Monday, April 29, 2013

Movie Review: Amber Alert (2012)



Most of me wants to say that Amber Alert is not a good movie. It has more than a few problems in terms of characterization and story, and confusion and unbelievability come into play many, many times. However, I really love the basic story that Amber Alert presents. It's a great idea (that is actually not all that current anymore but it still works) and is something that hasn't been done before. So let's dissect this little movie a bit and see what we're working with.

Samantha and Nate are life-long best friends, making an audition video for a reality TV show. When they spot the car listed on an Amber Alert sign on the highway, they decide to follow it, becoming ever more suspicious of the car's owner. Sam refuses to give up on following the car, and the more involved they get, the more dangerous it becomes for them.

I like the idea of the movie because it explores one of those "what if" questions that I've never really thought that much about. We all know about Amber Alerts and some of us have actually seen them. What if you did see a car on an Amber Alert sign? What if you knew that there was a child in danger inside that car? What would you do? It's an interesting question to ask and one that I was excited to see explored.

In the first few scenes where Nate and Sam are at different locations around their hometown and being all cutesy for their audition tape, you like them. It's easy to figure them out - she's the kinda-purty, kinda-nerdy chick, and he's the best friend who has been in love with her for years, with the feeling not being reciprocated. Obviously. So that's endearing, sort of. However, once they get in the car and spot the ominous gray Honda, you soon realize that these are two of the most annoying people in the world. They almost immediately start arguing about what to do about the situation and thus begins an agonizing half hour or so of listening to two people shouting and yelling over and on top of one another CONSTANTLY. Not a good time.

To be fair, this is actually pretty believable. Two people that have known each other all their lives have probably had a lot of fights and it's just the way they communicate sometimes, I get that. The dialogue isn't that bad either, and often sounds very natural as the characters fumble their lines and stutter and what not. It just really needed to be toned down in this movie to keep Sam and Nate from becoming the unnerving assholes that they become. The audience is supposed to be on their side and supporting them all the way, not wanting them to get into a head-on collision with the gray Honda just to shut them up.

It's also hard to be supportive of the characters when they - but really more specifically, Sam - keep making the stupidest decisions ever. At first it's cool as they just leisurely follow the guy while informing the police of his whereabouts. There's a great scene where the guy catches them following him and gets them to pull off the road. He comes to their car window and they actually talk to the guy for a little while, with him putting on the charm and telling a sob story about having a psycho ex-wife and how the little girl in his is his daughter. I thought that the filmmakers would make him be ths faceless monster for most of the movie and not really reveal him until the end, so this was a nice, tense little scene that I liked a lot. Sam does make one smart decision during their ordeal, which is to throw her wireless microphone into the backseat of the car. This allows the found footage technique to continue with some purpose, as they can listen to what the abductor says to the girl and realize that she really is in danger.

A couple other problems: the ridiculous lack of police presence and the mostly faceless and voiceless camera person, Sam's little brother Caleb. As to the latter, Caleb is seen briefly at the beginning of the film and has a few lines here and there throughout, but he is rarely involved in Sam and Nate's conversations and they hardly speak to him except to tell him to get down so the abductor doesn't see that he's holding a camera. When the group really gets in deep with this guy, going so far as to actually going inside his house, it is ridiculous to think that Sam would actually put her little brother - who looks to be barely a teenager - in such a dangerous situation. She really seems to have no concern at all for him. As for the first problem I mentioned, the lack of police response, it's complete and utter bullshit. They speak to one cop in person the whole time and that is it. No more police anywhere. The most ridiculous part is when Sam is informed by the police that the Amber Alert has been called off. Um, what? We know by the end that this guy really did abduct this girl and she was definitely not his daughter, and the police had witnesses to a little girl in the car - so why the hell would the alert be called off? It wouldn't, that's right. Stupid.

All that being said, though, Amber Alert was still effective to me. I found myself really getting into the story, wondering which way it was going to turn and just how dark they would go. Sure, I threw my hands up a lot in annoyance and anger, and yelled at the screen plenty of times, but this movie did something to me. The film looks good and actually feels like a real movie and an amateur one at the same time (to keep the found footage believable), and though the suspense doesn't really kick in until the last twenty minutes, I think it's mostly worth the wait. The ending is shocking and a bit heartbreaking as well, and they do a really good job of laying the heartbreak on thick with the last little scene of Nate and Sam.

I think fans of found footage should give Amber Alert a look because it has a few clever ways of making the technique work for its story. A little thing like logic doesn't play a very big role in the movie but the main idea of the story is a good one to explore. Don't let the annoying characters make you shut the movie off after 20 minutes - I still say to give Amber Alert a chance, even though most reviews tell me that a good majority of viewers will hate it.

