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182 reviews in total

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89 out of 131 people found the following review useful:
Stunning visuals save a troubled script, 13 July 2007

Author: hollywoodhorrorchick from United States

What Captivity lacks in innovation it makes up for in style. Say what you will about plot holes and struggling performances, but the film looks beautiful, sounds great, and the atmosphere of the film will stay with you. Elisha Cuthbert's character is shallow, but appropriately so, as a naive fashion model who, even while in the deepest pit of misfortune, doesn't quite grasp what's going on. She keeps close to her teddy bear, apologizes for no apparent reason, and cries single tears... never ceasing to look picture perfect. (This is one gripe I have with the film. The leading lady should show a little more wear and tear, in my opinion.) I understand that the writer of Captivity claims to have based the character on Paris Hilton, and while I don't entirely believe that that's what the film was aiming for, it's an interesting comparison. In light of Hilton's recent incarceration, it's also a bit of commentary, however unintentional, on our culture's fascination with celebrities, the desire to be close to them, and to possess a piece of them.

The looming, black gloved torturer is a smidge cliché, but it does the trick. It's a genre film, and certain symbols are to be expected and forgiven. Again, the set and sound design are spot-on, and that carries a lot of weaker areas through to the end.

The editing is very choppy, due in part to the fact that a large portion of the original movie was removed and replaced with new material shot long after the original version ended production. The result is a cut-and-paste appearance which actually works quite well, given all the time Cuthbert's character spends going in and out of consciousness. It's almost an art film effect, hypnotic and disorienting.

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96 out of 148 people found the following review useful:
Not Really Torture Porn, 13 July 2007

Author: zekelyndon from New York

I'm a fan of the Saw series, and Hostel (not of Hostel 2). I enjoy these types of movies and I'm only a tad ashamed. Call me a dumb, violence seeking goon but these movies are entertaining.

What's this got to do with Captivity? Well, nothing really. I was drawn to this movie because I thought it was going to be another retelling of this sick sub-genre of horror that I do so love. I was sadly disappointed because this absolutely is not a "torture porn" movie. It would have been much more honest of the production company, After Dark Films, to say it was a thriller with slight torture porn inklings (very slight).

Maybe, the folks at After Dark didn't actually see the movie. What I saw was psychological in nature and dealt much more with assaults on the mind of those captive than it did with actual assaults on the bodies of those captive. Yes, there is some blood and some nasty gore but nothing like Saw or Hostel or even Touristas.

Understand that if you don't like Saw, Hostel etc., then this is a good choice for a horror/thriller to go see this weekend.

Now that that's out of the way I'll just say: It's not a great movie but adequate. A solid B-movie endeavor. Fun, kind of stupid at times, pretty good acting by the luscious Elisha Cuthbert (for the guys-your girlfriends might get jealous) and the director, Roland Joffe (best known for The Mission, The Killing Fields), imbued the entire film with a look that worked very well to be creepy and ominous. It moves fairly quickly, lags a bit in the middle and ends with a slightly predictable twist but really you don't care at that point because, surprise, you've been entertained. Well, at least I was even though my hunger for gore was only slightly abated.

B-

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111 out of 178 people found the following review useful:
Adds nothing new, but it's a hell of a lot better than the Saw sequels!, 29 June 2007

Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

I have to admit that I probably wouldn't have gone to cinema to see this film if it wasn't for all the unneeded controversy surrounding it's marketing campaign in the USA, but I guess that's a good thing as it shows that the people who initiate that sort of thing usually just end up helping the film in question to reach a wider audience. I have to say that whoever it was that made such a fuss about the posters did me a favour, as while Captivity isn't exactly a modern masterpiece; it's certainly a decent little horror thriller, and I'm glad I went to see it. The film focuses solely around Jennifer Tree, an actress who is abducted and thrown into a basement dungeon from which there is no escape and she is continually watched over by the psychopath who abducted her; a man who also enjoys putting her through all manner of sadistic and brutal torturing. Hope arises when she finds a man in the cell next to her, and together they attempt to escape from the dungeon. But as they face more sadism and torture, it turns out that the situation isn't all it seems.

