Carjacked (2011) User Reviews (38)

Sub-par

[RokurotaMakabe · 4/10 · 22 November 2011]

There is a reason why some films get a direct to video release. As it is the case here with "Carjacked", this is the kind of film that was destined to fall into mediocrity. It seems that the people behind it never believed that they could come up with something good so they didn't care that much about the final result.

I really wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking with this movie, but I still felt disappointed after seeing it. Not only that the film doesn't bring anything new, but it also incorporates some of the most annoying elements present in kidnapping movies. For an instance, the two main characters are incredibly generic. They really could have been taken out from any similar movie and put in here. On top of that you get the usual clichés of the genre and there are also some cheap thrills along the way to provide the entertainment. The film lacks suspense and can be very predictable at times not to mention the fact that some of the decisions that the characters took along the way really defied logic. Also, the directing really felt amateurish at times, especially towards the end of the movie.

Stephen Dorff is a really good actor and so is Maria Bello, but they alone cannot save this movie. Here, the script and direction doesn't allow them to put their acting skills to good use and the final result doesn't do them justice. They manage to bring some depth into their characters, but overall this is a waste of their acting talents.

In the end, "Carjacked" is not a completely bad film, but it suffers from a lack of originality and some bad directing. A below average film that should be watched with diminished expectations.

My rating: 4,5/10

An Entertaining And Decent Movie.

[chris1987 · 5/10 · 8 November 2011]

I saw this movie advertised and thought i would give it a go.And i was glad i did,as i was entertained from start to finish.I thought Maria Bello and Stephen Dorff played their parts really well.I always enjoyed Maria acting since i saw her in Payback.I thought the direction and camera work was great.The scenes were really played out well.The plot was simple enough to follow.This is a movie i would recommend for an entertaining night.This movie would have been a bit better if it was just a little longer and was more drawn out.But all in all its a really good decent movie,i would watch again.Give it a go,you wont be disappointed.

Decent enough thriller that doesn't break new ground but is still entertaining.

[JimmyCollins · 6/10 · 22 November 2011]

Carjacked is a rather good film if you're in the mood for an easy watch, it's obviously not the greatest film this year but it's far from the worst. The story is quite simple, a woman and her son are Carjacked by a bank robber on the run from the police, the usual kinda stuff ensues, however this film has Maria Bello and Stephen Dorff, two actors who work extremely well together and they save what is usually a boring type of story.

Stephen Dorff is a great actor who is always very nice to watch and he always chooses interesting roles and he is great here by being the charming but also terrifying villain, and Maria Bello is awesome as ever as a woman whose day goes from bad to worse to horrible, she is definitely an actress who is consistent with her greatness.

The positive thing in this movie Is that she fights back , towards the end is a great scene where you can see the anger in her face and she decides to take control of the situation and get payback, it's great to see someone who is a pretty weak and vulnerable character become strong and get payback. This is really just an enjoyable thriller that is easy to watch, has great acting and will not leave you angry at wasted money.

Give it a go. :)

One big "Meh"

[infestorOfSouls · 8 November 2011]

I generally like kidnapping films. Especially the ones that include lots of gas stations. Despite the good acting by Dorf and Bello the plot is too stale. In addition add the lack of tension you really get a "meh" film in your hands. Also, the film was going well realistic until the 30th minute but they had to put that lame "twist" at the end and arm Bello with a shotgun. Puh-lease! All in all, this film could have been something much more riveting with this cast. However, no matter the quality of your cast; if you fail to write a decent scenario you are condemned to fail.

Acting and Ending Issues too much to swallow

[deirdre-209-643722 · 2/10 · 10 November 2011]

Though I love her in Prime Suspect, Maria's portrayal of Lorraine was much too annoying and felt very forced and unnatural, so I never developed much sympathy for her and never really liked her. Dorf did a good job with the material he had, though. I believed his character completely. The movie keeps your interest enough to keep going to the end. Alas, the ending was bad icing finishing off a somewhat too bland cake *ugh* You feel like you are missing the real ending and they just cut right to a "twist" that the producers really felt was the highlight of the film ... but really isn't. If Lorraine had been written and developed differently, perhaps I would have felt more satisfied and enjoyed the end twist as much as the filmmakers did ;)

Horrible

[lvslezak-211-788721 · 2/10 · 12 November 2011]

I like realistic dramas/thrillers; I like to imagine that the movies that I watch could really happen in real life. This movie was so far-fetched that I found myself yelling at the television due to the lead's stupidity. "Just call the police, lady!, Just call the damn police" Without going into detail, I got sick of the movie about 45 minutes into it... The characters were very weak, and the plot was horrible.

