut in such a way to suggest that if you are able to put aside any expectations of Oscar-worthy acting, it may be possible to appreciate this film as a cheap thriller. It is a wise move to make it clear to the audience that there is something “special” about this character without revealing what it might be. It sets up a question which we would actually like to know the answer to.

Will the answer be worth it when the film gets its eventual release? Maybe. Either way, this is a pure studio picture, but even if it fails artistically, we hope that it manages to draw a crowd. If this is successful enough, maybe a studio will let John Singleton work on an original project again. That’s what we would really like to see.