Taking Lives (2004)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Albert K

  
  Angelina Jolie strips for like no reason. horrible movie.

• Dean !

  
  A decent enough thriller if nothing new, or groundbreaking. Doesn't deserve the slating it has got from some though?? I enjoy thrillers and the tracking of a serial killer type. It has a few jumpy moments, although the plot is a bit predictable. Still enjoyable to watch.

• Wildaly M

  
  I was confused about the whole film and then the end confused me even more.

• Conner R

  
  Not the best crime/thriller ever, but had it come out about a decade beforehand it would have gotten a lot more positive responses. It's a really interesting story with great characters. Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke clearly gave the movie a more polished look and really made it… More
  Not the best crime/thriller ever, but had it come out about a decade beforehand it would have gotten a lot more positive responses. It's a really interesting story with great characters. Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke clearly gave the movie a more polished look and really made it charming as well as suspenseful. I really admired the movie for keeping you on your toes.

• Summer W

  
  I think they tried to be shocking, but they couldn't have been more predictable.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"He would kill to be you."</i> An FBI profiler is called in by French Canadian police to catch a serial killer who takes on the identity of each new victim. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"He would kill to be you."</i> An FBI profiler is called in by French Canadian police to catch a serial killer who takes on the identity of each new victim. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> There's nothing particularly bad about Taking Lives - at least if there was a cement mixer somewhere to fill in the plot holes. In many ways it's an above average thriller about a serial killer being hunted by lovely FBI agent Angelina Jolie, who manages to be far more alluring than any FBI agent has the right to be. There's several shocks worthy of making you jump out of your seat, a generous and tasty smattering of gruesome body parts, a car chase, explosion and some nudity. It's main flaw perhaps is that it goes on far too long, and our suspension of disbelief is teetering too precariously for comfort. The basic premise is that the serial killer escapes detection by taking on the identity of his victims. We get some very brief overview shots suggesting how he maybe achieves this from a technical point of view, but when the expected twist at the end outstays its welcome in a very extended coda involving Jolie saving the day by 'dazzling insight' into the killer's mind that soon looks too much like a writer's fantasy: it is then that we start asking ourselves if the main plot was actually believable. Entertaining enough if your expectations aren't too high, but one does wonder when Angelina Jolie is going to take on roles worthy of her not inconsiderable acting ability after this.

• Coxxie M

  
  i could see the ending coming even before i could see Kiefer Sutherlands gonna be bald in 6 years.

• Film C

  
  i like this movie its got a great storyline well acted and twists and turns with a fantastic ending and really worth a watch as its nothing you would expect really worth a watch

• Josh L

  
  Needed a recasting I think. Jolie was fine, but Sutherland was massively underused and could have easily done a better job than Ethan Hawke. To say more would give the plot away. The movie is a retread and not original in hardly any ways, but the ending came as a surprise to me so it… More
  Needed a recasting I think. Jolie was fine, but Sutherland was massively underused and could have easily done a better job than Ethan Hawke. To say more would give the plot away. The movie is a retread and not original in hardly any ways, but the ending came as a surprise to me so it gets points for that. Otherwise, its the same stuff you have seen before, over and over again. It had potential if, like I said, the actors were switched or possibly replaced.

• Dan S

  
  Not dark enough nor original enough to make it worth a look. Hawke is superb in a movie that relies solely on a big twist ending (that fails gigantically), ruining a slam-bang of an opening that proved it had potential to be good, but its one-dimensional characters and tenseless plot… More
  Not dark enough nor original enough to make it worth a look. Hawke is superb in a movie that relies solely on a big twist ending (that fails gigantically), ruining a slam-bang of an opening that proved it had potential to be good, but its one-dimensional characters and tenseless plot take a big toll.

• Sanjaya &

  
  Actually, it's been a pretty good story... A story about serial murder that been happening and the murderer been using the victim identity for his own pleasure... Angelina Jolie shows great acting in here, she's really charming even becomes an FBI agent this time... The… More
  Actually, it's been a pretty good story... A story about serial murder that been happening and the murderer been using the victim identity for his own pleasure... Angelina Jolie shows great acting in here, she's really charming even becomes an FBI agent this time... The weakest point of the story maybe comes from Ethan Hawke... Since the first time he appears, I know that he's the murderer... He's trying to put a good performance so that people can't guess that he's the real murder but what happens is that didn't work... Maybe he still have the innocent face, but that didn't strong enough... I know that is a hard character to play and he's giving his best, but that doesn't really enough... Too bad Kiefer Sutherland only appears a little in this movie, and trying to put him as the bad guy in this movie didn't really work at all.. Actually, I've been a little surprised with the ending that the murderer escaped... But it still thrills me in the end... Pretty good movie to watch...

• Lady D

  
  Not a bad serial killer movie, certainly a unique story and one I've watched many times.

• Jason S

  
  This was a pretty boring movie. There wasn't a whole lot of suspense going on with this one and I pretty much knew who the killer was right off the bat. The premise was good and it could have been done well but the pacing was slow and the characters were not fleshed out enough… More
  This was a pretty boring movie. There wasn't a whole lot of suspense going on with this one and I pretty much knew who the killer was right off the bat. The premise was good and it could have been done well but the pacing was slow and the characters were not fleshed out enough for me to care about. Bone Collector is far superior to this flick.