I could have written myself if someone had asked me...I really can't imagine why people can rate this movie higher than a two or three star...Highly NOT recommended.

Good example on how to make a bad movie

[shortcourtking-227-550962 · 1/10 · 30 November 2011]

This is my first review on IMDb and this movie forced me to write it. Unfortunately I had to give it at least one star, zero stars is not an option. Within the first 5 minutes my wife and I looked at each other and said when will this be over. From the get go the movie was boring,the acting poor and the editing was completely atrocious. At almost every camera angle change both inside and outside the car they were on a different road. If you happened to notice they were always driving on a on-ramp or off-ramp never on a highway. I feel bad spending $2 of my Netflix money on this thing. Enjoy, may be a cult classic in 30 years. I am shocked that Maria Bello would be in a movie like this.

Not as bad as some make out

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 23 February 2015]

Just before I wrote this review, I looked up Carjacked on IMDb and happened to notice some of the reviews on there. Pretty much all of them gave it 1/10! Now, I'm not going to say that Carjacked is a classic or that it offers anything that you haven't really seen before, but I would stress that it's a lot better than a 1/10.

Single mother Maria Bello stops off for petrol (or 'gas' as they say in America) and gets carjacked by Stephen Dorff, taking her and her son hostage. What follows is basically a 'cat and mouse' sort of situation where she tries to protect her son and/or escape at the same time.

There you have it - nothing new. However, it's still not as bad as a 1/10. All three lead actors play their parts well. Special mention to Stephen Dorff who flits between charming and psychotic quite nicely. Mario Bello does her best to escape, but, as is pointed out at the beginning of the film, has a history of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, so that kind of excuses some of her subsequent bad decisions she makes throughout the rest of the movie. Even the kid, who is naturally squeaky clean, is actually not totally unlikeable and annoying (like most kids in films).

So, there you have it, nothing new, but nothing bad. Although I probably wouldn't watch it again any time soon, it kept me entertained for an hour and a half.

Avoid like the plague

[xpanther2005 · 1/10 · 6 December 2011]

This is one awful movie. The writing & directing should win this year's Razzie's Award. The actors can't be blamed; except for taking part in this crap. Even the set locations are bad. I mean, supposedly they're on the highway... yet it always look like they're in-town on a 25-40 MPH roads! And the ending; now that's the fart on the top of that mountain of crap.

Nothing is believable, from the elementary school bus at a truck stop at midnight(!!) to the nonchalant attitude of the victim and her son towards the carjacker to the cop who tell a kidnapped woman about the state laws regarding child custody instead of trying to help her(??)..

So be warned, your time will be wasted for nothing.

You get more than you expect in this kidnapping story

[Thrill_KillZ · 7/10 · 5 November 2011]

Right from the time I read the title my expectations were low considering the length and the long term action ,or lack of, that can come from an eighty minute carjacking. The good part was that it was much more of a kidnapping of mother & son than any carjacking style. The film relied highly on it's actors considering there was only three people involved most of the time, Maria Bello was in her usual form, tough and gritty, doing whatever it took to get her & her young son to safety. Stephen Dorff's character as the "car jacker" worked well with Bello's, good enough to burn up 80 minutes of screen time and keep the viewer interested for the better part the film. I recommend it as a decent time killer, the acting is very good, and I didn't once check on the run time(something I do a lot when a film starts to drag).I give it a 8 on acting and overall a 6.

Complete load of rubbish don't bother watching

[hangallpoliticans · 1/10 · 27 January 2012]

wow carjacked sucks ! rubbish script, crap story, boring story, really really boring story. Watch a good crime film like " the getaway " with Steve Mcqueen, but don't waste your time on carjacked it sucks PS ending is idiotic, the baddies run over by a car so hard he'd be dead no question...but no he gets up still able to hold a gun ! this had to be written by someone with maggots for brains and an IQ of 25.

How do film makers decide to make a film like this ? who in their right mind could have read the script and said yes thats a good story ? if you want to be entertained do not watch this awful crap.

98% of the scenes in this film are of 2 or 3 people driving in a car..we see nothing of the scenery they would travel past making this some of the worst cinematography I've ever had the misfortune of watching, i cant warn you enough to stay clear of this stinker of a movie

Carjacked-Assertion is the Best Policy ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 29 May 2012]

Having gone through a divorce with her military husband, a woman is told by others that she has to assert herself. Go know that within a short time, she and her young son become victims of a carjacking from a fleeing bank robber.

The hostage taker tries to act friendly. Maria Bello, looks just like the way Faye Dunaway would have looked as an older Bonnie and Clyde woman. The resemblance is absolutely remarkable.