37 comments:

  1. Hi Michele. I just wanted to tell you that I found your website a few days ago (while I was looking at reviews for Excision); I love it! I've been having a wonderful time getting caught up on all your posts. You have is an excellent blog!

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  2. I just randomly found your blog while doing some googling about this movie. I can say as a mother to a (very) young child going into this movie not realizing it was fiction - it was terrifying and heart breaking. If it were my child, I would hope there would be someone brave enough to not let up - though I would hope they wouldn't do anything stupid to put my child or themselves in more danger. Knowing that the movie was not based on a true story (or raw footage/police evidence - which is the only thing I really questioned with it being released) makes me feel much better, though I'm still holding my child closely.

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  3. Just watched the movie found your site trying to find out if it was real or not omfg I am so glad it is a fictional movie because I would totally be Sam in this movie knowing that I would hope someone would do the same for my children

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  4. Yes. Sam is THE most annoying character in a movie I have ever seen.she never shut up or let up. It was constant screaming. I don't know how I made it through that part. And she made the stupidest decisions as Well.

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    1. She didn't make stupid decisions because the little girl lived, and that's really what matters. The police took forever to show up and if she had waited, the girl would of been raped and killed.

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    2. Nope, Anonymous, she was stupid because in reality while that little girl lived, she got her best friend killed. Like Michele said, I wanted to scream at the scream because most of the things that happened in this movie were unbelieveable even for me and I'm in high school! Maybe if I was in still in junior high this would make sense. AND this movie is kinda insulting to cops. My dad is a cop and he said they would have never turned off an amber alert if somebody called in about it. This movie makes it seem like all cops don't do their jobs. Some don't but a lot more do!

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    3. Not really. She made stupid decisions but the guy should of let her drive while following and not told her to keep telling him to leave. She should of not given into him. If they guy had a bat the three of them could more likely take them. And if the guy would of taken one of the guns on the counter he would of been more likely able to protect them. The point of the movie shows how willing some people are to die for someone to live. I think Sam had an amazing drive. I don't think she was scared to die for the girl, the guy on the other hand, was deathly scared of it. He didn't have to go with her but he did. Because he really cared about her and keeping her safe. It's hard to make a movie if the cops just showed up? No one tried to insult the police at all. They're just trying to make a heart grabbing story..

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  5. Sam got 4 people killed just so she could save 1 girl that died anyway. She was annoying and didn't listen to anyone else but herself. If the fat Guy actually stood up to her and said no they would of lived. Even though I could see her kicking him in the balls and stealing his car just to save the girl.

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    1. No. The little brother was found and saved and the little girl lived. The two teengaers died.

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    2. Sam's little brother and the little girl that was kidnapped both lived. Same and Nate died. Please pay attention to the movie before making comments that are incorrect

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    3. Actually, Sam, Nate, Caleb, and the abductor died. Caleb got shot during the phone call to Sam telling her that the abductor was coming back. The little girl, Brooke, was the only girl who lived.

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    4. It says at the end of the movie that Nate and Sam died. Nate killed the abductor and Caleb got shot yes.. but in the shoulder. He did not die. Please watch the movie till the end before you try and prove people wrong.

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  6. After lookout at this movie my head is pounding my blood pressureis sky high I'm thinking the movie was real it is very disturbing. To me the little girl lived though as well as the little brother

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  7. This movie was amazing. I would totally act like Sam, I would die trying to save a kid that was kidnapped. It's so horrible to think that this stuff actually happens. Kept me on my toes the whole time.

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  8. This was a a goog movie, I would appreciate if someone risked their own loves just to save my child. Sam was a brave woman, yes the arguing was quite annoying, but she did this for a little girl who had no one, and I respect her character for that.

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  9. WellWeekSCabISaY.MOVeGUIBrill

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  10. I liked the movie yes the bickering was a bit annoying, but kudos to them for trying to save that girl, but no police? That was not believable at all, good movie!

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  11. Honestly, I thought Nate was annoying, he wanted to forget this so easily, I also was extremely annoyed when he YELLS for Sam when she leaves the car. I understand he doesn't want her to leave but the kidnapper just left 5 seconds ago, he might hear Nate screaming at her. If she leaves, fine she's being a little crazy, but with police that unresponsive, I know people who would do the same, even I might. I thought it was very realistic that they were arguing, it shows their personalities, and shows a little about their friendship in pressing situations. Also I felt suspense throughout most of the movie, not just the last 20 minutes, but maybe because I have a mindset of expecting the worst, I was preparing myself for every scene with the gray Honda. This movie focused on kidnapping, but I was very perplexed to notice the multiple requests for police, which never came. Does this make a statement about police? As I have never been in a situation to call the police and observe how long they take to get there, I may be making something out of nothing, but can that happen? I do think it is possible for police to be unresponsive as they were in this movie. Unrealistic? Maybe. But, possible. I was very interested in seeing the kidnapper lie so believably, and I felt Sam and Nate's reaction to this was very realistic, with Sam being less naive and understanding that an Amber Alert is nothing to take lightly. This movie, to me, was terrifying, and I was so glad it was, as a movie about an Amber Alert should be nothing less.
    -Amber N. Miller

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    1. I completely agree! The police are usually quite responsive. The movie "The Call" is also great! It's about kidnapping of a teenager and the woman who answers the call. Personally, much better than this film. I hope there are more films like this about Amber Alerts, they're terrifying but good movies.

