History Main / Hostage

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[[redirect:Film/{{Hostage}}]]

[[quoteright:270:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hostage1_6689.jpg]]
'''''Hostage''''' is a 2005 thriller film directed by Florent Emilio Siri and starring BruceWillis. It is [[FilmOfTheBook based on the novel of the same name]] by Robert Crais, to which it is relatively faithful.

The film opens with ex-SWAT officer turned Los Angeles hostage negotiator Jeff Talley (Willis) attempting to difuse a situation where a man is holding his wife and son hostage due to the wife cheating on him. Alas, he doesn't act quick enough, and the man shoots the two before shooting himself. The son dies in Jeff's arms. This leaves Jeff unable to endure hostage situations anymore, so he moves with his wife and daughter to the (fictional) peaceful suburban hamlet of Bristo Camino in Ventura County and becomes a police chief. One year later, by which time Jeff's marriage is disintegrating, two teenagers, Dennis and his brother Kevin, as well as their mysterious accomplice Marshall "Mars" Krupcheck, take the wealthy Walter Smith and his two children hostage in their mansion after a failed robbery attempt. Jeff participates in the subsequent police standoff initially, but eventually backs out due to his painful memories. Unfortunately, it turns out that Walter has been laundering money for a mysterious criminal syndicate through offshore shell corporations. He was preparing to turn over a batch of important encrypted files (recorded on a DVD) when he was taken hostage. To protect such incriminating evidence from discovery, the syndicate orders one of their representatives who is known only as the Watchman to [[IHaveYourWife kidnap Talley's wife and daughter, and force him to return to the scene to call the police off]]. Jeff is thus torn between the Smith family and his own... what's a cop to do?

Critics considered it mediocre (39% on RottenTomatoes), seeing it as cliched, though RogerEbert gave it three stars. Didn't make much money: $77,944,725 versus production costs of $52 million.

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!!This film provides examples of:

* ActorAllusion: Darker example: this was not the first time Willis plays a law enforcement type [[MercuryRising who fails to save a boy from death.]]
* AntiVillain:
** Kevin, who is only really following his big brother. Dennis also seems this way in comparison to Mars, but doesn't actually qualify in his own right due to clearly being a JerkAss.
** Walter Smith
* BeardOfSorrow: Inverted; Tally went for a clean-shaven, bald look ''after'' his HeroicBSOD.
* [[spoiler:BittersweetEnding]]
* DecoyProtagonist:[[spoiler: Looks like Dennis is in charge, until Mars (who hadn't said much throughout the film) kills him.]]
* DieHardOnAnX: ''Film/DieHard'' in... well, a house. The director called it "''an art house version of the Die Hard films.''"
* FilmNoir
* FilmOfTheBook
* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Mars with Jennifer. So very, very creepily. Especially when he has her [[ChainedToABed tied to her bed]].
* IHaveYourWife
* KillItWithFire: Much of the penultimate battle involves Molotov Cocktails, one of which ultimately kills Mars.
* RealLifeRelative: BruceWillis and daughter Rumer Willis.

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<<|{{Film}}|>>

* AntiVillain: Kevin, who is only really following his big brother. Dennis also seems this way in comparison to Mars, but doesn't actually qualify in his own right due to clearly being a JerkAss.

* RealLifeRelative: BruceWillis and son Rumer Willis.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hostage_4453.jpg

* DieHardOnAnX: ''DieHard'' in... well, a house. The director called it "''an art house version of the Die Hard films.''"

The film opens with ex-SWAT officer turned Los Angeles hostage negotiator Jeff Talley (Willis) attempting to difuse a situation where a man is holding his wife and son hostage due to the wife cheating on him. Alas, he doesn't act quick enough, and the man shoots the two before shooting himself. The son dies in Jeff's arms. This leaves Jeff unable to endure hostage situations anymore, so he moves with his wife and daughter to the (fictional) peaceful suburban hamlet of Bristo Camino in Ventura County and becomes a police chief. One year later, by which time Jeff's marriage is disintegrating, two teenagers, Dennis and his brother Kevin, as well as their mysterious accomplice Marshall "Mars" Krupcheck, take the wealthy Walter Smith and his two children hostage in their mansion after a failed robbery attempt. Jeff participates in the subsequent police standoff initially, but eventually backs out to his painful memories. Unfortunately, it turns out that Walter has been laundering money for a mysterious criminal syndicate through offshore shell corporations. He was preparing to turn over a batch of important encrypted files (recorded on a DVD) when he was taken hostage. To protect such incriminating evidence from discovery, the syndicate orders one of their representatives who is known only as the Watchman to [[IHaveYourWife kidnap Talley's wife and daughter, and force him to return to the scene to call the police off]]. Jeff is thus torn between the Smith family and his own... what's a cop to do?

* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Mars with Jennifer. So very, very creepily.

* CompleteMonster: Mars, so very much so. He absolutely delights in seeing people suffer and die, and endeavours to cause it to happen as often as possible.

* SoOkayItsAverage

The film opens with ex-SWAT officer turned Los Angeles hostage negotiator Jeff Talley (Willis) attempting to difuse a situation where a man is holding his wife and son hostage due to the wife cheating on him. Alas, he doesn't act quick enough, and the man shoots the two before shooting himself. The son dies in Jeff's arms. This leaves Jeff unable to endure hostage situations anymore, so he moves with his wife and daughter to the (fictional) peaceful suburban hamlet of Bristo Camino in Ventura County and becomes a police chief. One year later, by which time Jeff's marriage is disintegrating, two teenagers, Dennis and his brother Kevin, as well as their mysterious accomplice Marshall "Mars" Krupcheck, take the wealthy Walter Smith and his two children hostage in their mansion after a failed robbery attempt. Jeff participates in the subsequent police standoff initially, but eventually backs out to his painful memories. Unfortunately, it turns out that Walter has been laundering money for a mysterious criminal syndicate through offshore shell corporations. He was preparing to turn over a batch of important encrypted files (recorded on a DVD) when he was taken hostage. To protect such incriminating evidence from discovery, the syndicate orders one of their representatives who is known only as the Watchman to kidnap Talley's wife and daughter, and force him to return to the scene to call the police off. Jeff is thus torn between the Smith family and his own... what's a cop to do?

Critics considered it mediocre (39% on RottenTomatoes), though RogerEbert gave it three stars. Didn't make much money: $77,944,725 versus production costs of $52 million.

* DieHardInAnX: ''DieHard'' in... well, a house. The director called it "''an art house version of the Die Hard films.''"
* SoOkayItsAverage

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