Customer Reviews

Captivity

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I have a rather mixed opinion about Captivity. Viewed seriously, it is an awful movie. Elisha Cuthbert plays a model who is drugged, kidnapped, held prisoner and tortured by an unknown assailant. During the first portion of the movie, she is essentially the only character, and she is not a very interesting one. For a long time, we know little about her - and nothing of the motivations of her captor - so it is hard to care about her on anything but the most basic level. Eventually, another prisoner appears, and then the plot twists begin; the only problem is that every twist can be seen coming long before it happens. And considering how "brilliant" the villain is, he leaves a relatively obvious trail for the police to at least suspect him.

On the other hand, while watching Captivity, I began to wonder if it is really just a parody of the so-called "torture porn" genre which has the Saw and Hostel movies as its most prominent members. After all, this movie takes torture porn to its extreme: all torture, no character, with a plot that is minimal (and rather dumb), a conclusion that is just plain silly and a bunch of cliches (like the supposedly dead person who pops back to life).

As a straight horror flick, this rates one star. As a parody, it rates three. I split the difference. This is for die-hard fans of the genre only.

I'm shocked and appalled that I actually found something redeeming about "Captivity," if only at first. This is an ugly film, parts of which are as sick, depraved, and disgusting as an R rated movie is allowed to be. Of course, I knew all along that it was supposed to be that way, which is probably why that aspect didn't bother me. The first half of the film is actually quite strong, simply because no effort was put into character development, dialogue, or even plot; it was all about shocking the audience with gruesome scenes of torture and gore. It certainly worked in that regard. But then it completely lost its way, first when the characters were fleshed out, second when a back-story was alluded to. Both were beyond ridiculous, downright unnecessary. Had the filmmakers stuck to their original idea, had they not given the film an actual story and just focused on shock value, it probably would have been much more effective.

The plot concerns the plight of a young model/actress named Jennifer (Elisha Cuthbert). After drinking a drug-laced martini at a club and blacking out, she awakens to the realization that she's been kidnapped. She finds herself locked in a concrete cellar, a barren, dark room that's rigged with cameras, microphones, and various devices for psychological torture. Jennifer is periodically drugged, and she awakens to find herself in a different room, restrained on a slab. That's usually when we get vague impressions of the torturer, a menacing figure hidden by shadows and dark clothing. Who this person is and what this person wants is initially not revealed, which I thought worked quite well. All we really need to know is that he or she wants to be in complete control. This is probably why Jennifer is forced to witness video footage of previous victims. It's also why she's forced to do terrible things, such as drinking a blended mixture that's best not described.

After a while, a second captive is introduced, and the film goes downhill from there. His name is Gary (Daniel Gillies), and he claims to have been there for three days. He and Jennifer initially communicate through a dirt-covered window, although they occasionally find themselves back in the torture chamber, strapped to slabs. They eventually discover that the wall separating their chambers have doors, and that the torturer can open and close them. After they find themselves together, a series of plot twists begin. Not only do they ruin the atmosphere, they also make absolutely no sense. I'm afraid I can't describe them in detail; too much would be given away. In all honesty, the rest of the film can't be described without being incredibly vague. What I can say is that a new subplot is introduced, one that involves a boy who murdered his mother.

The last twenty minutes of the film unfold so unoriginally that I left feeling somewhat cheated. The shocking nature of the opening half is disregarded for routine escape scenes, material that had worn itself out a long time ago. It isn't a matter of being implausible; the entire premise is implausible, from the kidnapping to the methods of torture. It is, however, a matter of consistency, of sticking to the idea that initially made the film work. I'm usually one for character development, but in this case, it was not needed. If the intention is to consistently make the audience feel uncomfortable with scenes of torture, then please, don't bother trying to develop the characters. I didn't want to invest in Jennifer, and I certainly didn't want to understand who Gary was. But at a certain point, I was forced to do both, and that completely ruined the experience.

I think what's most disappointing is that this isn't the film I was expecting. As you may have heard, its ad campaign caused quite a stir. A four-paneled billboard--featuring the tagline "Abduction. Confinement. Torture. Extermination"--depicted Cuthbert in a series of disturbing situations that many deemed unsuitable for public display. It was removed from the campaign, which of course got me thinking that the film itself would be shocking beyond reason. While it did begin as such, it ultimately became a bland, uninteresting thriller. Frankly, this is not the controversial film that was promised. And let's not forget that its release was delayed, its opening date of May 16 changed to June 22 before July 13 was chosen. A delayed film is almost always a bad sign; the filmmakers use that extra time to reedit the film, usually into something that lacks the original vision.

I obviously don't know if this was the case with "Captivity." All I know is that the final cut did not live up to my expectations. I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't live up to anyone else's expectations, either. I'm referring directly to the devotees of Torture Horror Movies, a relatively new genre that defined such films as "Hostel," "Saw," and "Wolf Creek." They will find that "Captivity" ends up going in the wrong direction, which is disappointing, considering how promising the first half was. When I stop and think about it, the fact that I got something out of it at all is pretty unsettling; films this unpleasant, this unabashedly mean spirited would entertain only the most select audiences. I can't say that I'm proud to be a part of it.

