Captured (Video 1998) Poster

(1998 Video)

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6/10
Caught "Captured" .
happipuppi1319 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Not surprising that there's not a lot of reviews here. When a movie goes direct to video,9 times out of ten it's lousy. ...but there are exceptions to the rule.

Captured certainly is,it's not fantastic but it's pretty good. Nick Mancuso (of the 1980's TV action series "Riptide")plays his role to the hilt here. Yes,it can make some of us say "yeah!" when he discovers his car almost being stolen and he knocks the daylights out of one of them,breaking his arm.

On the other hand when "Robert",the brother of the man Nick beats up,swears that he'll steal that car one way or another and he ends up a prisoner in a car specially engineered to be a garage "jail",you wonder,is Nick's character taking this too far? That's a definite question when the simple revenge turns sadistic. I had to close my eyes when he got out the hedge clippers or whatever.

This makes one ask,who's the real bad guy here? My personal answer,both. You can decide that yourself.

The subplot about his legal hassles in building his dream project is a bit dull and sort of slowed the story down for me. It's relevant but not very interesting. Also when the two men bicker back and forth in the garage about their ideas of American injustice that's affected them personally,their dialouge became the standard cliché' (obvious talk) that I'd heard in other movies and TV shows.

The sets and the "greedy big businessman" unfortunately remind me of those really dull,forgettable & lifeless movies that they churned out in the late '80s & early 90's. For a movie made in 1998,it seems a bit dated,like it should have been made in 1988 or 1989. That's why I rate it 6 stars.

Despite that,I'd recommend it to people who have a strong resistance to on screen violence and just to people who want a movie to watch that's at least half-way watchable story-wise. Also for people who are fed up with crime but...take the lesson here,don't take your anger to "this" level.

(END)
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7/10
Great beginning, confusing ending
EdWaRdW8187 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I remember when I was a kid, I found this movie while flipping through channels, but only remembered the scene where the thief is told how the Turkish cut fingers off for car theft, then subsequently left inside with the music blaring... Then I guess I managed to fall asleep.

Fast forward to roughly 12 years later, where me and a friend were joking about torturing car thieves after he told me his truck was stolen before... Then when the topic came up again a few days ago, I decided to look this movie up and managed to find it online.

Captured is suspenseful, fairly well-acted and I was actually getting a kick out some scenes in the first half, but everything felt hastily put together and not well-arranged after the wife discovered the thief, especially the standoff scene where not only did it feel like it dragged on a bit, I don't get why the wife shot the husband (mystery?)... Otherwise this would've been A-list theater material instead of a direct-to-video that took ages to find.
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7/10
Nick Mancuso rocks in this flick!
capkronos13 May 2003
Nick Mancuso is highly amusing (and scary!) as the jittery, stressed out, paranoid, @$$hole head honcho at Millennium Investments, who snaps when one of those pesky environmental groups threatens to halt his newest endeavor and destroy his business. After a pair of car thieves try to break into his cherished Porsche, Mancuso has his brother install a high-tech, radio-controlled security system with bulletproof glass and steel reinforcement. He manages to trap one of them (Andrew Divoff) inside the car in the garage of his mansion home, really loses it and takes out his psychotic rage on the poor sap; torturing him with loud heavy metal music, refusing to give him food or water, rolling up his arm in the window, chopping off his fingers with hedge clippers and more!

It's a little too similar to MISERY at times but a good nasty thriller all the same. Mancuso (also the associate producer) pulls out all the stops here--crying, screaming, ranting, snarling, cringing and gloriously overacting and Divoff is equally effective in the less-showy role.

Impressive writing/directing debut from actor Peter Liapis!
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I actually like this movie.
darker91065 November 2001
I did not expect this movie to be good. I figured it would be another dumb B movie. Turned out to be a very good dramatic well written film. It of course is not movie theater quality but it is worthy of watching if you are looking for a little entertainment.
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7/10
A dying breed
movieman_kev22 February 2013
When Holden Downs (Nick Mancuso) takes his pent-up frustrations, due to a business venture going south, out on a car-thief, breaking his arm in the process, the sad sap's brother/partner-in-crime swears vengeance making getting Downs' car top priority. Little realizing that Holden has turned his vehicle into an inescapable prison.

The interaction between Mancuso and Divoff as captor and captive respectively is where this film shines. However the flip side is that everything else just feels lackluster. All the scenes dealing with the failing business deal, are sadly pedestrian stuff. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the film overall and was pleasantly surprised.

My Grade: B-
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6/10
Justice and revenge
vyasch2 March 2018
When a man can't tolerate anyone coming between him and his dream, he becomes unable to understand what's going on with him. The biggest unfortunate is we don't know that we are wrong and when we realize, it's too late to go back.

It's true that we have choices but in this movie, the car theif Robert had choice not to go back for Holden. At the same time, Holden was a selfish businessman, not giving damn to environment, and believing himself a victim of American justice systems. He could have understood that housearrasting an intruder car thief, chopping of his fingers, avoiding a police help would have done only harm.
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4/10
Michael Mahonen
Kitty-7324 July 1999
This is a film filled with violence and language. It is not for the faint of heart. Michael Mahonen plays Joey Breed, one of two brothers who try to steal a car from Nick Mancuso, as Holden Downs. Holden is having a bad day, and when the Breed Brothers try to steal his car...he breaks Joeys' arm with a tire iron. Rob rescues Joey and swears his will steal Holdens car.

The trouble starts when Rob goes to Holdens' house to carry out the theft. From this point on it is hard to tell who is the "good guy or the bad guy".

The plot twists and turns...and there is a surprise ending.This is not a movie to watch if you are home alone.

