DVD Review – Tracers
2 min read
Resident werewolf Taylor Lautner returns on screen in Daniel Benmayor’s Tracers. Lautner stars as Cam, a struggling bike messenger who quite literally runs into Nikki (The 100‘s Marie Avgeropoulous), an alluring stranger who soon after introduces him to her team and the intriguing world of parkour. After proving his prowess, Cam is recruited into the crew that utilises their athletic skills to perform heists. With a touch of a star-crossed element, Cam and Nikki are caught between their growing feeling for one another and their loyalty to the group.
After the starring as werewolf Jacob Black in the mega franchise The Twilight Saga, Lautner became a household name and a highly sought after young actor. Unlike his fellow franchise co-stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who both went on to star in various critically acclaimed films after the end of the series, Lautner waived his time in the spotlight. With the exception of 2011’s Abduction and 2014’s Grown Ups 2, Lautner has maintained a relatively low profile.
Similarly to his starring role in Abduction, Lautner showcases his action star chops. A background in martial arts, Lautner shows impressive parkour skills that once again demonstrates his action star potential. However, this comes with a price as the young actor is more action than acting.
The highlight of the film lies not with the starring actor but with the outstanding stunts performed. Rapidly moving and stunningly fluid with each scene, Benmayor effectively displays the emphasis and passion for parkour that elevates the action film into a different level.
An impressive display of parkour, choreography and camera skills from Benmayor and cinematographer Nelson Cragg (Splinter) needs to be credited for an excellent visual production. If anything, Tracers shows the urban coolness of parkour in the authentic streets of New York City. Forgoing the use of other cities such as Toronto or Los Angeles as substitutes, the film uses the urban landscape of NYC to its full capacity. Nonetheless, the film is substantially underwhelming with bland writing and substandard characters. Even with an impressive showing of parkour and Lautner’s athleticism, Tracers is unfortunately dull and uninteresting.