When his true intentions come out,Lorraine (Bello) is eventually able to turn the tables on him. What she goes through during this incredible ordeal is unbelievable to say the least.

The film is well-paced.

Enjoyable thrill ride with a human side!

[robneary-1 · 7/10 · 13 November 2011]

Firstly I am surprised that this became a BLU release and not a theatrical release.

Regardless that my music plays at the start of the closing credits I approached this film with an open mind and some caution.

That said I was pleasantly surprised and impressed both by Mario Bellos down to earth performance and believability as well as Stephen Dorffs villain.

Unlike most movies of this genre which are more action and less script.

I felt there was a nice balance and interaction between Bello and Dorff that keep the film alive and interesting.

Yes there where some clichés, but it is a thriller and we love to hate those moments.

All in all it's a nicely shot film with realism and has a great contemporary composer on board (not me) and you really feel for the characters and their dilemma.

A great supporting cast and executed well. A good date night movie!

Lame Garbage

[claudio_carvalho · 1/10 · 26 December 2011]

The divorced Lorraine Burton (Maria Bello) is an insecure woman that raises her seven year-old son Chad (Connor Hill) alone and without money. Her ex-husband Gary (Jeff Joslin) is a former military that went in court martial and presses Lorraine to take Chad for him.

One day, Lorraine stops her car in a gas station after her therapy to buy frozen pizzas for Chad and her. When she returns, the bank robber Roy (Stephen Dorff) carjacks them and heads to Tijuana, Mexico with Lorraine and Chad. Along their journey, Lorraine tries to protect Chad from the psychopath Roy.

"Carjacket" is lame garbage, with a stupid story, awful screenplay and a collection of clichés. The plot is so ridiculous that does not worth to spend my time writing about this crap. My vote is one (awful).

Title (Brazil): "Sequestro Relâmpago" ("Quicknapping")

Stephen Dorff back in Action , Maria Bello back in Vulnerability

[pvmpro · 5/10 · 6 November 2011]

I have to say that both the actors have given the best what they could. Stephen Dorff has a class of his own and so does Maria Bello. The Only downside I could point out ,is the script. A new dimension could've been added to the story by introducing another character in the likes of Eric Roberts or Ted Danson or even Mickey Rourke. They held the movie together to the end, however, you always need the edge on a script like this. In one scene where Dorff kills his partner in crime when Bello is dumped in the car trunk watching them, could have been elaborated a further more , which adds more suspense value. Catherine Dent's character was not much explored in the movie ,as she gave a good performance as a Shrink in the flick. Last but not the least , there is no romance at all except for those cheesy conversations between the two of them. I just hope they will collaborate again with another movie and make it much more sharper and eccentric than this very predictable version .

Classic sleeping material

[BornAssassin · 4/10 · 28 November 2011]

Boring would be an understatement. Nothing much to start with and an abrupt ending made the movie a yawwwwn. One and a half hours of drone would sum up the case. The movie didn't even live up to my already low expectations, what with the cast and all. Its another one of those "guy kidnaps girl, threatens her kid, and makes her run around town" movies.

Maria was OK and she did try to do justice to her character, but her character in itself was very weak. I don't know from where they got the kidnapper. How lamer could he get? The kidnapping fraternity was put to shame! There wasn't much to the story line either except for endless driving and idle chitter chatter to increase the runtime. More like watching a soap opera, with a few car chases. There were bits and pieces missing throughout.

Knock yourself out if you have nothing better to do during the day, but this is one movie I would not dearly recommend.

Ridiculously silly thriller that was slapped together for no reason

[Robert_duder · 5/10 · 14 January 2012]

I've been watching a lot of 'thrillers' lately that seem to fly through theatres and straight to video faster than a taco in an intestine. Most of them have been average and then some are just barely watchable. Carjacked seemed interesting enough but it turned out to be more of a laughable B-Movie mistake that was slapped together and poorly made, directed and acted. Sherry and Michael Compton co-wrote this script and I have to assume it was made as some sort of cruel joke because it isn't the story that is necessarily bad, its the details in the film. The characters are annoying and the most likable character is the carjacker through most of the movie. Then when the woman who spends the entire movie trying to supposedly 'protect' her son finally gets away from the carjacker (even though she had MANY times to do so) the first thing she does is...call a school board to find her son...not the police because that wouldn't make sense? Every decision she makes is a laugh out loud joke that will have you rolling your eyes through the whole movie. While the dialogue in the movie isn't terrible, the details drag this through the mud.

