ENTRAPMENT

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: brief strong language, nudity, violence

Rated:

You don't know the meaning of "high stakes" until you see Entrapment, the coolest high-suspense thriller since Mission: Impossible. Suave and wily Welsh Catherine Zeta-Jones stars across from James Bond star Sean Connery and with enough awesome gadgets and smooth kicks to steal the show, the pair form a bond as cat and mouse... or could it be almost partners? 

Virginia Baker (Zeta-Jones) is a highly paid insurance agent convinced that a daring midnight robbery was pulled off by a retired art thief who intends to catch him with his hand in the cookie jar. Her bait is a priceless Asian Mask worth over four million dollars. But it seems when she reaches London that she's the one being exploited when her luggage is stolen and later turns up in hotel security... with a four-million-dollar stolen computer chip inside. That and the pictures of course -- of her "casing" the technology store prior to the robery-- have landed her a one way ticket to jail and her only alternative is to fly with Mac (Connery) to his castle in Scotland. Once there, Gin tries all her tricks but Mac always seems one step ahead of her and plots uncurl faster than you can say "entrapped!" It's a clever puzzle of stolen identities and ulterior motives as these two "thieves" train to steal the mask... but neither are who they seem. 

Mac's business associate isn't too convinced that this new partnership is such an ideal plot, especially when he sees the spell the lovely Gin can weave. Mac convinces him that it's nothing personal and is going to stay that way... but only time will tell, as they flirt, fight, and ultimately grow to care for one another while raising the stakes. Suddenly the mask is child's play... and the real haul involves transferring £8 million electronically from a bank in Malaysia to a private account during the millennium shutdown. But this time they may be playing for keeps.

Forty years of films and Connery's still playing the romantic lead. Ironic but true, he's an excellent costar against the spirited Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the charisma on-screen is electrifying. With breathtaking special effects and electronic gizmos to rival Star Wars, Entrapment is a complicated series of secrets, revelations, and the unexpected; a thrill ride from beginning to end. Unfortunately, it also asks you to root for a pair of self-centered, big-time purse snatchers, which should be offensive to Christian audiences. They haven't the noble intentions of stealing from the rich to give to the poor or even the hilarious and charming twist to How to Steal a Million, nor are they stealing government secrets to protect their country. It's all "me" centered, and the end should tweak a few consciences. The bad guys are the CIA, the good guys our versatile thieves. This should provide a problem right off, but it doesn't. The story is so engaging, the characters so likable, that you become so engrossed that their arrest would have almost been a disappointment! In addition to the skewed set of heroism, several other factors figure in to give Entrapment a thumbs-down. 

Gin appears in several form-fitting outfits and is apparently nude in two scenes, although the nudity is only implied to the audience. One is when Mac confronts her in her hotel room and she sits up in bed (a dark shadow is across her body, leaving only her face and one shoulder visible) and later he pulls the covers up over her bare hip and side. There is no implied sex, which is refreshing. Several scenes include the Rembrandt of a topless woman. A dozen or so profanities appear, one of which includes an abuse of Jesus' name; however, the most cringe-worthy are two uses of the f-word by Mac's contact. 

Violence is limited and more than acceptable. There's plenty of heart-pounding excitement in the last half hour as the seconds tick down to the wire. Mac grabs Gin by the hair and holds her underwater as a threat, there's a minimal amount of gunplay, and several appearances of knives, but no one is killed or otherwise mutated. The pair drink alcohol on several occasions. Entrapment's a fairly clean and exciting adventure for mature teens and adults, but only if one doesn't take it too seriously and considers the parts that the characters play afterward. I would encourage parents who allow their children to watch to discuss the good and bad points of the film and make certain that stealing is not noble or in the interest of other people but is self-centered and wrong. Here's hoping that the next "thriller" will have cops the good guys, and thieves the bad guys.