I never saw this in the cinemas because I was traveling overseas when it was released but I thought even though it was savaged by the critics Taylor Lautner’s hotness would justify the cost of buying or hiring this movie… It does not.
Along the promotional trail Lautner raved about doing his own stunts and in the opening scene he rides on the bonnet of a car fist pumping and screaming yet he is completely unbelievable as a wild guy. Nathan then attends a party where he attempts to create chemistry between he and Karen (Lily Collins) by squinting and failing to emit any testosterone in a shoulder bumping classic Hollywood cliche with Karen’s boyfriend.
As a dunk and rowdy teenager Lautner is utterly hopeless only serving to prove that he was truthful when he said he never drinks. His inexperience shows.
The movie continues on in this sort of pattern: He and his dad beat the shit out of each other – as every father and son do without bruising – while his mother gives it a bit of the ‘boys will be boys.’ He and Lily continue their chemistry free relationship and end up making out, pressing each other against the walls of a train cabin and despite knowing these two go it on in real life I just find myself unconvinced.
The two teenagers find themselves on the run after Nathan’s “parents” are killed just after he finds out they’re not his parents after finding his picture on a missing persons site. It is never explained where they get the funds from as they cross the country and if it is I missed it because I was either rolling my eyes at all the cliches or I fell asleep because it was so boring.
Both Taylor and Lily, but particularly Taylor, lack any sort of charisma and fail to bring any chemistry to their characters that make you even believe them when they hold hands. Unfortunately for Lautner loving fans he spends barely any time shirtless and a large amount of time squinting as he attempts to be intense.
The movie is just cliche from start to finish and it’s been done a hundred times before.
This is the worst movie I have seen in a long time.
Rating: 0.5/5
Points awarded brief moments of shirtless Lautner but the movie is still 105 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.