Abducted (1986) User Reviews

Better than expected

[eljer7 · 6/10 · 18 January 2002]

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It turned out to be better than I expected. It comes across like a Lifetime movie (which is why my wife liked it). Those who rent this movie hoping for your typical exploitation "crazy mountain-man kidnaps innocent girl" movie will be disappointed. There is no nudity, a little adult language, and some mild violence.

What I liked about this movie is that it was better than it had to be. The "villain" actually had some depth to his character, as did the character played by Dan Hagerty. The acting by the female lead could have been better, but isn't so awful that it makes the film unwatchable. The scenes between the female and Dan Hagerty are nice and sometimes rather touching.

I recommend this movie for rising above its genre. Its nice these days to be pleased and suprised by a movie, rather than disappointed.

"You know what it's like to be touched by a pervert?"

[utgard14 · 4/10 · 20 February 2014]

Pretty young jogger is abducted by crazy mountain man. That pretty much sums up the whole plot. Those expecting some exploitation fare will be disappointed. There is no nudity, though Roberta Weiss does look cute in her sweat suit and she spends the climax of the film in her panties. Speaking of Weiss, she's certainly one of the most attractive actresses of the '80s. I only know of her from two other things: a small part in The Dead Zone and an episode of Tales From the Darkside. A good episode, though. Anyway, back to the movie. The location shooting is nice. Weiss, as I said, is pretty and does a fine job with her performance. Lawrence King-Phillips is good as the psycho mountain man. Dan Haggerty, the reason most people will even see this, is enjoyable essentially playing the Grizzly Adams type of character we all expect. It's not the worst thing I've ever seen but it's pretty pointless. If it was a little seedier it might have more of a cult following, whatever that says about us.

Excellent scenery...Disappointing movie direction

[slnixon · 4/10 · 8 November 2000]

This movie has a lot going for it. The plot is simple: a psychotic mountain man kidnaps a young woman while she is out on her morning jog. The problem is the director came up short. Most of the time, the movie tries to focus in on the intensity and insane look in the kidnapper's eyes. There are also a lot of chase scenes in the Canadian rockies. Not much else.

There are some good points. Dan Haggerty plays the madman's father and does a good acting job, but I kept flashing back to his TV series "Grizzly Adams". I half-expected Ben the bear to come trotting out of the bushes at any time. Roberta Weiss at the start of the movie played the role of the damsel-in-distress rather lamely, however she did seem to improve once the madman's cabin had been reached.

The problem is that this movie was not what you'd come to expect from this genre. The danger of sexual assault was there every time Vern got close. However, for a guy that had been out in the woods for two years without a woman, you'd think he could have gotten past the bra. Give this same script to David Cronenberg and you'd have a successful NC-17 movie and a better ending where the hunted becomes the hunter. As is, it is barely PG and not worth renting.

When it comes on Showtime or TNT, take a look if you like Dan Haggerty, as long as nothing else is on.

Not bad at all...

[christophaskell · 26 August 2003]

Despite the best efforts of Collins to make this film bad, he accidentally made an interesting movie. Renee (Roberta Weiss) is out in the forest jogging and within the first minute of the movie finds herself captured by Vern (Lawrence King-Phillips). Vern appears insane at first, with his crazy sunglasses and aggressive nature. Events unfold and we come to realize that Vern has a dad (in a very convincing performance by Dan Haggerty) who is exactly the opposite of Vern, calm and level-headed. Above all this movie explores some interesting ideas, like what happens to the abductee after the initial shock of being abducted. Vern and his dad (Joe) are only in the forest because Joe loves his son and society wants to lock him up. Unfortunately, it seems that not much thought went into the last fifteen minutes, but the rest of the movie is definitely worth a watch. Rating: 25/40

Non-exploitative 80's exploitation

[Coventry · 4/10 · 20 January 2010]

