AMBER ALERT
Starring: Tyler James Williams, Hayden Panettiere, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Kurt Oberhaus, and Ducky Cash
Director: Kerry Bellessa
KATIE
Amber Alert feels like an episode of a long-running TV crime drama rather than an exciting thriller. Despite the pressing nature of the situation at hand, the film moves at a slow pace and characters act without any sense of urgency or common sense, which quickly becomes repetitive and boring. The amateur-feeling performances do not help, and Tyler James Williams’ (Shane) natural charm only highlights the shortcomings of the rest of the cast. Plus, the film distastefully uses exploitative implications rather than creating any genuine sense of suspense or tension. Frankly, the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth.
NICK
Amber Alerts are a significant tool for finding missing children, and they haven't really been explored in the world of film. The movie Amber Alert does that, just poorly. In spite of the commitment of Hayden Panettiere and the charisma of Tyler James Williams, the film meanders its way through poor decision-making and a tensionless chase sequence that only leads to a rushed and nonsensical shootout. It’s a baffling final act that is so tonally removed from everything I had just watched. I didn’t hate the majority of what I was given here, but that ending really left a sour taste in my mouth.
