{2jtab: Movie Review}

If you missed the lackluster Stolen in its initial 14 day theatrical run, well, I don’t blame you.  Easy to watch when the brain is switched off, the film is largely a sloppy affair that can’t decide on a silly or sadistic tone.  While not a complete loss thanks to the scenery chewed by everyone BUT Nicolas Cage (Did he really just pull of the straight man role? I want my money back!), Stolen is a sleek and inconsequential 90-minute ride through New Orleans.  Even curious Cage fans will agree that this is a short-fused box office bomb.

I’m not sure what it is about director Simon West’s ability to suck the spirit of fun out of the action genre but he certainly has a capable knack for it.  Mark Isham’s thematic score is 70’s throwback fun yet the vapid action beats are sluggish and about as exciting as a trip to the dentist.  Everything is taken way too seriously … especially for what it is.  This seems to be West’s calling card.  Of his twenty features, I can safely recommend two.  His latest, Stolen, is not one.  (For the curious, they are Con Air and The Mechanic.)

Featuring two exaggerated performances (the reason for the two star rating, coincidently) from Josh Lucas (as a revenge-driven madman) and Danny Huston (as Hackman’s Popeye Doyle) but starring a boring Cage as the scorned criminal-turned-hero, Stolen was the actor’s – yes, his only – 2012 offering ragin’ Cage-inites.  It seems the over-the-top actor is slowing down his guilty pleasure offerings.  It’s damn-near at a full stop here.  His performance as Will Montgomery, a highly skilled bank robber who is abandoned by his team, goes largely unnoticed and, disappointing for anyone expecting typical Cage-like hysterics, makes for a bit of a con job in itself.  Cage’s lifeless performance in Stolen isn’t going to do a thing to change people’s opinions about the hit-and-miss actor.

Stolen, written by David Guggenheim (Safe House), attempts to turn what begins as a heist film into a revenge flick but, other than the exciting score, it flatlines way too early in a barrage of B-film stock schlock as Cage maneuvers his way past the cops on a mission to save his kidnapped daughter (Sami Gayle).  There’s sudden life late in the film thanks to some smart editing but the overused genre tropes – without any help from director or actor – seriously way this film down.

Even lovers of cheese will feel a bit cheated by Stolen.

{2jtab: Film Details}

MPAA Rating: R for some violence and brief language.
Runtime: 96 mins.
Director: Simon West
Writer: David Guggenheim
Cast: Nicolas Cage; Josh Lucas; Danny Huston; Sami Gayle; Mark Valley
Genre: Action | Crime | Drama
Tagline: 12 Hours. $10 Million. 1 Kidnapped Daughter.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Oh, thank you, Will. I'll return to my life now."
Distributor: Milennium Entertainment
Official Site: www.stolen-movie.com
Release Date: September 14, 2012
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: January 8, 2013

Synopsis: Will Montgomery (Nicolas Cage) is a master thief who after being double-crossed in a heist gone awry is sent to prison for 8 years. Upon his release he’s ready to leave his criminal past behind and try to rebuild a relationship with his estranged daughter Allison. The FBI and his old cohorts believe that he hid the loot from the last heist 8 years ago, $10 Million in Bonds. To get his hands on it, his old partner Vincent (Josh Lucas) kidnaps Allison and demands the entire $ 10 Million as ransom. Keeping her in the soundproofed trunk of a Taxi Cab, he’s able to stay mobile amongst the throngs of taxis out during Mardi Gras day making it nearly impossible to find.

Montgomery only has one day to get the $10 Million ransom but much to the disbelief of the FBI on his trail and Vincent, Will doesn’t actually have it. Instead, he must trust his instincts and his old partner in crime, the beautiful, sexy and smart Riley (Malin Ackerman), to do one more clever heist to get his daughter back alive before it's too late.

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Component Grades Movie Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - January 8, 2013
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1; English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: 25GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: A

Millennium presents Stolen on blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. This is another pretty scenic piece that shows of its New Orleans locale with a bit of grit and an active "take no prisoners" cop vs crook activity. West cloaks the film in a kind of gritty, often quite dark, ambiance, but the transfer boasts exceptional shadow detail and features a very filmic presentation which boasts a very natural look. Colors are very nicely saturated and often quite robust, especially in the many outdoor location sequences.  The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix livens up the brassy soundtrack but does little for the dialogue and effects.  This mix strangely changes the mix and drowns out a bit of the dialogue in favor of immersion and Isham’s swanky score.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

The HD supplementals begin with a behind the scenes featurette that highlights the action and the stunts of the picture.  It’s short and not too enticing.  Cast & Crew Interviews follows that brief opening with almost an hours worth of interviews.  Fans of the movie get to hear from director Simon West, Nicolas Cage, Josh Lucas, Danny Huston, Mark Valley, Malin Akerman, and the producers as they discuss their characters, co-stars and collaborators.  The B-roll gets highlighted in Behind the Scenes and audiences get to feel what it’s like on the set.  The original trailer closes the release.

• Behind the Scenes of Stolen (7 min)
• Cast & Crew Interviews (45 min)
• Behind the Scenes (11 min)
• Theatrical Trailer

{2jtab: Trailer}

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