Amber Alert [HD]

Taking back by all those who rated it less
I just saw this movie tonight with my wife and we have a 4 year old daughter. In all honesty the reviews go to show that we as a society have our views distorted. The premise of this movie is based on "what would you do". By the poor reviews I'm assuming many of these people are more movie buffs than family oriented. I'm a father and I thought it was a good reminder and had me on every emotion available. No it's not your basic horror or action flick but its a hard look at what reality could be. .

Strains credulity throughout
I'm one of those people who has not yet grown tired of the "found footage" movie genre, but "Amber Alert" seriously tested my tolerance level. The plot features a unique and interesting premise, but to have any enjoyment of the film, the viewer must be willing to suspend all credulity. Not just for chunks of the film, but for the entire 80 minute run time.

The film opens similarly to "Paranormal Activity" with a note informing us that the footage is in the possession of the police department as part of an investigation. Best friends Samantha/Sam and Nate are filming an audition for a reality show (which I presume is The Amazing Race.) They set out on a beautiful, sunny day in Phoenix, with Sam's younger brother, Caleb, as the cameraman. They spot a car identified on an Amber Alert highway sign, and Sam immediately makes the one and only wise, common-sense decision in the film - she calls 911. The dispatcher informs her that the police (the entire Phoenix police...

Fast-Paced and Frightening (but the two main characters are way over the top, not in a good way)
When I could get past the two main characters' overbearing acting, I liked the very fast-paced, scary and suspenseful plot in this movie. I had a hard time with the loud arguing, whining and yelling between them: a guy and a gal who are platonic young friends are at odds regarding a car identified as part of an an Amber Alert. One character's little brother is manning the ever present Camcorder from the back seat, who has a minor role.

This is a found footage movie and it can be argued these characters did have a strong effect on me, their interaction was so 'in your face' the whole movie it made me feel like I was right there for their antics and the scary moments. I wish the male character (who was also the driver) could have 'manned up' a little in regards to his female sidekick...exasperating.

All in all, the movie gets 3 stars despite its character/script drawbacks. The concept of pursuing an Amber Alert car was quite interesting, I always thought about what...

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