Maria Bello is better than this crap. Her character is whiny and annoying and even though the film would have you believe she has some sort of epiphany and fights back, she doesn't. She gets lucky and makes a bunch of really stupid decisions that ends up okay for her. Bello is awful in the role because the role is awful. Stephen Dorff's performance as the bank robber and carjacker is sort of up and down. Sometimes its a good role, and sometimes he's as annoying as Bello. Their chemistry is barely existent but the dialogue between them is okay. Youngster Connor Hill is okay as Bello's son but he doesn't get a lot to work with and is victim to the same bad script as the rest of them.

The only thing that makes the film even remotely watchable is a few solid action scenes that come out of nowhere to surprise you, and a decent premise that gets lost in all the other crap. Director John Bonito has two credits to his name...the other being The Marine. So maybe the film makers wanted this to be some kind of bad B-movie Grindhouse type film but they failed at that if that is the case. The movie is just all around poorly made. There is no reason to sit through this even at a 5/10 because the only slightly redeemable qualities won't make up for the hour and a half you won't get back. 5/10

A very watchable film with honest emotion & good acting.

[transientdreams · 6 November 2011]

This one of those rare gems that does almost everything right in a very straight forward manner. The beginning is underscored with a sublime intensity and continues to surprise throughout with twists and turns you can't see coming. Nothing is "Over-the-top". It's a simple film with a good yarn, and since I was expecting less that I was rewarded with, I am grateful for all the professional effort and talent that went into making this film. Honestly, I rate it at 5.8 overall. But with what I wasn't expecting to have happen, I would give it a 6.1. I believe it will end up averaging 4.9 to 5.2 or so. Hope I'm wrong. Directing, acting and dialog (often editing) is usually what kills a movie. This one did all of them rather well. Worth a watch I believe!

Get a cab! You have money!

[adi_2002 · 6/10 · 5 December 2013]

Lorraine and her son are in the car one night on a way back home when they must stop at a gas station for some frozen pizza and gas. It's the perfect opportune for a thief Roy to get in their vehicle and force the woman to help him get out of the state.

It started good, Stephen Dorff plays his part very well but as the story goes along it becomes too jaded and with shabby dialogs. Also near the end when Lorraine an ordinary mother is able to steal so easy a car, handle a riffle while she is driving is so theatrical. So in conclusion what she is after? The thief money? in stead of making worries for her life she is able to go with a dangerous killer to steal his share? You could watch this movie for the first 20 minutes or so but after it goes to pieces and you realize that you just wasted time on a film that the story can only happen in movies.

Total Garbage

[kswillard · 1/10 · 30 December 2011]

45 minutes in and the only thing picking up any speed was the car. 28dayslateranalysis.com says "One of the more exciting thrillers to come out this year!" Seriously?!? Apparently whoever they got this tag-line from doesn't get out much...AT ALL! Don't waste your time...it be will 89 minutes (if you can stomach it through) of your life you'll never get back. Wow, IMDb won't publish my review because I don't have 10 lines...really?...this movie doesn't rate more than a few lines. It will take me longer to figure out what to say about this pathetic excuse for a movie than the 45 minutes it took me to determine it wasn't worth giving it the other 44 minutes to finish watching.

Mostly good/decent

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 19 October 2012]

It's good to see Stephen Dorff in a good movie once in a while. And he has a good partner in Maria Bello. Of course she plays the main character in the movie. Still it is one heck of a good show Stephen lays out there. The movie does work for most of its running time (2/3 I'd say, the last third being a "bit" OTT for my liking), even though you're wondering why Maria does some of the things she's doing.

Still the last parts of the movie might ruin it completely for you, unless you are looking for it to go completely crazy and show things that do not make any sense (in the realm of the movie that is of course). A decent effort, but nothing new

We should all be feminists. #HeForShe

[LordofArt · 10/10 · 9 August 2018]

When considering the way women are treated in the world today, it will be important to distinguish between gender equality and gender equity. Equality, where different genders are seen as equal in value and ability, CAN ONLY BE REALISED VIA CHANGING ATTITUDES, whereas, equity, referring to fairness under the law can be achieved through policy change. Carjacked does just that - playing its role in effecting attitude change.

Presently, the Gender imbalance in the world is one global menace I'm worried and angry about, and you should too, as there is a never-ceasing conspicuous disparity in access to opportunities and decision-making power for women and men. Changing the world is hard work but the crew and cast of Carjacked (perchance unknown to them) is championing the cause of gender equality.

Globally, women have fewer opportunities for economic participation, less access to basic and higher education, greater health and safety risks, and less political representation than men. Though women account for over 50% of the population, they only own a few percent of the world's economic power.

