The Hindu Business Line : <I>Hostage</I> - typical Bruce Willis fare

THE thing about a Bruce Willis film is that you somehow begin to anticipate his character; someone with a latent ability for violence, fighting his way out of one pressure cooker environment to another.

It's the same with `Hostage,' which otherwise sports slick production and a fast-paced story line.

The synopsis: devastated by an unspeakable tragedy while on the job as a hostage negotiator for the LAPD, Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) resigns and accepts a low-profile job as chief of police in the sleepy town of Bristo Camino in Ventura County. On a slow Monday morning Talley's job becomes anything but quiet as three delinquent teenagers follow a family home, intending to steal their car, but find themselves trapped in the high security house.

They take the family hostage, which brings Talley to the scene. But unlike before, the hostage crisis at Walter Smith's (Kevin Pollak) house sparks off another involving Talley's own family. It pushes the police chief to walk a thin line, diffusing two interlinked crises without repeating the tragic deaths from his past as a hostage negotiator.

Talley, his expression, how he carries himself and some of the situations that he finds himself in, all track the mental image of a typical Willis film. Even the blood and gore, for `Hostage' is a violent movie. But to be fair, the film is made well enough to remain viewable. It catches your attention and sustains it despite a claustrophobic cast with everyone emoting panic.

`Hostage' releases here on Friday, February 3.