Thursday, April 3, 2008

Review: Untraceable


Diane Lane stars as FBI agent Jennifer Marsh, who works in the cyber crime department with the younger Hanks (aka Colin). They come across the site http://www.killwithme.com/ and find out that not only are they able to watch people die in horrible ways via streaming video, but the more people that visit the site, the faster the victims will die. Jigsaw eat your heart out!

Comparisons to the Saw movies are easily made. Like Saw, Untraceable is cruel and it has traps, and it has people wanting to teach other people a lesson. It seems unfair to compare the two though as there is more to Untraceable than those things. A fabulous Diane Lane, for example. But, those things are used as a hook for this movie and in the process, it alienates a potential audience for this film. Or maybe I'm just babbling here.

Diane Lane is a strong and appealing lead. I like that she isn't glamourous here despite the fact that she is a gorgeous woman. Colin Hanks is always a nice addition. Man, I was rooting for him! 24's Billy Burke always creeps me out, but he didn't make me too suspicious here so I guess well played, Mr. Burke! Joseph Cross looks like a young Jonathan Jackson (not that the real JJ is old), which didn't enhance Cross's supposed creep-factor for me. Kid did give a good performance though. I'm utterly convinced I'm the only person in this country who not only knows who Ty Giordano is, but who has also seen all his work. Not on purpose, I just keep running into him if you know what I mean. If you've seen The Family Stone, you'll know he's talented. He's wasted here in Untraceable. And BB Kiddo is also in this movie as Lane's daughter. It makes me miss tiny Abigail Breslin.

I will not overanalyze plot points here and point out ways the site maybe could've been shut down. With movies like this one you need to suspend your disbelief to enjoy them. A 2,5/5.

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