Captivity (2007)

Top cover girl and fashion model Jennifer Tree (Elisha Cuthbert) has it all - beauty fame money and power. Everyone wants her...but some more than others. Alone after a charity event she is drugged and taken. Directed by acclaimed director Roland Joffe Captivity delves deep into the minds of both captor and victim. Called one of the most controversial films of the year Captivity will leave you terrified and looking over your shoulder wondering if you could be next!System Requirements:Run time: 85 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 031398218777 Product Description

Elisha Cuthbert - How bad could it be?

Three reviews prior to this one all mentioned the 'SAW' series. I haven't seen any of them and I'm not usually into torture movies. Yuck! However, Elisha Cuthbert was in this one so I thought I'd give it a try. Actually, this was not a bad way to spend an hour and a half. I had to turn my head away a couple times, but for the most part it was fun. The biggest flaw (and there were a few) was that I figured out the plot twist very early in the film. It was way too obvious. Then there was the abduction. Jennifer's face (Elisha was Jennifer) was plastered all over New York City. She was a top model and her picture was on billboards, taxis and buses. You couldn't turn around without seeing her picture. So how did no one in this nightclub not recognize her? How did no one in this busy place not see her go to the ladies lounge? How did no one notice the most attractive girl in New York almost passing out as she walked across the room? Daniel Gillies played Jerry, another prisoner held in the same building as Jennifer. When the climax comes Jerry's resourcefulness pales in comparison to Jennifer. If anybody should have been doing the rescuing... Enough with the flaws though. The cover said this was a movie from the studio behind 8 films to die for. That and Elisha Cuthbert was good enough for me. No nudity. Not even any real skimpy outfits for Elisha. Not a bad job of acting by the cast, so the last word here is give it a try. You could do worse. March 9, 2008

Saw + Elisha Cuthbert = Captivity

Captivity starts with a grisly murder, a scene reminiscent of each of the worst scenes in any of the Saw movies. A hooded, disguised killer has a victim strapped to a chair, with a tube in his mouth. The tube is connected to some sort of toxic chemical, and there is no way for the tube to be removed. It's clear that the victim is horrified, and completely aware of the impending doom. It's creepy, ominous, and sets a great tone for the remainder of the movie.

Elisha Cuthbert is stunning as she plays Jennifer Tree, a hyper-busy, some what conceited covergirl/model, constantly doing interviews, and appearing on TV. She lives life beyond the means of most, going so far as buying gourmet food for her dog! This attention, however, draws some unwanted attention that eventually causes problems.

Shortly into the film, it becomes clear that Jennifer is being stalked and filmed, establishing very clear foreshadowing, and causing the viewer to connect her potential attacker and the previous murder. Sure enough, she's drugged, abducted, and the stage is set for the rest of the movie.

It's really a cross between the riddles of Saw and Se7en, the imprisonment of Kiss the Girls, and the torture aspect of Hostel.

If viewers can get past the borderline plot plagiarism, the suspense is actually somewhat enticing, the acting fairly believable, and the scenarios quite ingenius and terrifying. Elisha Cuthbert is mesmerizing, absolutely stealing every scene; she's an absolute star whose beauty is truly worth the price of admission. Although, it's hard to watch a single scene without thinking of a myriad other horror movies from which "Captivity" borrowed various concepts.

It's mindless gore, suspense, and screams for the not-so-faint-hearted. It's exactly what one would expect, and an overall thrilling ride. January 30, 2008

Captivity is nothing more than a cheap version of the Saw Franchise

Have we not had our fill of sadistic torture, visceral moments, useless horror movies from companies such as Lionsgate films? They release foreign and independent films such as Hotel Rwanda and Fahrenheit 9/11. However, people will mainly recognize their name associated with action/adventure and horror films like Saw and even Hostel.

Captivity is nothing more than a cheap version of the Saw Franchise, so why would they want to distribute this kind of junk? Furthermore, one then has to wonder why veteran--the Oscar winner--director, Roland Joffe who made good films like The Killing Fields (1984) and The Mission (1986) made a film like Captivity. Yes, he has gone on to directing less successful movies such as Super Mario Bros. (uncredited, 1993) and The Scarlet Letter (1995) but nothing like this. Is there an explanation for such a decline in his career? Because this movie is telling us that he has reach an all time low. We are puzzled about his choice, but we do understand that everyone needs a paycheck.

New York City is a great place to be a fashion model and cover girl. All the best fashion photographers love to shoot Jennifer Tree (Elisha Cuthbert) and she loves the attention. Eventually this will be her demise because there is a faceless but ruthless stalker--who is obsessed with her beauty--that is pursuing her. She loves to party and she decides to go the local nightclub and while waiting for her drink, it is drugged by our villain.

The next morning Jennifer wakes up confused but notices that she might be in a hotel; because of the view by the window is that of a beach. She starts walking over only to discover that the window is not authentic--it is a film screen, inside of a prison cell--that resembles a scene from Total Recall.

Jennifer realizes that she is trapped. She must break out of her confinement but it will not be easy because there are cameras all round the room. Over the next several hours, she will have to undergo several psychological and sensory torture traps. During her ordeal, she discovers that she is not alone--there is a young man named Gary (Daniel Gillies [Spider man 2]) held prisoner in the next room. Within a short while, they devise an escape but the Killer foils it and they are put into their cells. Within a short time--because of the celebrity status of Jennifer--the NYPD are drawn into the disappearance of this famous person. What will be the out come of our couple? Will they escape the clutches of our pitiless executioner?

As I have said in some of my earlier reviews like Turistas and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, we have had our fill of this genre when it comes to mindless torture and sadistic behavior of these serial killers that these movies glamorize. They become painfully predictable.

The most interesting thing that we can say about Captivity is the way he uses the urban villain and hero, in this genre. He gives us an essence of a "cat and mouse" game through the teasing of our victim Jennifer. The best example of this is where he uses a sleeping gas to subdue her, but unfortunately, after the first forty minutes--because of the repetitiveness of this sequence--he starts loosing this style of suspense. Now, the movie and this spin on sadistic methods becomes just like a similar copy of the behaviors that we received from Jigsaw in the Saw movies with the "Batman" like traps but far less creativity. At least the villain from Saw had some ingenuity plus personality.

Secondly, once the villain reveals himself and his true intentions--his real feelings for the girl--the movie becomes predictable and then proceeds to take the course of a very yuppie, version of an urban soap opera.

Please proceed with caution when going to see this hollow, predictable, shallow, cheap copy of other films. The movie does have its moments with the cat and mouse approach by the director through the psychological tormenting of Jennifer, but looses this element of innovation through the torture sequences, which remind us of Saw and the TV show Fear Factor. The result: we are left with very little scaring moments or intensity because of the bad acting and storytelling. December 6, 2007

Not bad, but Chances are you "SAW" this film Already...

If you are a big fan of the "Saw" movies, and movies such as See No Evil and Hostel, than this will be right up your alley. Keep in mind that this is a low-budget film, and it really goes for the cheap thrills. Thing is, Elisha Cuthbert ("24," "Girl Next Door") is not a bad actress at all. But she is bogged down by a pretty lousy script here. Pruitt Taylor Vince is also a very good actor, so in a way I was disappointed by the quality of the story but it is not the actors' fault the writing is sub-par. This film has its moments, especially for fans of this genre of torture-horror flicks, and it makes for some Halloween-slasher fun. Other than that, it won't make anyone forget "The Shining." FOr a low budget film, though, it is decent entertainment value so I give it three stars. November 5, 2007

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