Moving Target

The film has a decent enough plot which keeps concentration and is in places interesting and exciting, being a TV film. The reasons behind the main plot is slightly disappointing and the film fails to deliver at intervals, but overall it is a reasonably enjoyable TV movie.

Released to TV in 1988, "Moving Target" is a mystery/thriller about a teenager (Jason Bateman) who unexpectedly comes home to California from music camp in Michigan only to find his parents' home deserted, including all the furniture. What happened? Chynna Phillips plays the maybe-girlfriend and the always-reliable Tom Skerritt co-stars as the father.

Being a TV movie, there are obvious breaks for commercials but, other than that, this is a solid drama/thriller, particularly if you like the cast. Everything about the movie screams mid-80 – the electronic drums, the haircuts, the clothes. This in itself is entertaining. Anyway, it's nothing great, but it works for what it is.

The film runs 100 minutes and was shot in S. California.

GRADE: B

Moving Target is basically the epitome of the term of 'enjoyable thriller'. It offers no substance and you won't remember much of it for long after it finishes; but it's fun to watch, and that's the important thing. The film is a made for TV movie, and so doesn't feature any spectacular stunts or heavy violence; and instead relies on the story and suspense to pull it through...which unfortunately doesn't always pay off as director Chris Thomson doesn't succeed in ensuring that the film is always interesting. Anyway, the plot focuses on Toby Kellogg; a teenage kid that gets sent to music school during the summer. He doesn't enjoy it much while he's there, and when he finds out that his band has enjoyed some success in his absence; he leaves the school and sets off home. However, he's surprised when he gets there and finds that his parents have shipped out...along with all the furniture. The next thing Toby knows, he's been hunted down; by both the cops and a mean assassin that drives a Ferrari. Toby struggles against his pursuers while trying to find out what happened to his family.

The film very much feels like a product of it's time; and a low quality eighties vibe runs throughout it. This isn't helped by the lead actor. Jason Bateman cuts a rather irritating figure in the central role. He tries to play it as the typical disrespectful kid; but looks too old and comes off looking a bit silly. The film is not overly suspenseful either, and there were many times that I found myself not really caring what was going to happen next; and this is not good in a film that relies on suspense to keep itself afloat. Perhaps most disappointing of all is the way that the chase aspect of the plot is handled; the lead character never really seems to be in a lot of trouble and Jack Wagner's Ferrari-driving villain is more hilarious than imposing. It's all pretty predictable too; and only a rather dark scene that sees a kid killed in cold blood offered any sort of surprise. Still, despite all the negative elements; Moving Target simply offers the viewer a chance to switch their brain off for ninety minutes and enjoy...and it does at least work as light entertainment.

I'm watching a marathon of Jason Bateman movies and I was really pleased with this one. For a made for TV movie, this is one in a million. The plot is concise, the actors are all talented and the movie as a whole really keeps your attention throughout. I really felt the sadness and confusion that Toby's going through over his missing family. I liked the whole "not knowing who to trust" point of view AND there's actually a lot of really good action in this movie. There's car chases, people jumping from buildings, scary hit men. And it seemed like Jason was doing all his own stunts, which were many. Pros: 80's cuties Action Drama Mystery Cons: Actress who plays Mrs. Kellogg seems half asleep. Movie drags on a bit in the middle before getting to the point.

I gave it a 9/10 because it highly exceeded my expectations and I got to stare at 18 y.o. Jason Bateman for 90 minutes :)

Jason Bateman stars in this made for TV film about a rock and rolling kid who goes off to a music camp. While gone Bateman's dead Tom Skerritt who works for a big investment house in San Francisco turns federal witness against his employer who has been laundering mob money for decades. Tom Skerritt and the rest of the family go into witness protection, but Bateman who has run away from the long haired music in the old fashioned sense at the music camp is in the winds.

When he gets home he finds a house stripped bare and no one knows where the family is. But both the Justice Department in the person of John Glover and a mob hit man Jack Wagner are both after him. Bateman does not know who friend or foe is, so he has to keep a Moving Target.

It was interesting to see Glover as a good guy for once and soap opera hunk Jake Wagner is a truly terrifying amoral hit man. As a movie Moving Target obeys the first rule of movie making, it moves.

Bateman is good also as a truly clever and bright kid, which should make one fear for the security of witness protection.

Fans of the above named players should like this.