Well, this was … good, but certainly not what I expected! According to the cover of the ex-rental VHS I picked up, "Abducted" is based on a true story and it even has bits and pieces of authentic Canadian newspaper clippings illustrated on the back. However, I can't find any information regarding this allegedly "true story" on the whole internet. I'm still somewhat tempted to believe the film is at least loosely inspired by true events, though, because the plot and the story twists are just too weird be fictional. "Abducted" is quite unique, actually. It's a prototypic exploitation movie, only it doesn't feature any exploitation trademarks. This movie basically deals with the kidnapping of a young and beautiful girl by a bewildered and socially alienated mountain man, but strangely enough it doesn't feature any sleaze, nudity or rape. Instead, this is a slow-moving and (wannabe) harrowing drama that makes some very unusual twists around halfway and mainly focuses on the breathtaking filming locations and environmental scenery. During her morning jog in the woods, Renee Aldrich is surprise-attacked by a madman. He scares and provokes her and then literally drags the poor girl deeper into the woods – by a rope around her neck – to his cabin. His attempts to rape her might be unsuccessful, but still his behavior towards her grows increasingly hostile. Then the film makes a weird twist when suddenly the freak's father shows up and turns out to be a "one-with-nature" Good Samaritan type of guy. Joe Evans, played by Grizzly guy Dan Haggerty, heavily disapproves his son's acts and even confesses to Renee that the came to live in the remote woods to keep Vern away from people. Grizzly guy also swears to guide her back home, but Vern is not willing to let her go that easy. On their way back to civilization, "Abducted" changes into some sort of educational nature & wildlife documentary, with Dan Haggerty vividly trying to pass on the message of preserving our forests. Undeniably the filming locations are staggering, but if I wanted to see deer or birds, I could always watch National Geographic. The bizarre triangular situation and the continuously present tension between Renee and her aggressor Vern provide a handful of noteworthy atmospheric sequences, but overall "Abducted" is a dull film and a missed opportunity for sure.

I just noticed there also exists a sequel to this film, entitled "Abducted II: the Reunion", which features Vern's resurrection from the dead and three scarcely dressed women on a camping trip. Now, that's all the more proof this film can't possibly be based on a true story, because that would be the ultimate in shamelessly exploiting a human drama. But with a director named Boon Collins, you never know, of course

Abducted

[a_baron · 3/10 · 9 January 2015]

This is a strange and unedifying twist on the damsel in distress theme. A teenage girl out for a run in the Canadian wilderness is abducted by a deranged mountain man who drags her off to his isolated log cabin telling her that she belongs to him now, and she had better do as he says, or else.

Rather than simply rape her he embarks on a rather bizarre courtship ritual, but before he can win her heart - fat chance - salvation appears in the form of his father. Apparently the old man has long realised his son is three sandwiches short of a picnic, and has chosen this austere existence as an alternative to dumping him in the local booby hatch. The old man convinces his son to see reason and take the captive back to civilisation. Unfortunately, he doesn't see reason for long, and after a helicopter appears out of nowhere - tourists poaching a rare mountain sheep - things take a really tragic twist. The end is fairly predictable, but unless you are into mindless thuggery or the great outdoors, this one is probably not for you.

Woah

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 15 September 2023]

I love saying the name of the director of this movie. Boon Collins.

He also directed Spirit of the Eagle, Abducted II: The Reunion, The Protector and Sleepover Nightmare. But he also wrote the story and screenplay of Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker, so wow, you know? He wrote this, too, along with Lindsey Bourne, who also wrote the sequel.

Renee (Roberta Weiss) is a city girl trying to jog in the Canadian Rockies who is being chased by a crazed mountain man named Vern (Lawrence King-Phillips) who finally takes her to his cabin in the middle of nowhere. But Vern didn't count on the fact that his father Joe (Dan Haggerty) would help Renee escape.

Based on a true story, well, Joe eventually gets hurt, Renee loses her pants and Vern goes shithouse. Actually, I buried the lead because it's totally based on a true story, the one about Kari Swenson, a pretty major athlete who was a bronze medal winner as a member of the 1984 U. S. relay team competing in the first women's Biathlon World Championships in Chamonix, France.

