This movie is a fast-paced explosive and action-packed film, with suspense layered on top of it. It doesn’t make the “family-friendly” grade as it contains scenes of strong violence and profanity. No doubt its star, Taylor Lautner, will make a bigger name for himself than he already has.
The story is about high-schooler Nathan (Lautner), who is seen in the beginning of the film riding on the hood of his friend’s truck as they head to a party. These high schoolers drink and get rowdy and the next day a girl wakes Nathan up on the front lawn, telling him he has to get up because her parents will be home in an hour. Nathan likes a girl who is literally the girl-next-door, Karen (Lily Collins). When she helps him on a Sociology project on missing children, he learns by using a computer program which advances the age of a missing child’s photo from several years ago, that he looks almost identical to the child. This leads to several probing questions and his mother Maria’s (Maria Bello) revelation which leads to a chase, murders, explosions, and ultimately the answers that Nate has been searching for. Adding to the mystery is Alfred Molina, who plays a CIA official and it is unclear whether or not he is one of the good guys. Michael Nyqvist is terrific as the cold-hearted bad guy Kozlow. He truly makes you believe he would just as soon as kill someone as talk to them.
Although the movie contains some nice ideas such as the importance of having family and someone close in your life, and also the theme of protecting those you love, the violence and profanity levels are high. We can’t award our Dove Seal to this one.
