4. Hostage
Hostage was an exhilarating and action-packed ride that as far as I'm concerned, was largely underrated upon its release. Willis plays a slightly different role to usual in this film, a vulnerable and damaged hostage negotiator who uses none of the one-liners and wisecracks that previous Bruce Willis characters were prone to throwing out at every opportunity, and it works, holding together a film that whilst a little contrived, is unpredictable and highly entertaining nonetheless. The plot followed Willis's Jeff Talley, who is left scarred by a negotiation that went wrong and ended in the death of a wife and her son at the hands of her husband, as he is drawn into another hostage situation in which three men have taken a family hostage after a failed robbery attempt, unbeknownst that the head of the house has actually been laundering money for a Mafia syndicate. Talley originally wants no part of the situation but is drawn into it after the kidnapping of his own wife and daughter by the same syndicate in order to protect the incriminating evidence within the house. One of the film's main selling points was the main antagonist of the three kidnappers, Mars, who was actually a psychotic killer, viciously attacking anyone who came close to the house with no fear for the consequences. The finale whilst a little over the top as the Mafia descend on the house and a three way shootout occurs, was still exciting and Mars' death scene, dropping a petrol bomb on himself, was a great and fitting end to his character. Whilst the story was neatly wrapped up at the end of the film, it would be quite easy to garner another sequel from Jeff Talley, he could have either regained his composure and belief in his skills as a hostage negotiator and be operating at the top of his game, or he could have quit but be forced back into the fray once more as remaining members of this Mafia syndicate return for his blood. Whatever happens, I'd love to see a sequel to Hostage.