Following the 1984 biathlon season, Swenson took a job at a Big Sky, Montana ranch where she could also Also our country doesn't do enough for our Olympic athletes. That said, one day as she was training, she was abducted by Don Nichols who wanted to make her his son Dan's wife. As twenty people searched for her, Don warned that he would shoot anyone who tried to take her. When they got close, Swenson yelled to warn the searchers away. Don Nichols ordered his son to shut her up and shoot her. He did and she survived - thanks to her breathing abilities as a runner - when the bullet collapsed her lung.

Swenson hated how the men were presented in the media as mythical mountain men, as she only saw them as criminals. There was another movie, The Abduction of Kari Swenson, made for NBC with Tracy Pollan in the lead and Swenson as a technical advisor.

She returned to training, earning a spot on the United States Biathlon team again and competed in the 1986 biathlon competition in Oslo, Norway. She finished fourth, retired and became a veterinarian.

I really have to see the sequel because it gets supernatural and has Jan-Michael Vincent and Debbie Rochon in it.

Beautiful Scenery

[bigboybhatia · 7/10 · 18 July 2003]

I saw this movie late one night on a movie channel here in Canada. It has received some medicore reviews here, but I think the movie is slightly above average, all things considered.

Yes, it was a low budget movie and that's quite obvious. The beautiful scenery of the Canadian wilderness is breathtaking. The characters played by Haggerty, and his son were quite well-developed and believable. Haggerty and Weiss also have some great dialog on their trip back to civilization. Roberta Weiss looks great too, and that doesn't hurt.

You won't be able to find this one DVD yet, your only hope is to catch on TV one night, or find a used copy of the VHS.

Does Not Fulfill Its Potential, But Sticks With You

[kharley471 · 7/10 · 7 September 2011]

This is an uneven film that is definitely worth seeing. In expressing women's secret fears and fantasies it goes farther than others and is quite frank about the villain's (King-Phillips) sexual frustration. Any woman watching this film is going to ask herself, as I did, what she would do in the same situation, and perhaps imagine differing scenarios. The irony is that the physically adorable but repulsively abusive Vern picks an insipid snob, one he constantly criticizes ("You wouldn't last out here alone," "City people are soft," etc.) despite seething with passion for her.

As Renee, Weiss is perfectly cast and gives an understated performance that may not seem like acting, since she is playing a an ordinary college student, incurious about the wilderness and unskilled at both survival and ingratiating herself to her captor. Being tone-deaf in her dealings with him ("My family has money,") her character is not very sympathetic either. Her attitude toward the lifestyle of both Vern and his father (Haggerty) literally wrenched a gasp from my throat. Her character reminded me of girls I had gone to college with - knowing only society's straight line, not interested in true freedom or the discovery of being desperately wanted by a man, even if he is not her dreamboat.

Unfortunately, the film shies away from the natural consequences of the intriguing situation it has set up, and veers into cliché and sensation. The ending is simultaneously absurd and hilarious, due to a bravura performance by King-Phillips, while Weiss and Haggerty fall into their steps as stock characters. The depth built up in the male characters is lost in the film's rush to its ending, and feels like a betrayal.

King-Phillip's portrayal of Vern apparently has a cult following, and it is justified. It's just too bad that some of the scenarios that I imagined between Vern and Renee (or me) were not expressed for me in this film.

I never get tired of watching this movie.

[pinecone9 · 10/10 · 21 June 2001]

Exciting from start to finish-not only is this one of those movies of which you just HAVE to see the ending, but it's also one of those gems that actually has you talking out loud to the screen and as you know, not every movie involves you so much, it makes you want to do that. Weeellll, it did have that affect on me, anyway. I found the acting to be excellent-so good, you can easily forget you're just watching a movie as it seemed so real. The casting was absolutely perfect. I'm also glad they made a sequel to it, too. Energetic but not overdone, no hammy performances, everything was just right. I thought this movie was absolutely great. Interesting, suspenseful, not dull at all...can't remember a "slow" spot. Just extremely well done in all ways, in MHO.

