Why do I keep watching movies that have low scores?
Scroll down for a small update and discussion fuel!
Genres: crime, drama, thriller
Warnings: implied kid molesting (nothing explicit), implied gun shots
------------------------
Synopsis
Samantha, Nate and Caleb are making a movie. On the way to the new filming location, they spot a car that had been reported on Amber Alert and decide to follow it. While stopping at a gas station, Sam spots a little girl on the backseat of the car and manages to put a microphone inside. Shortly after, the driver of the car realizes he's being followed and stops, forcing them to talk to him. Nate and Caleb believe that it was all a misunderstanding and the girl is the man's daughter, but Sam is still skeptical. After going their own ways, the group's microphone picks up a discussion from the car: the man is threatening the little girl with never letting her go home. Horrified, Sam and the others resume following the reported car.
The gist of it
Horrible. Quite possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. The acting is terrible. The characters are badly written. The movie drags on and on until the final 30 minutes where something slightly more interesting than driving around while arguing happens.
Samantha is a hysterical vigilante who can't be calm for even one second, even going so far as to pull the wheel away from the driver while on the highway. Nate (the driver) is so caught up in his love for Samantha that common sense completely escapes him. Caleb, the cameraman and Sam's little brother, occasionally acts as the voice of reason but no one pays any attention to him.
The topic of the movie is serious, but the execution is embarrassing. Unlikable characters, godawful pacing and horrible decision making skills by aforementioned characters. This is NOT a good way to shine light on an important issue.
------------------------
Final thoughts
Really, its only quality is being decently filmed. Literally everything else is crap. If you really must watch it, watch the last 30 minutes and you won't miss a thing from before them. Well, maybe some screaming, though just the first 10 minutes will have you wishing Sam a horrible death.
Thanks for making me care more about a child molester than about a regular person, director Kerry Bellessa.
Final grade: 
(2/10)
Amber Alert (2012) on IMDb.com
UPDATE: what did we learn from this movie?
- screaming at your friends about doing something they completely disagree with will get you their full cooperation just to get you to shut up;
- you can illegally plant a microphone in someone's car and no one will give a shit;
- the police are useless (like in every movie) and won't give a shit;
- vigilantism is always the solution (except when it's not);
- you should never bring weapons or try to defend yourself when confronting a deranged person;
- while escaping, breathe as loudly as possible. Knock over shit too for extra effect.
Seriously now, if there's anything good about this movie (aside from some nicely put together scenes), it's the discussion that it sparks regarding vigilantism. Sometimes cops really don't give a crap about you or don't believe you, but that does not give one the right to play justice server and substitute themselves for the law. Doing exactly this gets the three dimwits up there in serious trouble (spoiler: only Caleb makes it out alive).
Not to mention the victim's safety being endangered even more, because you ARE NOT dealing with a normal person; you are dealing with someone who feels either cornered or in complete control - either way, there's a chance of about 95% of it ending badly because a civilian is more often than not NOT qualified to negotiate with an abductor.
/steps off soapbox
See you next rant!
