Traded (2016) User Reviews (67)

Maybe too realistic for some viewers

[headhunter46 · 6/10 · 9 December 2018]

I suppose this film moved a bit slow for some viewers. If one is used to high paced video games this movie might even seem boring.

The lead character is not a polished cool as a cucumber dude with lots of clever lines. He is a father in pursuit of a daughter who was kidnapped.

It gives a realistic view of the 1880's west. It was dirty, gritty, and dangerous. Oft times people were shot and there was no law to inquire as to what happened. So the ruthless often killed with out fear. Tempers flared easily and cheating at poker could get you shot at the drop of a hat.

Those were harsh times and people were abused. Especially women who worked in saloons. Too often they were made to believe they would be hunted down and beaten if they tried to escape. I fear some were murdered, just as this movie portrays.

There were times when I began to think the father was not very smart in his approach and that was a very negative aspect for me. He could have been a lot more strategic while searching for his daughter. Several times his demeanor gave him away as someone looking for trouble. A few times I heard myself thinking, that was not smart, I would not have done it that way. Too often he charged in like a raging bull rather than being clever and resourceful.

It was good enough to hold my attention but certainly not going to win any academy awards. I gave it a six out of respect for the realism of the era.

Father relentlessly pursues his enslaved daughter in the gritty Old West

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 26 April 2018]

RELEASED IN 2016 and directed by Timothy Woodward Jr., "Traded" stars Michael Paré as a father ruthlessly pursuing his runaway daughter (Brittany Elizabeth Williams) who has fallen prey to slavers in the prostitution trade. Trace Adkins plays an intimidating saloon owner while Kris Kristofferson is on hand as a bartender seeking redemption from the filth he's forced to live amidst. Tom Sizemore plays a nasty buyer in the slave-whore business.

This is a low-budget Western that has some technical weaknesses, like dubious continuity/editing, but a compelling story, gritty tone, brutal violence and fine locations, costuming & score. If you don't appreciate dark, violent modern Grade B Westerns like "Hickok" (2017) and "6 Guns" (2010) don't bother. The plot is obviously a melding of "Hardcore" (1979) and "Taken" (2008) in the Old West, but without the blockbuster resources. There are a lot of UN-pleasant elements as we see what those saloon babes REALLY had to go through in the Old West.

There are some unexpected highlights, like Marie Oldenbourg as "Girl" in a meaty subplot, but the way it concludes (the subplot) is a missed opportunity. As dark and brutal as the movie is, there are thankfully brief rays of light, hope, reverence and (hopefully) happiness.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 38 minutes and was shot at Paramount Ranch, Agoura, California and areas nearby. WRITER: Mark Esslinger.

GRADE: B-

Just don't bother.

[Fybre · 4/10 · 25 July 2016]

It would appear that often people are motivated to write their first review here out of admiration for the way a film moved them, or shock at how badly it was made. Unfortunately I'm here because of the latter.

Just to preface, I'm not a critic, I have no agenda other than someone that just likes to enjoy the escapism that is provided by a movie. I love to be entertained, and I admire a wide variety of genres, so I'm certainly no film-snob.

This film doesn't deserve the rating it currently has on IMDb. Overall it's pretty bad. Whilst the plot isn't terrible, and it all starts off quite nicely for about 20 minutes or so, it all goes downhill into quite a mess. The supporting actors are terrible, and the dialog makes you want to cringe. Overall it's not the most horrible experience in my life, but I do wish I had just mopped the floors or something else instead of watching it.

Truly dreadful

[charliewaites · 1/10 · 17 June 2016]

It's so sad when people write in saying that this is the best western they have seen or even the best movie ever. Since the start of the twentieth century many thousands of westerns have been made with hundreds considered classics and works of art. Will Traded still be watched in fifty or sixty years time? No, probably not even next month. It's great to be loyal if you're a friend or relation of someone in the cast or crew, but don't send movie goers off thinking they'll be seeing a Peckenpah, Ford, Stevens or Eastwood. There is nothing better than a good western, but nothing worse than a bad one and this is bad on so many levels. The direction, (if I slow it right down it will appear more arty) script, (must hold the world record for how many times the phrase 'son of a bitch' is used. Acting often very amateurish (apart from the actress playing Girl), and costumes and props straight from the hire shop. So many shiny new guns. Will the director be kind enough not to make any more. For me and countless others, westerns a too important and you're giving them a bad name.