This film is obviously catching on to the 'torture porn' film type that seems to be dominating the horror genre recently (films such as Hostel and Saw being at the forefront), but while this doesn't add anything new; it is entertaining to watch, and that is really all that is important from this sort of film. The film is, surprisingly, directed by experienced director Roland Joffé, whose only other film I've seen is the Oscar nominated "The Killing Fields" - and this is nothing like it! (Though I'd say that's a good thing...). The screenplay was written by the great Larry Cohen, who you can always count on for an entertaining thrill ride, and while this isn't one of his best attempts; I'd pretty much say he delivered (it's better than Cellular, too). The twist in the middle can be seen coming a mile off, but that's not important either as the handling after the twist is good and with this, Cohen succeed in racketing the film up a notch. Captivity is very short at just 85 minutes, but I'd rather it be on the short side than feature a bucket load of filler like many films these days do. Overall, I won't say this is brilliant or a classic; but it's a more than decent horror thriller and I definitely recommend seeing it.

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66 out of 104 people found the following review useful:
Pick of the Weekend!, 13 July 2007

Author: g_pierson34 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Captivity's credits bill it as "a Russian-American coproduction," and it damn near warms the cockles of one's heart to see that the two countries that nearly brought us nuclear war can come together to make a movie about torturing a supermodel (Elisha Cuthbert). Ah, capitalism. Surprising it took Lionsgate this long to do a decent rip-off of their Saw cash cow, but at least they took the time to do it right. Grungy warehouse rigged with ridiculously elaborate electronics, cameras, and traps? Check. Grotesque torture devices and "challenges" right out of a special snuff edition of Fear Factor? Definitely. Talented character actor (Pruitt Taylor Vince, in this case) cloaked in a black robe and a hidden agenda? You know it. Sure, there's no character development to speak of, and one or two plot points make no sense at all, but director Roland Joffe makes things visually interesting and aurally unsettling, and the story from B-movie maestro Larry Cohen keeps it simple: Girl needs to escape, but bad sh*t keeps happening. Screw the culture cops who freaked out over Captivity's graphic poster and always cry "torture porn"—this is a gleefully nasty piece of red meat for horror hounds that delivers as promised. (from the OC Weekly)

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38 out of 56 people found the following review useful:
Nice an afternoon if you have nothing else to do, 11 July 2007

Author: Review_IT from Netherlands

I liked the movie for what it is, a movie to pass the time on a rainy afternoon.

Unfortunately, the story is not that great. And with an avalanche of similar themed movies recently, this one really needed to shine to stick its head out above the rest. Don't expect too much of it. One known actress doesn't make a good movie, so don't blame one person for the script etc. Still worth seeing if you're invited by someone else to see it.

The end of the movie could have been with a bit more suspense I thought.

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43 out of 66 people found the following review useful:
Reasonable effort, 10 July 2007

Author: cynical_si from United Kingdom

You see I saw another movie yesterday (9 July 07) about being trapped in a room which may have been to the detriment of Captivity. While in general the idea was good there was something not quite thrilling enough. Captivity borrowed from a smattering of other movies without really living up to any of them.

It was nice to see Elisha doing something different, and as always pleasant enough to see her in a film.. but I felt little empathy for her character or indeed, that of her companion.

Not psychological enough to be another Silence of the Lambs or 1408, and not horror / gore enough to be another Saw, Cube or Hostel.

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56 out of 93 people found the following review useful:
Lower your expectations and have a good time., 13 July 2007

Author: zoeyneo from United States

I had pretty low expectations for this, so when it turned out to be not that bad (almost, dare i say, pretty... good?) I left the theater extremely enthusiastic. It delivers, believe it or not, a complete, if not well-rounded story. Here it is, in a sentence: Jennifer Tree is a beautiful young fashion model getting things she doesn't deserve and deciding she needs to get the hell out. Elisha Cuthbert plays the lead, and she looks phenomenal. Even while she is being held captive, her "damsel in distress" act makes great cinema. Always nice to see a girl that's been passed off as a dumb blond get up and kick some ass. I know there are people that feel otherwise about this movie but hey- I liked it! So there!