A beautiful model seems to have everything...money, fame, a dog. That changes when she's abducted in the middle of a lively club. She wakes up to find she's in a prison of sorts and subjected to horredous acts. Thus is the plot behind Captivity.

Lets be blunt shall we? I bought this because I think Elisha Cuthbert is an amazing talent. Yet somehow, even she couldn't save this film from being sadly predictable with characters as wooden as your dining room table. Jennifer (Elisha's character) has absolutely no backstory, you see her in a photo shoot so you kind of put two and two together to come up with the fact that she's a model. You realize she has a dog that she treats like a human. And, honestly, seems like a genuinely lonely person to me. But it doesn't take more than 15 minutes before she gets taken and the torture begins. With the film moving so swiftly I had no reason to care whether she lived or died.

The acting, on everyone's part, was terrible...like Jessica Simpson herself offered up acting tips to everyone involved. I think that's what disappointed me the most. Watch the special features. None of the actors seem particularly enthused about the film. Heck, listen to Elisha, she, and I quote, says "I did this movie to work with Roland (the director)." There's no emotion in their voices that tells us the enjoyed making the movie or the outcome whatsoever. You know you're in for a stinker when your actors aren't even happy with the movie.

Effects, however, are decent. The acid bath was pretty cool, and seeing someone take a sledgehammer to a person's face will usually get a reaction from me. Past that, the only original torture-esque thing they did was the room that fills up with sand. That, actually, is the only time I felt the terror that should've been coming through the entire film.

Overall, even if you're an Elisha Cuthbert fan, such as myself, it might just be best to skip this over. There's nothing here you haven't seen before, and done much better. There's no surprises, even the ending isn't very surprising. Don't expect much if you do decide to pick it up though.

After reading all the other reviews and just finishing watching the movie myself, I would have to agree with the people who thought they wasted and hour and a half. This was by far one of the worst movies of the year. The actress was hot, but the plot sucked. Saw and Hostile were ten times better. This movie is pointless. Their is a common pattern within the movie that made me want to kill myself. Don't waste your money even renting it.

all i wanted with this was a decent hostel knock off. i guess thats what you get but...

the intensity just isnt there. they could've taken a lot of scenes way farther. you see people thinking they're gonna be hurt, you see someone forced to eat disgusting stuff a little bit(which was actually a pretty effective scene, probably more than any others). basically nothing came close to the bar set by Hostel(still the landmark of the genre as far as im concerned) when i go into these kind of things i expect to be disturbed, disgusted, questioning my own taste, and loving every minute of it. this didnt produce any of those feelings.

the plot is stupid, but thats not the reason for seeing this and everyone knows it. no, im not thinking the whole "torture porn" label everyone goes on about. theres really nothing sexual about the whole thing, as far as im concerned. its more of a f---ed up look into worlds of depravity we will thankfully never have to experience, and thats entertaining to me, so im sorry. maybe im just a little depraved.

just watch hostel again instead, or hostel 2(not as good as the first but still much better than this)

This movie is absolutely nothing. It left nothing to the imagination. Not only that, this movie isn't scary, nor is it horror, it is nothing more than a bland suspense thriller at best. A suspense thriller with very little thrills or chills, and certainly nothing that would leave you on the edge of your seat. Truthfully, they left a lot of holes in the story. I wished they would've explained to me why, or what motive, these men had for doing these things to these people. With that said, eveything else was just more of the same. In fact, anyone who has seen their fair share of suspense thrillers could've figured out the plot and about her cellmate early on in the film just as I did. My sypnosis is that you rent this movie if you have nothing else better to do for about an hour and a half, but please DON'T! buy this because you'll have wasted your money if you do.

This movie is garbage. You can tell they did reshoots, presumably to improve the movie, because Elisha Cuthbert's hair randomly alternates between her hair and a really bad wig. The reshoots did not improve the movie, but leave me wondering how much worse was it before if this is better? Pruitt Taylor Vince is in it. If you don't know his name, he's the fat guy that jiggles his eyes in everything he's ever been in. I guess some casting director thinks that's a good thing for horror movies. It actually was effective the first time he did it, but come on, come up with something new. He does the eye jiggle in EVERYTHING. It was over used by the time he was cast in Constantine and I'm totally over it by the time he shows up in this movie.

Out of the past few years of the "8 Films to Die For Series" this one actually was placed into a mainstream audience. Most of the films have been shown in select theaters in certain cities but Captivity was everywhere. It stars hockey player groupie Elisha Cuthbert best known for her roles in Old School and The Girl Next Door. Being that she's easy on the eyes and it's her first horror film Sid said oh man I gotta get in on that.

It starts off at a charity event where well know model Jennifer Tree (Elisha Cuthbert) winds up being drugged. When she wakes up she's in a dark basement with different rooms set. She see's a man in a room next to her and they work together in attempting an escape. However it's tough due to the fact that they're under constant surveillance by the sadistic killer. As the try to find a way out they're put trough many different mind games with torture involved. As the film goes on you will see that not everything is as it seems in this situation.

The film does borrow ideas from Saw & Hostel but most in the genre do. How many different ways can you torture people anyway? Most of the reviews for the film are poor to average at best, but we thought it was pretty decent. It's not anything groundbreaking or even close to original but it was still a fun watch. We PROBABLY would have enjoyed this one back in the glory days.

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.

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.