Traded should be traded for a root canal

[dgefroh · 1/10 · 28 June 2016]

The rating currently on IMDb is so out of wack on this terrible movie, I'm questioning if this site is now really worth checking prior to watching a movie. Those that rate this trite as anything other than awful should be avoided, they either did not watch this so called movie or they may be investors or have some skin in the game and are trying to artificially inflate the rating.

The story is so predictable I wonder if the writer has ever had an original idea in his life. Well then, you say if the writing is terrible, how about the acting? I've seen better acting at grade school productions, wooden stiff unemotional go through the paces so called acting makes this almost unbearable, but wait it gets ever worst, the dialog is so corny and unrealistic the only answer is to hit the fast forward button.

To say this is a complete and total waste of your time, money, and brain cells goes without saying, Traded should be avoided and movies like this should be barred by law, have a wall built around them, and banded from entering the USA, your movie theater, or TV.

Tries hard and delivers a mediocre performance

[chris_marinko · 2/10 · 19 June 2016]

Where do we begin... I am a fan of westerns. Just picture Clint Eastwood with that dirty look in his eye, the dry landscapes, the unforgiving wild frontier which rewards the bold and brave but mercilessly kills off anyone too weak to pull their own weight...

Traded starts promisingly enough with building a bit of character backstory, introducing us to the happy family living on the ranch. The playful young son who idolizes the strong and silent father, the "soon to be of age" daughter who yearns to be treated like an adult although she has no idea what that means, and the mother - the supportive and hardworking wife, devoted to her family and man. Sounds good so far? it gets worse. Son dies, daughter runs off, wife turns on husband and so begins a horrible and rushed "TAKEN" style western which feels completely inorganic.

After about the first 10 minutes character development stops all together. The father beats up the lying clerk at the train station and is apparently a legendary sharp shooting quick draw, he trolls through whorehouses across towns looking for his daughter, encountering tough- guys who all point guns but never shoot. He kills the "bad" guys, becomes best mates with bartender Kris Kristofferson out of the blue, and battles with poor dialogue and fake action scenes throughout the movie. The other characters in the movie such as Ugly girl, Head Honcho Bad guy #1 and his less-than-average IQ gang of misfits make this movie almost cringe worthy to watch. A shameful attempt at a western. How on earth did it get 7/10 on IMDb??? I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, well maybe a blind and deaf person.

It's "Taken" on horse back

[Looking_for_a_thrill · 6/10 · 18 June 2016]

Like Liam Neeson's 'Taken' franchise, this is a 'father-chases-daughter's-kidnapper' movie. Funny enough, I could not even tell the difference between the two other than the costumes and weapons used. So the verdict is simple - if you like action movies where the goodies always win the day (and get to take the daughter home), this is for you.Sit back and enjoy. Forget about comments made by others that there are acting, stories etc, this is not a film for awards, and I nearly forget ... the veteran actor Kris Kristofferson. He did not even appear for more than 5 minutes. So don't buy your ticket because of him. Other than all that, it's a pleasant film for a couple of hours.

Not much action.

[13Funbags · 3/10 · 11 April 2020]

This movie starts of very slow but eventually it has some action. It was also a bit predictable. I totally saw the end coming.

Traded is an Ace

[geraldyelverton · 30 July 2016]

I recently had the pleasure of viewing the film traded. The 19th century Western stars Kris Kristofferson, Tom Sizemore and has an appearance by Quinton Aaron. I was happy to see Quinton Aaron of whom I wondered what he would appear in after starring in The Blind Side.

The film was fun and entertaining. Normally I am not a fan of westerns as I find them repetitive with the same characters, theme and action. Traded is the exception to the rule. Intelligent writing has caused interesting and believable characters. The dialogue is unique and not sleep inducing. The plot is well thought out and unfolds on screen seamlessly. I could not take my eyes off of the screen.

I recommend Traded to anyone who is a fan of good film. You will not be disappointed.

Won't stand along side modern classics like Open Range or Tombstone but this is definitely one of the better ones to come out lately

[cosmo_tiger · 6/10 · 25 June 2016]

"Kansas soil is full of fools who thought they were quicker." Clay (Paré) is a loving father but after his son is killed something changes in his family. Not wanting to live in depression any longer his daughter decides to leave and start her new life. When Clay realizes that something has gone wrong he will stop at nothing to find his daughter and bring her home safe. There have been a ton of these cheaply made westerns and most are almost unwatchable. While this won't stand along side modern classics like Open Range or Tombstone this is definitely one of the better ones to come out lately. That being said, this is essentially a western version of Taken. Adkins is a little over the top in this, but it works. Paré does a great job of carrying the movie and adds something to the movie to keep it from becoming too cheesy. Western fans will definitely enjoy this one. Overall, one of the better westerns to come out in a while. I liked this. I give it a B.