• Dean L

  
  This movie was incredibly predictable and transparent. Anyone who is even a semi-fan of the genre will be able to see through every attempted twist from beginning to end including the identity of the killer. In addition, the ending seemed like a rushed wrap up job. The ending made… More
  This movie was incredibly predictable and transparent. Anyone who is even a semi-fan of the genre will be able to see through every attempted twist from beginning to end including the identity of the killer. In addition, the ending seemed like a rushed wrap up job. The ending made little sense (as did many of agent Scott?s actions) and appeared to be a quick way out. This could be part and parcel of the wholly linear way the film was written and depicted. I have seen this compared to the magnificent film, ?Silence of the Lambs.? It is in no way like ?Silence of the Lambs? save for the fact that a female FBI agent is portrayed and there is a serial killer. Also, the performances are lackluster. The intensity is just not there for this to be a taut thriller. So as not to spoil I will not mention names, but it was nice to see some familiar faces in the film that were unexpected for me yet under-utilized. All this having been said?I was entertained. I could have waited for cable, but it was a fine diversion. It is better than some of the tripe that Hollywood has tried to thrust upon this flavor of film. If you are looking for something that is going to really strike fear in your heart though?this movie just does not do it.

• Dean M

  
  Great formula serial thriller with Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke about the FBI agent gets up close and personal with intelligent psycho's variety.

• Steve K

  
  Laugh out loud unintentionally funny. Also, let's be honest - hot sex scenes with Jolie.

• Al S

  
  not a very genious thriller.at times entertaining but at all times not so surprising

• James A

  
  Well Ethan Kawke does work her.

• Nate Z

  
  [center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/7281/photo029wo.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]I've been neglecting doing this, but I have seen many many movies. Here are some… More
  [center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/7281/photo029wo.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]I've been neglecting doing this, but I have seen many many movies. Here are some brief opinions on recent releases.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Starsky and Hutch –The big screen adaptation of yet another 1970s television show has about one joke in it – that the 70s were funny. So after scene after scene of people with funny hair, in funny clothes, and talking funny, [i]Starsky and Hutch[/i] doesn’t so much coast as it skids to a flat, lifeless halt. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are an amiable duo and Vince Vaughn makes a credible cocaine creep, but director Todd Phillips ([i]Road Trip[/i], [i]Old School[/i]) is left to unsuccessfully hammer his film with sight gags. Scenes and jokes will stretch on much longer than their recommended shelf life. Will Ferrell makes a welcomed cameo to give the film its only moment of juice. Snoop is wasted. You may laugh at all this, but the Beastie Boys did it better with their [i]Sabotage[/i] video – and that was ten friggin’ years ago.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate’s Grade: C[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Taking Lives – While viewing [i]Taking Lives[/i] my mind wandered quite a bit. There was one point where I actually gave credence to a theory that [i]Taking Lives[/i] was so intensely bland that is was parodying the glut of serial killer films. Then I just concluded that the movie was dumb. Angelina Jolie plays one of those hard-as-nails criminal investigators who just happen to be drop dead gorgeous. She’s on the hunt for a Canadian serial killer who murders then assumes the lives of his victims. He’s been doing this for over 20 years. My main question is ... how? Taking someone’s identity has so many variables to it. What if any family member found you? They’d know for sure you wouldn’t be their loved one. Oh yes, and the killer masks the identity of his victims by cutting off their hands and smashing their faces in. Would that even work? All you have to do is draw some blood and do a DNA test. [i]Taking Lives[/i] is so by-the-book that it even dares to have a scene where the serial killer calls Jolie and claims that he and her are exactly alike. The ending veers so far off track into the land of implausibility that it’s almost entertaining. Almost. The only reason to even poke your head in a theater to see this is for a gratuitous nude scene involving Jolie, and even that you’ve seen before in better movies.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate’s Grade: C-[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Dawn of the Dead - For many, any notion of a remake of George Romero’s 1978 zombie classic [i]Dawn of the Dead [/i]would be heresy. There are only two things this remake has in common with its predecessor: 1) The characters are holed up in a mall for survival, and 2) There are zombies. That’s it. The social commentary of Romero’s [i]Dawn[/i] is stripped away, and in its place is a slick, lean action film with lots of very effective and suspenseful set pieces. Instead of thoughtless and lumbering zombies of Romero’s film, these zombies have taken a cue from Danny Boyle’s [i]28 Days Later[/i] brood and run, don’t walk, to nibble their meat. First time director Zack Snyder creates a movie rich in gruesome thrills and dark comedy but overloaded with characters, some of which you don’t even remember until they are eventually picked off. Indie stalwarts Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames nicely anchor the cast. [i]Dawn of the Dead[/i] is light on characters (except in numbers) and plot, but it starts with a cataclysmic bang and doesn’t let up until the lights go back on. If you want the film to end optimistically leave immediately upon the end credits, and if not, then stick around for some more goodies.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate’s Grade: B+[/color][/font]

• Danny R

  
  A solid and suspenseful thriller with an exceptional star performance by Angeline Jolie as FBI profiler IIIeana Scott, who has been recruited to assist the Montreal police in their desperate search for a monstrous serial killler who assumes the identities of his victims, the trail… More
  A solid and suspenseful thriller with an exceptional star performance by Angeline Jolie as FBI profiler IIIeana Scott, who has been recruited to assist the Montreal police in their desperate search for a monstrous serial killler who assumes the identities of his victims, the trail leads to the first eyewitness ever to survive the killer's attack, a Art gallery owner named James Costa, played superbly by Ethan Hawke, he will serve as bait for the killer in the hopes to finally trap him once and for all. Jolie captivating presence is electric and keeps this motion picture interesting throughout, but there is also some memorable supporting performances by Kiefer Surtherland, Olivier Martinez, and Gena Rowland. The film has a good mix of violence and some nice steamy sex scenes with the smoking hot Jolie, exquisite cinematography by Amir M. Mokri, a fine musical score by Philip Glass and a clever twist ending that is truly surprising and satisfying. Highly Recommended.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings