Better Late Then Never

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

RECLAIM is another cheap straight-to-DVD thriller starring John Cusack. He plays a mysterious character who hooks up with a married couple visiting a foreign country. They've recently adopted a Haitian orphan girl, but a murky conspiracy soon rises to the fore. The small cast is probably the best thing about this undemanding effort. Ryan Philippe and Rachel Lefevre commit themselves ably enough as the protagonists and Cusack is always fun; old-timer Luis Guzman even shows up in support. Sadly, the plotting is very limited and after a bit of early mystery it gives way entirely in the second half, turning into a drawn-out chase thriller littered with dodgy effects and some really distracting continuity errors (watch the placement of the cardigan in the final scene). The only interesting part is the setting; like many new cheap films, it was shot in a glorious Puerto Rico.

Review: I wasn't that impressed with this film because it looked cheap and the director didn't do a good job with such and important concept. Its about a young girl who gets adopted by a loving couple who pay a lot of money to fast track the transaction. After obtaining the child and falling completely in love with her, she ends up getting kidnapped with a high price on her head. Its not the most original storyline that I have seen and it really lacked emotion from the actors, which was surprising because Ryan Phillipe usually puts in a good performance. It all seemed a bit cheap and I'm not surprised that it went straight to DVD. There are a few intense scenes when the couple are trying to rescue the young girl, but they weren't that amazing. The storyline was predictable from the beginning to the end and the gullible couple should have thought twice before handing over so much money to the people who were selling the girl. Man On Fire and Ransom dealt with this subject matter much better so this film has to get the thumbs down from me. Disappointing!Round-Up: John Cusack was surprisingly quite poor in this film and the loving couple, played by Ryan Phillipe and Rachelle Lefevre, seemed disconnected from each other, throughout the movie. It really is a made for TV type of film because you can tell that it was made with a low budget. I personally think that the movie would have been much better if the young girl was kidnapped from people who lived in Haiti because it would have seemed more real. Anyway, there are a couple of car chases which perk the movie up a little but the whole thing was quite dull and I struggled to stay awake.I recommend this movie to people who are into their drama/thrillers about a young girl who gets adopted by a young couple and gets kidnapped and held for a hefty ransom. 2/10

I had very low expectations going in regarding this film, so I'd have to say it overall was somewhat better than I anticipated. Yes, it has some really ridiculous plot elements, but it does maintain a fair degree of tension throughout and might serve the viewer as simply an escape type flick. It also has quite the strong cast in John Cusack, Ryan Phillippe, Rachelle Lefevre, Jack Weaver, and Luis Guzman.Set in Puerto Rico, a well-off couple Steven (Phillippe) and Shannon (Lefevre) arrive on the island to pick up their newly adopted seven-year-old daughter Nina (Briana Roy). It's all been set up by an international adoption agency run by a Mrs. Reigert (Weaver), who greets them on their arrival and arranges for them to stay at a resort for a few days until Nina's passport comes through.While there, they're approached by the creepy and mysterious Benjamin (Cusack) and his two cohorts, and they start to feel quite uncomfortable with Benjamin's omnipresence and all his questions. Steven and Shannon change hotels, but soon find themselves right in the middle of a huge adoption scam called "reclaiming", and eventually even find themselves being kidnapped.All of this will eventually lead to a wild, prolonged, and rather melodramatic ending.All in all, as mentioned there's some gaping plot holes to be found in the movie, but I still thought there was enough here to be mildly entertaining. I've certainly seen a lot worse and felt it was worth the $1.59 I spent at redbox.

"This scam that you're talking about might be true but it also might not be so you have to keep looking for her." Shannon (Lefevre) and Steven (Phillippe) are Americans who have traveled to another country in order to pick up the daughter they have adopted. The girl loves them instantly and the parents feel the same way. When they wake up one morning and find her gone they run to the police who tell them about a common adoption scam that is being run. The new parents decide to take it upon themselves to get her back anyway they can. This is a movie that I wasn't expecting a whole lot from but was pleasantly surprised at how much I like this. The movie was tense and gripping almost the entire time. The emotion of parents having their child taken really helps you get sucked in and you are right there with them hoping they find the girl. While it is sometimes predictable it doesn't distract from the intensity and I liked this quite a but. Overall, a gripping movie about a real problem in the world that I recommend watching. I give this a B.