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  12. I did watch the entire movie, though my Netflix fastforward feature is unusuable or else I would have cut about 20-30 minutes from this feature. The only other "found film" movie I have seen is Blair Witch project and that one too could have been much shorter.
    That being said, there are many better ways to have handled this situation, the one that came to my mind is yelling fire. Get a couple fire trucks there and the neighbors out of their houses. Not a terrible film for the budget, just could have been done a little better. M.B.R.

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  13. I'm so glad it wasn't real. I can take a deep breath and relax. As someone who doesn't normally watch movies like this it freaked me out and I was seeking information that would say if it was real footage or not. Thank you for posting about it!

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  14. The dialogue of bickering was actually quite real , and the friendship between Nate and Sam was palpable. It was so very wonderfully done.

    What was awful was how unrealistic the lack of police involvment despite getting called multiple times. In fact, the script shoudl have bcalled for them to be on the phone the entire time with teh police. Which is what any real person would do. But then there wouldnt be a movie, so this movie shouldnt have been made.

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    1. Like Nate had said prior to finding out that this guy was actually a creep, a lot of Amber Alerts are just spousal disputes, and that likely would lead to police not making a sighting a top priority. Also, how many people do you think call it in and it turns out to not be the actual car?

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  15. When I watched this movie I thought to my self, no one can be this stupid in real life, after reading these comments I stand corrected.....

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  16. I came across your blog here after watching this movie and I wanted to say that this movie just made me furious. 1.the characters arguing was very annoying. (I think I actually scream at her to shut the f* up at one point.) 2. The girl made stupid decisions one after another. Yes, the little girl was found and lived but three others died.( throwing in the mic, that was about the only brilliant decision made) 3. After more than five calls to the police not one responded. That just straight up pissed me off. Made me think police do not not give a f* at all. I mean here in real life some one dials the police by accident ;5min later they're at your door. I get they're driving but at least meet them on the road. Plus the fact that 911 responders hung up the first time they called instead of staying on the line with her was just ridiculous. This is your only lead!! Damn it. Anyway, the entire movie just pissed me off. I did fast forward on some of the annoying parts just to see the ending. Police definitely took way to long. Gives Arizona a bad rep. Thank God this wasn't real.. I also read how Amber alert came to be (abducted girl out bike riding) and it just scared the sh* out of me because I have a child who likes to play outside. Im thankful for those people who hd the courage to say something and do something about it.

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  17. This is very nitpicky. Quality low-budget film, that was very intense and felt very realistic. A common complaint I've seen is that the two of them argued too much, but while it did get a little annoying at times, it wasn't ridiculous, and it was a very realistic reaction in a tense situation like they were in. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole film, and it had a "real" feel to it that really drew me into the movie and I was hanging on every moment.

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  18. I was actually pretty surprised to see all of the negative reviews. I thought it was a true story as I watched it, so perhaps that amplified everything. The movie had my heart pumping like it was going to explode out of my chest and the end of the movie was extremely intense as well as heart breaking. Even after the movie my heart was beating fast and I was full of adrenaline. Hope I don't have nightmares now as I fall to sleep! ZzZzZ

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  19. In my opinion, the movie had an opportunity to be a lot better... The cast was not able to fulfill the roles, and Sam was about as annoying as s&$t. It's also, very unrealistic. For instance, you're probably going to be asked to NOT follow a suspect, and if you are asked they damn sure aren't hanging up with you... also, if the window is cracked enough to get that big mic receiver in it, why did you not stick your arm in the window, unlock the doors and grab the girl, and why the hell would a cop not know about the Amber Alert. Being a native and current resident of Arlington, TX, the title peaked my interest... it's an OK movie, but really had the chance to be a thriller.

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  20. The girl SAM is annoyingly loud and nauseatingly stupid!!!!

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  22. I'm probably late on this movie as I just watched it. However, I read tons of bad reviews on this movie. To be completely honest, I didn't think it was that bad. Yeah all the arguing got annoying at some point but the storyline was good. And people keep saying that it was unbelievable as they called the cops many times and only one showed up in the whole movie, but I think that was done purposely. Not bashing at cops or anything, but sometimes they do take a while specially with these kinds of amber alerts. A lot of things that happen can be prevented if the cops would show up sooner. That's what I think the producers were trying to point out. But other than that, I thought it was great. There's tons of people out there that would do anything to help someone else.