Michael Mahonen is my favorite actor; I wish his part had been bigger...what he did was good, and he was believable ( as always). At one point I liked him better than the "good guy" who was having his car stolen.

Hope Nick Mancuso uses Michael in more films...he was excellent in Captured.
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6/10
SCAREY IS WHEN YOU REALIZE YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
nogodnomasters16 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Holden Downs (Nick Mancuso) is a real estate developer who is being sued and is under a lot of stress. He alienates his wife (Linda Hoffman). When he captures a man (Andrew Divoff) attempting to steal his Porsche, he takes it out on him. At this point everyone in the movie hates Holden , so our sympathy lies with the thief. The thief also has a brother (Michael Mahonen) who enters the picture.

There really wasn't much torture except for one brief scene...unless you consider getting your arm caught in an electric window torture. There are far better abduction and capture films out there. Too much of the film takes place in a garage. And a twist? In an abduction film? I believe they all have the same one.

In some regards the thief's capture and torture symbolizes how the system has captured and tortured our poor millionaire developer. If you look on it as an art film, you can squeeze 3 stars.

No sex or nudity. Adult language
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7/10
A morality tale
scrubber22 October 2022
Interesting revenge movie where both the victim and the perpetrator are seeking revenge. Stressed out executive Holden Downs has just had his multi million dollar project cancelled and is returning to his car to find a thief attempting to steal it, so he batters him breaking the thiefs arm. Watching this is Robert Breed the car thiefs older brother. He avows revenge and one evening goes to Holden Downs home to take the car, a Porshe. Unfortunately for him Holden Downs has had his car fitted with some serious anti theft devices and Robert Breed finds himself trapped inside at the mercy of Holden Downs. What follows becomes a bit of a morality tale. What is worse? A car thief who just wants to steal cars without any violence or a hardworking, ruthless businessman who when confronted with a thief seeks to torture, rather than simply hand over to the police. You decide!
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8/10
Made me wonder if this could really happen
helpless_dancer21 April 2000
A stressed out business man turns the tables on a pair of professional car boosters. After getting the upper hand on one of them, things get out of hand as the executive's occupational problems make him more and more unstable. Torture turns to thoughts of murder as the scene becomes too complex for the man to deal with and he begins to lose touch with reality. Very exciting, well made film with loads of nail biting tension.
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How to "pay back" a car thief for his dirty deeds!
TxMike27 July 2000
Now, suppose you walked to your parking garage after a particularly bad day at work, facing the possibility of losing everything you've worked for, and you catch a car thief in the process of stealing your prized new Porsche? You'd probably want to beat the living snot out of him! Well, that's how the movie starts, and that's exactly what Holden Downs does, with the help of a tire iron. Of course, big brother wants to get revenge, and that starts "the rest of the story."

In a very interesting premise, the big businessman manages to hold captive the car thief, caught in the act the second time too! We can all identify with the desire to see justice, but the story gets a bit gory. I must admit that it kept me watching the whole 95 minutes. This movie is much more terrifying than that bad movie, "Blair Witch Project", because it gets you thinking what you would do if someone broke into your house after dark and you were alone!

Although much of the movie was inventive, the ending was not particularly clever nor satisfying. There were no winners, all losers. Still, I give it 5 of 10 for such an interesting premise, and macabre entertainment value.
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10/10
An Unexpected Masterpiece
briantudell17 August 2022
I am a major fan of Nick Mancuso and have been slowly going through his cinematic works. To me, this is one of his best that I have seen. As always, Nick Mancuso's unique charm shines through in his role of Holden Downs. As for the plot and storyline, let's just say I was really "Captured". I enjoyed watching the story of the descent and corruption of a good man, and his struggle with what he has become. The drama and tension is superb, and the comedy never misses a beat. The ending of the film really had me on the edge of my seat!

Needless to say, I plan on watching this film again, and recommend that everyone give it a shot.
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More violent than I would have liked, some of it was good
vchimpanzee13 July 2004
Holden Downs is building Millennium City, but he has a problem with environmentalists who sue to stop the project. Downs is so obsessed with the project he puts his marriage to Fay in jeopardy, but Fay has to leave town for a few days to visit her sister Sheila.

After Robert tries to steal Downs' expensive car, Downs insists that Buddy upgrade the alarm system, which wasn't working properly. Buddy does more than that: he has a 'surprise' for the next thief. The title of the movie should be a hint as to the nature of that surprise.

The best parts of the movie deal with what happens when Robert tries again to steal the car. The actors playing Holden and Robert do their best work of the movie soon after the attempt. This part of the movie is actually funny! But there is quite a bit of blood. I don't know how much was edited for TV, but let me put it this way: I'm so glad I didn't sharpen my hedge clippers. I'm scared of hurting myself as it is.

It wasn't a great movie, but it had its good parts.
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Very underrated fantastic movie.
Chevy_Ratt24 May 2004
I originally bought this movie from a second hand video shop for four dollars, only doing so because I saw that Andrew Divoff was in it. I never thought it would be as good as it was, but it was brilliant. It has a great script with great actors, and even though the plot is relatively simple, it manages to fill up an hour and half without getting boring. The ending was slightly disappointing, but besides that, it was a fantastic movie. Think Misery, except a highly stressed businessman instead of an insane woman, a car thief instead of an injured writer, a car instead of a bed, and garden shears instead of a sledgehammer. >:) I would love to see a sequel to this movie, not quite sure how they'd go about it, but it would be great to see. Andrew Divoff would have to be in it too. He's a fantastic actor, I just wish he was in more bigger movies. He definitely deserves to be.
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