New on DVD: ‘Abduction,’ A Fast-Paced Thriller

Taylor Lautner has achieved more than your average 19-year-old: As the owner of a black belt, he’s represented the United States in the World Karate Association; ranked number one in the world in several categories at NASKA (North America’s most prestigious karate circuit) competitions and scored numerous other karate awards. He’s landed roles in movies like Twilight, Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, not to mention television shows like Danny Phantom and My Wife and Kids. He was also named one of People Magazine’s “100 Most Beautiful People” in 2009. And as the lead in director John Singleton’s Abduction, released this past September 2011, Lautner added “Action Star” to his list of accomplishments.

Lautner is best known for his role as Jacob Black in the “chick-flick” film series Twilight. Fans who haven’t already seen Abduction will be pleased to watch the actor show off his versatility and put his karate skills to use in this action-packed thriller. But Abduction’s appeal is likely to extend beyond Lautner’s teenage-girl fan base. With its highly suspenseful edge-of-your-seat plot, the film is a fun viewing experience for almost anyone of the appropriate age. (Abduction is rated PG-13 for violence and language, but without excessive gore or anything too explicit.)

In the movie, released on DVD Jan. 17, high school student Nathan Price (Taylor Lautner) is assigned to work with his peer and neighbor Karen Lowell (Lily Collins) on a sociology project. While conducting research for the project online, Price comes across a picture of himself on a missing persons website. Eager to find the reason, he phones a website contact—a call that stirs up more trouble than he ever could have imagined. He learns that the people he’s always believed to be his mother and father are not his biological parents and finds himself suddenly caught up in an FBI case. With few people left to trust, including the police, Price mysteriously becomes an FBI target and must run for his life while uncovering the truth about his past.

The film is so fast-paced, viewers will be glad they’re watching the movie on DVD. One moment Price is partying with friends, the next he’s passed out in the grass and soon he’s sparring with his dad in his yard over the incident. In another instance, Price spends the night in the cold woods and the next day arrives at his biological father Martin Price’s (Dermot Mulroney) warm, empty house. He flees when a cell phone conversation reveals Nathan’s whereabouts to the FBI, whom he escapes by driving off in an expensive car…that he must soon ditch to avoid becoming detectable. The varied events quickly push characters and viewers through ongoing patterns of suspense and relief that hold viewers’ attention through the entire hour and 46 minutes of the film.

Lautner and Collins’ acting is also commendable. Collins is a natural at drawing out fearful emotions that directly affect the viewer. Her screaming and panicking in one scene, when she’s temporarily held hostage in a train booth, is gut-wrenchingly believable. And the normally serious Lautner has the opportunity to show a lighter side of himself in a party scene at the beginning of the film, flashing his rarely-seen smile and even laughing and goofing around with onscreen friends. His serious, take-charge, fight-back attitude is his real strong suit, however, as it demonstrates his capability of taking on a lead role successfully.

With lots of suspense, fast-paced events and the incorporation of Lautner’s acting and karate skills, Abduction is sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats and wanting more in the end—which they will likely get. Singleton spoke of creating a sequel before the movie even hit theaters and seemed confident it would be a success.

Though the film was harshly judged by many critics, it was commended by a great deal of viewers and is a lot of fun to watch, especially with others. Overall, Abuction is likely to please those who haven’t already seen it and those eager to see it again.

Did you see this film? What did you think?