Untraceable: Movie Review

Cyber Crime runs amok in this thriller staring Diane Lane, Billy Burke and Colin Hanks. Lane and Hanks are FBI Agents that work in the Cyber Crimes Unit tracking and capturing online criminals. These criminals are the normal types found wandering the internet, stalkers, hackers, porn addicts and perverts. Business is as usual until someone starts broadcasting deaths via a live streaming website. The is no normal killer though, he has rigged the sites so the more people that log on..the quicker the victim dies.

Fortunately this contemporary story was directed by Gregory Hoblit, ( Frequency, Fallen, Fracture) and was done very well despite some thiness in the story and actions of the characters. Hoblit seems to move seemlessly to and from the small screen and "Untraceable" is a fine example. All of the characters are true to form and for the most part stay true to life with their actions. Of course the lead character has to do something totally lacking of common sense at one point and suffer the consequences, this happens in almost every thriller on the shelf and im not sure why.

Speaking of lead characters, it is clear that the lead character in this movie is the internet itself. It is the villian, the one we want to pay for its discrections, the one we hold responsible for the mayhem. To drive home that point the human villian in the film is reduced to standing on the sidelines and watching the internet do its thing, that is why even though the third act is fulfilling it almost sneaks up on you and the next thing you know the credits are rolling.

If anyone is competing with the internet for screen time it is Lane. Burke and Hanks are good but their roles could have been played by anyone. Lane plays her role like she plays all of the roles she is in, with conviction, determination and reality. She is both and single mom and a neccessary hero and she pulls both off very well. Minus the aforementioned goofball move she was perfect. She should make it a point to work with Hoblit again...soon.

"Untraceable" wasn't perfect but it was enjoyable...even though it makes me pause everytime I log on to the internet...including right now.