I liked the fact the judge who decided over the couple's case was a woman. Yes, women empowerment is a critical aspect of achieving gender equality. It includes increasing a woman's sense of self-worth, her decision-making power, her access to opportunities and resources, her power and control over her own life inside and outside the home, and her ability to effect change. Guaranteeing the rights of women and giving them opportunities to maximize their full potential is critical not only for attaining gender balance, but also for meeting a vast range of international development goals including unadulterated democracy. So, in attaining gender parity, women's economic and political empowerment is imperative.

I will see Carjacked over and over again. It is a classic. Women's rights are human rights.

Dorff and Bello shine which helps make up for every other way the movie is lacking.

[Hellmant · 5/10 · 8 December 2011]

'CARJACKED': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

This is one of those movies that's mildly entertaining but you can definitely see why it was a direct-to-video release. It stars Maria Bello as a single mom fighting a custody battle and Stephen Dorff as a bank robber who steals her car, with her and her son in it. The film was directed by John Bonito (who also directed the popular John Cena vehicle 'THE MARINE') and written by Sherry and Michael Compton. The movie is pretty routine and probably exactly what most people will expect from it but Bello and Dorff do what they can with the material.

Bello stars as Lorraine Burton a mother who we meet at a support group, as the film opens, talking about her issues with her ex-husband and guilt over parenting mistakes. Her therapist has told her she's too ambiguous and her friends urge her to get 'angry' and 'take control' of her life. While picking up gas and frozen pizzas at a gas station, for her and her son Chad (Connor Hill), her car is carjacked by Roy, a bank robber desperately trying to avoid authorities. Roy then holds the two hostage as he forces Lorraine to drive him to a rendezvous with his partner and their stolen money. Along the way Roy and Lorraine get to know each other and work out some therapy on each other.

As you might have guessed ('spoiler alert') Lorraine does get 'angry' and tries to 'take control' of her life (and the situation), which is supposed to be inspirational I guess, but for me it fell a little flat. It's not horrible, it just didn't work for me, which is true of most of the film. The dialogue, thrills and action are all decent but nothing too impressive at all. The subtle scenes between Dorff and Bello are what did work for me about the film though. Nothing plot developing is very interesting but the small character driven scenes were somewhat amusing thanks in large part to Bello and Dorff's performances. Bello is always good but usually she plays the confident take charge woman, so seeing her as someone passive and insecure is a nice change of pace (even if a lot of the material doesn't work). Dorff isn't a great actor but he is good in the right role, which is playing himself and himself is a slight variation on Christian Slater (in my opinion). No great acting from Dorff here (or in any film) but when allowed to be natural he can be entertaining. In this film both actors are given times to shine which helps make up for every other way the movie is lacking.

Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYPV4P9FyXg

A very tense and engrossing thriller about a mother and her son carjacked and forced to drive the stranger to safety. I say B+

[cosmo_tiger · 8 November 2011]

"I don't want your money, you got a car don't you...drive" Lorraine (Bello) is having a rough time. Her husband left her with her young son and she has no money. Her night begins with group therapy, then she spends the rest of the money she has on Bagel Bites and gas. It gets worse when Roy (Dorff) comes into her life. He wants a ride, and has a gun to make sure he gets one. Lorraine and her son are now forced to help him. This is a movie that could easily have been a cheesy TV drama. The fact that Bello & Dorff are the actors helps make it into a more tense and exciting thriller. This is the kind of movie that has you hooked 5 minutes in and you are tense and on the edge of your seat the entire time. Stuck between doing what you would think you would do, and what you should do keeps you thinking and engrossed the entire time. Nothing really amazing here, but one of the most tense and exciting thrillers I have seen in a while. Overall, a very good movie that won't disappoint and is very much worth watching. I give it a B+.

*Also try - Endure & Firewall

Don't waste the electricity of your DVD player to play this movie.

[yourboycal · 1/10 · 3 December 2011]

This is a great film for exactly what your typical air head blondes would do in such situations.

I would love to meet the director of this movie and try and understand how he would ever approve such a disaster.

This movie has many scenes that will make you go WTF? Unbelievable events , broken story .

Watched it thought hey it would be a great movie , but the events that unfold , the countless blonde moments where she had a chance to deal with the situation .

Perhaps it should be called When a blonde is car jacked. Because the level of stupidity in this movie clearly reflects that.

I would not advise anyone to waste their time on this movie. I have no clue who authorized such a disaster bs movie. Don't waste your time with this. I gave it 2-10 because it had a good theme. But failed in performance and the situations it portrayed. Unbelievable garbage .