Low Budget Western - Lots of problems

[dan_slentz · 2/10 · 31 July 2016]

I don't often critique films unless they're so good (since I believe it's nicer to be positive and ignore the negative), but I really enjoy westerns and this one was terrible. First, the story was weak at best since it's a western version of taken. Character development was so weak you just didn't care about any of these people. But what got me over and over was the seriously screwed up sets and props. It starts with the house. Look around and you'll see windows with flawless glass, stamped oak chairs (bad cheap modern reproductions), a flawless table, and a floor nothing reminiscent of what would have existed in the late 1800's.. or even into the early 20th century. Later on in the movie, you see clothing that's clearly not from the period and even the dad's holster and gun look totally modern store bought. Maybe the set clincher was seeing a plywood floor (in the scene where the guy is polishing the bell). Plywood?? I don't think so!! Make-up on "woman" (a character) that looked like rubber latex poorly stuck on. Even script where the writer(s) just didn't know how to make it sound convincing (e.g. I "recon" there are so many times I can say "recon" in a few sentences when "I recon" it's going to be easy to "recon" the writer "recons" he doesn't know what the heck a cowboy would say except "recon". Sheesh! A weak story. Acting that simply wasn't good (like the actors were trying to act like actors from REAL western movies!). Extremely poor sets and costumes. It was just a bad, low budget, cheesy movie. Sorry to all the people I know who are involved in this movie's production who worked hard, but it really was a bad movie.

Great western movie!

[michaelpearmen · 9/10 · 16 June 2016]

As a kid I loved watching western movies, and that didn't change much so far. The only problem, it is hard to find a good western these days. Luckily "Traded" is one of them. First, to all the people that didn't watch the movie, don't listen to the critics... if you are a true western fan you will like the movie. It has a little bit of everything, Kris Kristofferson!!! as a retired gunslinger, revenge, nice western ambiance, suspense and awesome actions scenes. Even Trace Adkins (famous American country music singer) acts in the movie making him more authentic. Overall I have highly enjoyed watching this decent western movie and I give it a 9 star rating!!!

"I guess we know which wolf won."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 29 June 2017]

Wow, you have to really search the viewer comments for this picture to find one with anything positive to say about it. As someone who tries to find the silver lining in most things, I didn't think this film was too bad. At least it was somewhat better than another Trace Adkins film I caught on Netflix titled "Stagecoach: The Texas Jack Story". With Adkins' name in the credit list for this picture, I thought he'd have more of a role in it, but he had to settle for the part of a guy who got hung by the main character. It was a nasty way to go.

I guess with their name recognition and celebrity status, Kris Kristofferson and Adkins are listed at the top of the cast credits here, even though Michael Pare did most of the heavy lifting as a man on a mission to find his runaway daughter. That was a tough break for Clay's (Pare) family, losing a young son to a rattlesnake bite, and then having to deal with a daughter's forced descent into prostitution. Still, I couldn't figure why a guy like Ty Stover (Adkins) would trade away a pretty gal like Lily (Brittany Elizabeth Williams) for a fire alarm bell. Well, he got his bell rung by Clay well enough in due time.

Kris Kristofferson had an interesting role as the wise bartender who had that unusual wolf story when Clay first arrived in Wichita. His story was meant to serve as a warning to the revenge seeking Clay, but he wound up thinking better of things to make his way to Dodge City for that final showdown. That was kind of cool.

And what can you say about that unique form of torture old Lavoie (Tom Sizemore) came up with? I'd say more about it but why not catch the picture to check it out for yourself. That, a gal named 'Girl' (Marie Oldenbourg), and a mini-lesson on the Harvey Girls ought to make a viewing worthwhile for any Western fans out there. And you'll also get to find out which wolf won.

One of the worst westerns ever filmed.

[drpizzi2501 · 1/10 · 26 July 2016]

This is a truly bad film. It's just all over the place. I haven't seen a film this bad in ages. It's like a cheese teen movie. I don't know why, it's just so bad it made me angry. On this, every thing that can be wrong, is wrong. I have to put in more lines on the review to get it passed, so I will because I want to share my infinite dislike with everyone. If You are just bored, do anything else, anything. Even staring at the wall is gonna be more productive than watching this picture. The characters, the conflict, the scenic action, the you name it, is a disaster. the director seems to be a young kid, no doubt he'll get better but on this one he didn't know what he was doing.

Cheers-

...Really?

