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Out of 5

Bruce Willis has been typecast as an atypical action hero but, thankfully, it’s a part he’s proved to be completely fabulous at. 'Hostage' is no exception.

Willis plays Jeff Talley, a former Los Angeles hostage negotiator who has opted for the quiet life as police chief of a backwater California town after a hostage negotiation goes horribly wrong.

Apart from problems with his wife and daughter (played by real-life daughter Rumer Willis), life seems pretty peachy for the chief until a trio of imbeciles decides to steal a very fancy car from the home of a local millionaire.

Predictably chaos is bound to ensue but with Willis you find it almost believable.

And, what's more, there's a sting in the tail of this story. Some rather mean, very rich, incredibly powerful men want something out of the millionaire’s house and kidnap Talley’s family to ensure they get exactly what they're after — which explains his desperate attempts to free the hostages.

There are some fascinating characters here but the movie doesn’t let the audience inside their heads to find out exactly what makes them tick, leaving us with more questions than answers.

Take Marshall (Mars for short), an incredibly intense ‘kid’ with mesmerising eyes disguising a mind which permeates pure evil. But why is he like that? What makes him do the things he does? We never find out. Walter Smith aka Mr Millionaire (Kevin Pollak) is another figure we’re not entirely sure of. How exactly does he form part of this intricate web?

Questions and plot holes aside, if it’s action you’re after, action is exactly what you get. Director Florent Emilio Sivi ensures that the movie moves along relentlessly, keeping you riveted in your seat with your popcorn and Coke untouched.

You'll see buckets of blood, plenty of gore, guns blazing, fires raging and a whole lotta Bruce Willis. He's definitely carved himself a niche in this kind of movie and with good reason.

So, while this certainly isn’t the thinking man’s movie, it makes for mighty fine entertainment — if you’re prepared to suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours you'll enjoy this one.