Writer: Naseem Randhawa

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Watch this if you liked: “Jason Bourne" series

"I had that dream again last night, the same one". As cliches as that line sounds, from the moment we hear it from Taylor Lautner's lips as he spills to his psychiatrist, we know the movie is doomed to cringe-worthy depths of cliches. Like watching a mash-up of "Bourne Identity" and "Spy Kids", the only thing good about the movie would be how good Lautner looks fighting as an action star and that's about it. Forget the plot, forget the acting and forget the twist (sincerely, nothing M.Night Shyamalan-esque here).

The movie prominently starts out with Lautner (Nathan) flashing his abs as he slowly changes his shirt, then we then follow him to his decent suburban home life with parents played by Jason Isaacs and Maria Bello. In school he enjoys a decent life too, until he is paired up with his neighbour and childhood crush Karen ("Lily Collins") for a school project on missing children. While doing their research, they come upon a missing person's website where they find a childhood photo of Nathan and that's when things start getting all "Bourne Identity". The pair then run for their lives to avoid mysterious men with guns, as Nathan tries to discover his true identity and why they're after him.

Sure, Lautner can punch/kick people just fine and run away from the baddies right on time, but when it comes to showing actual emotion, he seems stiff and goes by 'typical acting 101' rulebook. Also if we had a dollar for everytime Lautner noticeably clenches his jawline or flexes his muscle, we would have happy and heavier wallets. However, there's no denying that the 19-year-old has the chops to be an action star, it's just that his first role in "Abduction" wasn't anything to shout about even though the movie was basically designed for him as his first official post-"Twilight" role.

Although the cast is impressive, from Alfred Molina to Sigourney Weaver, their roles are nothing here (remember, this movie is mainly about Lautner, and his muscles), the movie is laden with the typical action scenes and dialogue almost as if director John Singleton followed a step-by-step manual on making action films after divulging in a Jason Bourne marathon.

"Abduction" is nothing much to rave about or even watch, unless you are a Taylor Lautner fan. Sadly, "Abduction" doesn't even abduct its audience into a great action film experience, but is merely a recycled and cliched product.

Cinema Online, 27 September 2011