Canadian exploitation

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 16 June 2022]

Renee (Roberta Weiss) is jogging in the woods when she gets kidnapped by mountain man Vern (Lawrence King-Phillips). He brings her back to his mountain cabin home. The situation seems hopeless until Joe Evans (Dan Haggerty) shows up. Surprise! He's Vern's father and he insists that Renee be released.

It's a Canadian exploitation film. To be clear. There is no nudity although the content is sexual in nature. The first half is basically a Lifetime movie plus suggestions of exploitation. The father is the surprise twist and takes the movie up a level. There is some interesting character relationships and interactions. It takes a simple exploitation film to a cult exploitation film.

Bad, or otherworldly?

[jessfink · 26 September 2000]

I will be damned if Dan Haggerty, TV's own "Grizzly Adams", does not actually take his role in this no-budget, cheap exploitation flick seriously and truly do his best to act in this film. You are in the middle of watching what has got to be one of the most amateurishly acted and atrociously bad crazy-mountain-man-abducts-sweet-young-thing movies, and all of a sudden, the big burly blonde Haggerty shows up and seems to actually think he is in something by Strindberg.

This movie apparently had something of a following, although I can't imagine why, so repugnantly does it violate the natural order, even of exploitation films, and it even generated a sequel, which I have thankfully been spared having to watch.

I am all for chicks-in-distress films, and I was hoping to see a lot of torn clothing, bared breasts, some good rolling around in the dirt and some real rope bondage in lush outdoor settings. This movie sadly disappoints on all counts, even in the bondage area, and I never saw a mountain guy with more rope than Vern, our psychotic kidnapper. Renee, the hapless victim, played by a young woman who seems to be somewhere between unconscious and dead, is so laughably inept at doing anything but standing still that part of me was hoping she would end up as Mrs. Vern, despite her whining that she was unhappy being kidnapped and wanted to go home. The character of Vern, played with twisted fiendish glee, still basically makes no sense and the actor's performance falls flat, despite his enthusiasm. Only Haggerty's genuine attempts at delivering a performance of some substance save this from being a complete catastrophe from start to finish.

In the genre of kidnapped-girl-in-the-hands-of-a-madman movies, this is about as lame as you can get. Nice Canadian landscape, though.

Simple drama wimps out

[lor_ · 6 March 2023]

My review was written in May 1986 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

"Abducted" is a modest little picture, which achieves its goal of presenting a simple story of survival in the mountainous wilds of British Columbia. Tameness of treatment indicates its best market will be for tv audiences.

Shot on handsome, treacherous locations, the story ironically recalls the strictly claustrophobic tale "The Collector". Renee (Roberta Weiss) is a beautiful, young student out jogging in the woods who is kidnapped by primitive backwoodsman Vern (Lawrence King-Phillips). He forces her to climb steep rock faces and trek for several days with him to his remote mountain cabin where he plans to live with her.

Though Renee gradually comes to understand Vern and even pity him, she resists his frequent attempts to assault her and is finally saved from a fate worse than death by the appearance of Vern's dad, Joe (Dan Haggerty) on the scene. Joe warns his son not to hurt the lady and agrees to return her safely to civilization.

After an altercation with some hunters (out to kill the mountain sheep Joe loves and protects), Vern runs off. An Oedipal conflict occurs when he returns, savagely bashes his father with a rifle butt and leaves Joe for dead. Ever the rugged survivor, Joe manages to recover and track Vern down in a predictable conclusion that spells freedom for Renee.

Director Boon Collins smoothly handles this basic material, pulling his punches in the frequent scenes that promise some sex or nudity but never delivers. Robeta Weiss is easy on the eyes even under such a tasteful approach while Lawrence King-Phillips chews the woodsy scenery as a young villain reminiscent of John Drew Barrymore. Haggerty is perfectly cast as a kindly mountain man not too distantly related to his Grizzly Adams persona.

Tech credits are modest but effective, with an assist provided by nice wildlife photography by Tommy Tompkins.