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60 out of 102 people found the following review useful:
Unpleasantly Surprised, In A Good Way, 13 July 2007

Author: vawagg from United States

I didn't really want to see this movie. I'm not much into the genre and frankly I was kind of angered by the billboards that got taken down. But there was not much else to go see if you're not a Harry Potter fan. I was pleasantly, rather, unpleasantly surprised.

This is good thriller. I loved Elisha Cuthbert. I thought she did a great job. I was plenty scared and truly worried for her. There is some pretty hot stuff between her and Daniel Gilles. Gilles has a chance to be another Hollywood heartthrob. I believed in her character and cared about what happened to her.

It's not at all what I expected from this movie. Though there are pretty gratuitous torture scenes most of the movie was internal and really tackled fear unlike I've seen in a movie before. It not anything like Hostel or Saw both of which I didn't care for.

I'd recommend this for anyone who wants a good thrill and doesn't mind blood and gore.

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82 out of 146 people found the following review useful:
A Great (and Chilling...) Ride, 13 July 2007

Author: jennsormel from United States

I don't typically go for the horror genre, and don't keep up with movie reviews, but I got off work early today and, feeling daring, went to see Captivity. And.... it was awesome. I'm not saying it changed my life, but it was just what I was looking for. I was worried about all the torture and gore that was supposed to be in it, but it turned out to be much more about psychological tricks than blood and guts. On the whole it's really not that graphic, which I'm sure for some people is a drawback, but I prefer to go easy on the stomach-turning, so it worked out for me. The story is quite simple, but sufficient. It is more of a framework in which a series of emotionally traumatizing challenges can be thrown upon our sweet, blonde heroine. Her co-star is a brooding mystery man, and it's fun to watch them interact in their concrete cell under the streets of New York. Anyone requiring a complicated, two hour saga that requires a lot of concentration and brain power should know that this is one of those "along for the ride" flicks, and if that is simply embraced, it's a pretty good ride.

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32 out of 51 people found the following review useful:
Be careful what you disclose to others, 4 July 2007

Author: crissy snow from st. louis, missouri

Keywords of movie: Horror/Torture; Facing of ones own fears and strengths.

Story Genre: a Torture Horror; a Suspense Thriller; a Psychological Thriller

The Story centers around two young people as they Endure endless tests of their inner strength, It is disclosed that the tests hold a much deeper meaning, as fears must be faced, those unthinkable situations are presented.

The movie held my interest, as I learned more about their backgrounds, and the very small hints only to the identity of the bad guy(s) The characters were nicely portrayed and the plot was smoothly played out. Elisha Cuthbert;The main female character was beautiful, she had a helpless kitten way about her, yet knew underneath she had a tiger that could emerge and attack. Daniel Gillies;The lead male, wow now this guy is going to go far, he can surly act with the best of them. He is built he has a confidant take charge manner, with a gentle touch. He has an air about him, almost aloof.

I only felt a mild sense of boredom towards the middle, it seemed more focused on trying to get a sex scene in the movie than the actual story line. And I found the many actual torture scenes to be enough to keep me squirming in my seat.

The ending blew my mind, I thought I had it figured out middle way through, but was totally wrong, Lol, very well done.

Even though the actual plot is not totally unique, I felt this time the character was much better able to keep the facade going longer thus keeping the audience in suspense longer.

I felt very entertained after viewing the movie, the rest of the night was spent in discussion of the movie pointing out each characters strong points and how each scene played out. I know I will be telling all my friends about the movie, and seeing if they won't watch the movie and join the discussion and appreciation of the work of art.

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