[mikew-joye · 3/10 · 14 June 2016]

This is my first review but, trust me when I say I am an avid movie and film watcher. I love anything historical, period films and the Westerns are at the top of my list. This film had a good story line and some good and strong acting but, it also had many terrible aspects as well! I will never forget the short speech by Mr. Kris Kristofferson at the bar about feeding the wolf! It reminded me of the last film by the late great Mr John Wayne telling the fatherless Ron Howard during a pistol lesson in the "Shootist" on the rules a man must follow to be a real man...never forgot that speech and never will! All in all, this is a typical "made for TV movie" with a few rated "R" words and moments. If you love westerns and don't care if they're a couple of great actors, a few good actors, and a cast chocked full of bad ones, watch this film. If you're looking for a film the caliber of "The Outlaw Josey Wales","The Shootist","Tom Horn(with Steve McQueen)","Stagecoach","Shane", "How the West was Won" or the likes of the late great Sergio Leone's famous "Man with no Name Trilogy" spaghetti westerns, and the TV mini series from 80's like "Lonesome Dove" or "North and the South" the old James Michener mini series "Centennial" from 78...This movie,in my humble opinion, this movie has it's moments isn't in the same ballpark...or should I say rodeo? I would however like to say, great work to Mr Trace Adkins and Mr Kris Kristofferson. Those two made this film totally worth watching. Especially Mr.Adkins. I don't want to spoil anything but, the pure "Non-Stop Go Power" that comes from a deep place within all real men and woman, that kicks in when family is involved...I believe that Mr. Adkins would/could be this character in real life! I'm just giving you all out there my honest opinion...and you know what they say about opinions and A holes, everybody got one. So watch it yourself and post what you think. Thanks for your time and consideration... Respectfully submitted, from the North Coast of the USA, Forever searching for MY holy grail, Mike J.

P.S. A special thanks to "Notagoodguy44" for helping fix what's broke even when I didn't know it was broke to start with! thanks again

Breathtaking in it's awfulness

[timdinch · 1/10 · 30 July 2016]

It is very rare that I have the depth of feeling to write a review for a film either good or bad but after watching this effort, I just had to. On every conceivable measure of the film making and writing art, this is a crime. Kris Kristofferson must be facing bankruptcy for him to be involved in this epic failure. Every possible cliché, from every western, ever made, is unashamedly copy and pasted into the script. I must admit, I had a semi masochistic urge to watch this through to the end. Much like watching a chimp with a hand grenade, you know it will end badly but just how will it reach it's denouement? In both cases, predictably and messily. Some films are so bad, that they are funny and earn some redemption in that. This film is so far off the scale in bad it even fails in that!

really bad movie

[kjr107 · 1/10 · 31 July 2016]

It can be tough to make a movie nowadays.

Even with big name stars if the dialogue is poor or the director is lacking the movie will stink.

This is a really bad movie.

Remember those plays you would go to in grammar or high school? Amateurs are not skilled enough so the timing is off and the dialogue is poor.

This is that situation in a movie.

Everything is off.

Timing, fight scenes, dialogue, acting - all off.

Even Kris cannot rescue this stinker.

Run away.

Traded (2016) is an interesting movie but definitely not one for entertainment or families.

[tfc · 7/10 · 5 December 2016]

Traded (2016) is an interesting movie but definitely not one for entertainment or families.

Like on old maps "there be monsters out there" in U.S. history. Having a little bit of a thick skin from all the movies I have seen I found Traded was unsettling at times. Because of the fast paced high concentrations of prostitution, female slavery, torture, violence, cruelty, murder, death, sex, truth, lies, sickness, "business" contracts, family values, and more I believe a lot of people are just overwhelmed thus leading to many of the bad reviews. Trying to pack this much misery into a movie is bound to feel forced with the overall pace of the movie plot seeming too contrived and the characters a little stereotypical (i.e. main anti-hero seemed too unstoppable). Yet, I forgive these minor bumps because the movie is almost like a stage play (clean white shirt, sets, and props), a moral play going out of the way to teach a lesson (i.e. monologues). I liked Traded but after reading the other reviews I went back and watched Traded twice to be sure and still do not see any major plot pot holes or blatant reasons why Traded is being ripped so harshly. Some minor personal dislikes was not using text for the prologue and the 4K resolution looking too crisp while most classic westerns seem softer by using film. Some things I would point out for notice is the most older folks (life span was in the 40s-50s) still seem to have bits of the old moral code of the west (i.e. your word is your bond) while the younger ones (20s-30s) seem more "urbane" in a bad hungry way. As other reviews have implied, it is not an epic 1950's John Ford western but I think it is worth a watch without the family to see the old west not at its best.

