It's been some time since I last saw a movie with creative
opening credits. This one is unique, with comic book like panels
and graphics, which looks suspiciously like Sin City, capturing
different aspects of first responders in a hostage crisis, before
dissolving into real life and putting everything into
perspective.
And we see Bruce Willis with hair! Lots of it! Well, at least for
the opening tense and engaging scene. He seems to have monopolized
the role of the world weary cop, this time, a renowned hostage
crisis negotiator, until the mission goes awry and he literally has
blood on his hands.
We fast forward to today, and we see the Willis we're all too
familiar with - bald, and into a career as a small town police
chief. Before you can say "bring on the action!", 3 teenage
delinquents hold a man and his 2 children hostage in their swanky
ultra modern home.
To add to the mix, there's something shady going on behind the man
held hostage, and given Willis' reputation as an ex-hotshot
negotiator, he's now blackmailed by unidentified masked men holding
his own family hostage, who want a DVD from the house with probably
important information (don't ask). So Willis has to use his smarts,
play both sides, putting his skills into practice and wiggle out of
both situations - get the hostages safe, deliver what the masked
men wants, and in turn, guarantee safe passage for his own family.
Naturally when you play both sides, those on the side of the law
always question your motives, as you deviate from the book.
What intrigues me is the negotiation process - between Willis and
the hostage taking delinquents, and between Willis and the
professional masked men - which takes centerstage in any hostage
drama. I've been reading up a bit on crisis negotiation, and some
aspects of the movie does seem to apply the principles of what I
have read, which is cool.
It's a thrill from start to end, and this film delivers, with 2
finales tying up the 2 major plots. While at times predictable, the
superb delivery by the cast does not bore you, though some might
think that having "unidentified" masked men seems a little too
convenient, as their motives go unexplained.
This is based on a novel, so I might just check out the book. And
if Willis' character is called John McClane, this could well be a
worthy addition to the Die Hard franchise.
