An 'Abduction' of greatness

From his rock-hard abs to his sultry face, Taylor Lautner has an undeniable physical appeal. But he is unable to pick movies that showcase his acting talents, rather than his body. With a shaky plot and convoluted story line, "Abduction" fell short of expectations.

The story revolves around with 16-year-old Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) who feels like he doesn't belong in his own life. While working on a school project with his neighbor Karen Lowell (Lily Collins), Nathan finds his baby picture on a missing persons website. He is thrown into a whirlwind of political espionage as he sets out to find out the truth about his past.

The chemistry between Karen and Nathan is tangible, yet slightly awkward; exactly how one would describe a cliché high school relationship. In the beginning of the movie, they both share conspicuous glances, similar to those of "romances" in real high schools. Even while on the run, Nathan and Karen are clearly attracted to one another, and their awkwardness towards each other throughout first half of the movie is endearing.

The action scenes are also commendable. With a very well thought out soundtrack that adheres to the needs of the action scenes as well as some epic stunts, the suspenseful aspect of the movie lives up to expectations. But that's about all of the film's redeeming qualities.

The plotline is too complicated to be fully developed. Nathan's shrink, Geraldine Bennet (Sigourney Weaver) is an ex-CIA agent who was to protect Nathan in the face of any danger. Geraldine gives Nathan the names of four people who know his true identity but unfortunately he cannot trust any of them. About 40 percent of the movie is Nathan and Karen looking for these people. Unfortunately, the immense number of side stories created by this search detracts from the overall plotline, rather than enhancing it. At the beginning of the movie Nathan's parents are killed, and he shows deep emotion over their deaths, but sadly the characters were not developed enough for the audience to share his grief.

The film was designed to showcase Lautner and his potential as a future action star. In fact, it was sold to Lionsgate with Lautner as the lead actor. While Lautner has the physical ability to be an action star, he just doesn't possess the fluidity and believability to be an excellent actor. Lautner is an excellent piece of eye-candy, but he just doesn't have what it takes to capture compelling action, and neither does this movie.

"Abduction" (106 minutes) is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense violence and action, brief language, some sexual content and teen partying. Now playing in theaters everywhere.

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