Tyrese Gibson can be a good actor. And I think it's good for anybody to have ambitions and be more than a bit character. However if anything this film proves that he doesn't have what it takes to be a leading man.
I am sure Gibson apologists will blame the plot and direction for the appalling performance. And to an extent I agree. Director Jon Keeyes is very inept when it comes to making events thrilling. But writer Mickey Solis is much worse. It's obvious he has been copying from Die Hard. That in itself is not a bad thing. If only he also copied the strong characterization and infusion of real tension. Rogue Hostage starts out pretty promising but then soon evolves into unrelenting boredom. I don't mind slow scenes if they lead to something that has impact dramatically or action wise. But none of this occurs. It almost seemed like they had a 15 minute story they had to fit into 90 minutes. Still, a good actor could make it worth your while by infusing a little of himself. Why not crack jokes like he did in The Fast and The Furious franchise? It is possible to be a joker and be a serious character at the same time.
Bad plot and lack of tension I could tolerate if that was backed up by solid action. It's here where the film truly fails to deliver. In an era where old school Hong Kong action has been revived by films like John Wick, Extraction and Captain America: The Winter Soldier it's not acceptable to deliver poorly choreographed and amateurish action. Tyrese Gibson is supposed to play a marine. He should be capable of taking out foes in a heartbeat even if he is a little traumatized. He looked like an average joe who never fought in his life before. I was willing to let this go and assume he was suffering from PTSD. But there are several scenes where he was on top of that and willing and able to kick ass. That only lasted one scene. Because for whatever reason not only does his character keep crying he also needs constant motivation to protect the people. It's like he has a short term memory and like Dory in Finding Dory needs to be reminded of what he is supposed to be doing.
Somehow they managed to get John Malkovich for this little flick. Before one accuses him of doing this solely for the money he did try his best to take things seriously. Only they failed him miserably. At point he got so fed up and expressed his true feelings. It was hilarious and most amusing. In hindsight I wished he would have been like this from the start. It really would have improved the viewing experience considerably. Michael Jai White must have some hidden clause to appear in every die hard clone made today because he is also in it and also fails to bring anything special.
I honestly tried and gave Tyrese Gibson a chance. But he let me down big time. Overall speaking this film is bad and not the so bad it's good kind. It takes itself far too seriously and is no fun at all. So avoid at all costs!
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