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  23. Ok, I'm pretty pissed because I spent awhile typing my comment and when I tried to preview it it got deleted. Whatever.

    The girl who got offended because her dad is a cop needs to zip it like a ziplock. There are PLENTY of times police are slow to respond and there are some horrible cops that plain just don't care. Go talk to the people that live in the not so great parts of town. From what I've heard cops take their sweet time with those situations.

    The ending of Amber Alert actually made me cry a little. How tragic! The whole movie kept me on the edge of my seat pretty much. The characters were also very believable. And you actually do see Caleb more than once-- he's also shown a little while they're eating at that taco place or whatever.

    This blog made a lot of good points. Sam and Nate both were made somewhat unlikeable for various reasons but by the end it was Sam I really had a problem with. She's the one that got them killed. If she would have just chilled and kept calling the police it could have ended differently. It's hard to be glad the little girl survived knowing it cost two other lives in order for her to live. And, this is just my personal opinion and I KNOW it's not real, but I get the feeling the little girl probably wasn't grateful for them sacrificing their own lives just to save her. When she was screaming, "HELP ME" take notice of the "ME" I got that vibe.

    It was totally realistic, but sad that Nate was so enamored with Samantha that he would risk his life to stick by her side in the event of danger, danger that she willing put them in. I would also like to add that the way the room where Melanie was (if you paid attention chances are you noticed this name was on the wall with some vulgar remarks so I assume that was the little girl's name) was decorated in such a sick, twisted way that it shocked you. Well, it shocked me. I thought, "Holy crap, he really is a freak/psycho". That was quite well done in my opinion.

    Even though it's just a movie, it's one of those movies that leaves you with a heavy heart even so. It would be cool if someone would remake the film and handle it differently and make it more believable. I think it was good but certainly had the potential to be better.

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  24. Overall semi believable but it could have been made a lot better. I'm sure they will make better movies similar to this story but decent job and god damn props for sticking it through with a fucking moron at your side.. If you would have had the help you deserved and needed neither of you would have died and the only person that would have suffered is that creep. Granted why people don't grab the gun first in that type of situation is beyond my comprehension.. If he has them sitting out he probably had one on him.. Really all it takes is some common sense. This comment goes with the one before this, wasn't sure if they were going through.. Also this message entering section is kind of not working. If you want to go back and delete anything it won't let you type anymore and starts freaking out. Hence why I have three consecutive comments. Peace..

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  25. I for one kinda despise found footage films but this one was so good and I was honestly shocked to see all the negative reviews. It was so realistic and I thought it was actual footage and I loved the characters and the thing that stuck the most is how much Nate loved Sam as more than a friend and how it wasn't mutual and how they both died but they could've been more, and could've been together. It just makes me feel so sad, especially for Nate. That's what hurt/ I feel most about this movie :(

    I do have to say the police response, or lack thereof, was SO unnerving and unbelievably frustrating. There is no way in real life that they would call off an amber alert (especially if they have witnesses) and they never showed up and encouraged Sam to follow the car at first AND hang up(?) bruh. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE COP THAT PULLED THEM OVER. There's a criminal so near you and you pull over the people trying to help. Kinda really stoopid.

    Also I was a bit surprised when Sam kept trying to get her little brother to join her in her parade around a sadistic murderer's house, it was inconsiderate on her part and made it feel like she didn't care for her brother nor his wellbeing.

    And for all you people saying he should have grabbed a gun, Nate did. It even says he shot and killed the guy right before dying himself soo... And they wouldnt have been able to stop it because he just appeared without warning, with the lights out, and shot Sam in the back of the head. It was unexpected and they were busy helping the little girl when he came silently enough for them not to realise he was there until it was too late.

    Furthermore, they did not keep chasing the guy after talking to him because it seemed like a plausible story which is actually true for most amber alerts and if they kept following him after it would have been weird and he would have noticed and I'm not sure how it would go from there. But guys it could have been worse. Sam could have been stupid enough to go near the kidnapper's car and probably get kidnapped herself then. Count yo' blessings people.

    So that concludes my review. It honestly wasn't bad, I enjoyed all of it and I felt like I was in the backseat with Caleb watching it unfold. The screaming felt real and necessary since it's what most people would probably do in that situation due to the stress of it. It was enjoyable, refreshingly different plot and believable reactions (except for the cop thang)

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  26. Hello,
    I'm watching it just now, its on YouTube with Spanish subs, and all I have to say is I don't get it at least until now and that's half an hour into the movie. I'll give it a chance anyway..

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