Good, but somewhat disappointing

Rating: 7/10 (13 October 2013)

"Prisoners" is essentially a remake of Mystic River (2003). It's a good mystery that uses great imagery. And despite the massive runtime, it doesn't lag too badly.
I wanted to love Hugh Jackman's performance as the father, but he basically has 2 emotions in the entire film. Angry, sad, then angry again. Not that he doesn't do those two emotions well, but it's not enough. Gyllenhaal is fine as the detective, and I was pleasantly surprised by Terrence Howard as Franklin. For a movie that seemed ideal for great acting roles, the portrayals are only decent to good.
The best part of the movie are the twists and turns of the mystery and how it is revealed and comes together. The imagery of the maze is an interesting motif and is used very well. I am honestly a little upset with the movie for how neatly it is all explained by the end. There is no room for ambiguity. The movie does a good job keeping us in the dark and guessing for at least 2 hours of its 2 hour 30 minute runtime. I wish it had ended with at least a little of the mystery that made it worth watching.
Had I never seen Mystic River (2003) I probably would have liked Prisoners a little more. It's a good mystery, but I was a little let down by the acting and a little let down by the ending. Good movie, I'd recommend it, but I'd actually recommend Mystic River more.