Worth suggesting to friends as prank!!

[samieddin · 1/10 · 26 July 2016]

Acting, direction, script, dialogue. You name it, it's wrong. It is almost worth suggesting to friends as a nasty joke. One particular scene sticked to mind and that was when the mother takes off for the neighbour's house to ask where her daughter was. She was so hilariously uncomfortable with riding a horse it was crazy. The horse was practically crawling I bawled myself laughing so hard I think I cracked a rib. If you are going to watch it as a fan of horrid movies then watch it until that scene and stop. that was the highlight of this movie.

This movie is a total and complete waste of time and if ever there was a movie that deserved a negative score this is it.

say it aint so

[riverbyme-76940 · 7 January 2018]

I swear, I could make a better movie than this with a 1930's silent cam and a hundred dollar budget. Kris K is the only good thing that happens in this piece of crap and he only appears for about 4 min. in the whole movie.. don't waste your time..

Neo western touching in a neuralgic point!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 13 February 2020]

I'd heard somewhere about the prostitution in old west, this timeless matter always was concerned as taboo subject, nobody talks about, even displaying those Saloon's girls on movies, we know where they coming from, on Traded this matter has a deeply treatment exposing how it was happened, the picture is brutal and violent offers, showing the dirtiest side of the west, bringing veteran actors as Michael Parré, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Sizemore and Tracy Adkins, the plot is about a girl who left her parent's house to find a job as waitress at Wichita, on travel she is kidnapped for a prostitution purpose, there she was traded by brass bell, his father (Michael Parré) pursues her until Wichita, he find out his real whereabout, however someone already took the train toward her final destination, Dodge City, above average production that pleased me entirely!!

Resume:

First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

The rating here is the only reason I decided to watch the movie.

[clight77 · 1/10 · 25 July 2016]

First off, how this western ever got as high a rating on IMDb I will never know. The rating here is the only reason I decided to watch the movie. Boy was that a mistake, this movies has to be one of the worst westerns I have ever seen, just plain awful. Obviously the high ratings came from people associated with the movie. Don't waste your time on this one, I could not even finish watching it, it's that bad.The acting was simply terrible.The story and plot was full of gaps and the filler content added to lengthen the movie did nothing to add any value to an already bad film.Take my advice, save your money and your time as you will never get either back.This is not even worth a watch on a day when you have absolutely nothing to do...

A pretty good movie with a solid cast

[johneverettwalker · 8/10 · 29 June 2017]

The title is OK but I would have named it after the most frequently repeated dialog. It was noticeable by its prominence but did not detract from the overall quality. My name for the movie would be Son of a ***ch! It was the only slightly off-color dialog in the film (other than references to external genitalia) and was frequently applied through out. One element sent me to google where I learned that there really were Harvey Girls attached to a chain of 19th century hotels/restaurants.

So bad it's kinda funny

[daviddobsch · 6/10 · 24 November 2018]

I look at this film as kind of a Sharknado. So many unrealistic twists, strange close ups, and just plain odd things that I actually was amused by it. The train conductor made me laugh out loud at how bad he was. Oh, the snarling and dagger stare were priceless.

Worth a watch with friends for a laugh! There's always something rediculous to point out.

Solid Enough Low Budget Western

[csparty-78098 · 5/10 · 6 September 2016]

I know this movie has received much hate on this site much of it unwarranted. First of all let me say I'm a big Western fan so I like to watch pretty well any new one that comes out.

This is a low budget movie. If you are a Western fan and enter the movie understanding what it is you will likely enjoy it. If you are expecting a big budget Hollywood blockbuster of course you will be disappointed.

The story: A very simple one. Daughter is kidnapped into the sex trade and her dad is going to find her come hell or high water. It doesn't get really more complex then that -- and I don't feel it really had to. A simple yet easy story to relate with to set up some nice action scenes, some gritty gore and some interesting characters.

The acting: I found was decent enough. Fair enough no one is going to get an Academy Award but I found they actors did a decent job in bringing a small diverse characters to life.

The Action: Some nice gunfights, bar brawls, fist fights, blood, guts and glory. All the standard fare of a good Western can be found here.

The Scenery: Some nice old Western saloons, homesteads and brothels. I found the sets very nice and allowed me to get immersed in the story.

In wrapping up I would say if you are a true Western fan and come into the movie with expectations for a 98 minute decent low budget Western I would say this is well worth a watch. If you are not into Westerns or don't care for lower budget films this may not be the one for you.

My finals score is a 5/10 - solid enough for what it is. Westerns are so rare these days I was happy to get this one.