Critics can't get away from Jacob/'Twilight' comparisons as Taylor Lautner bids for action-hero status in John Singleton flick.
By Jocelyn Vena
Taylor Lautner and Lily Collins in "Abduction"
Photo: Lionsgate
For much of his career, Taylor Lautner has either been a karate-kicking spy kid or a heartbroken werewolf hopelessly in love with his mortal enemy's girl. But on Friday (September 23), the teen star launched the next phase of his career in the John Singleton-directed "Abduction."
The film centers on a young man (Lautner) who realizes that his life isn't exactly what it seems. His character sets out to learn who he really is after finding his baby picture posted on a missing-persons website. In addition to Lautner (in his first lead role), the movie also stars Lily Collins as his love interest and a number of A-listers, including Sigourney Weaver, Jason Isaacs, Maria Bello and Alfred Molina.
Before you head to the theater this weekend, check out this handy "Abduction" cheat sheet and read on for what the critics are saying about Lautner's giant leap from teen werewolf to action hero.
Taylor Lautner the Action Hero
"Even playing the hunted, jacked-up, dude-on-the-run hero of a 'realistic' action film, Taylor Lautner still looks like the world's sexiest werewolf in 'Abduction.' There's a stylized quality to his features — not just the lupine snub nose, but the daggerish Son of Spock eyebrows that lend him a squint of intensity even when not very much is going on. That face gives Lautner one advantage as an actor: He's a great camera subject, like the young Matt Damon crossed with Tom Cruise." — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
The Inevitable Jacob Comparisons
"Lautner's sensitive young stud in 'Abduction' isn't far removed from the pining werewolf he plays in the 'Twilight' movies. They both have anger issues, yes, but they also can be achingly sweet and vulnerable and protective — and shirtless, when appropriate." — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times
The Final Word
"In the end, it all feels like much ado about not much. The film lets Lautner down more than the other way around and he essentially holds his own surrounded by the sturdy likes of Weaver, Molina, Isaacs and Bello. Collins, who made her big-screen debut in 'The Blind Side' last year and has the title role in the forthcoming 'Snow White,' has a promising, offbeat appeal." — Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
Check out everything we've got on "Abduction."
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