Right from the get-go of the British crime thriller "Tiger House" we learn that this young lass (Kaya Scodelario, "The Maze Runner") is a competitive gymnast. And her character's athletic prowess is showcased in some scenes here certainly. Still, it never reaches the level of kick-ass ninja warrior stuff you fully anticipated considering the dire circumstances of this home invasion horror show.Tiger House......eh, more of a tabby shack.

PROS: A pro could be the build up of tension. Although it lacked the entire film, when it came to the climax the director knew what needed to be done.CONS: The most obvious con to point out is within the plot. If you watch the movie you'll understand what I mean when I say, the movie simply put up too many road blocks. There was one idea that could have been strong, but it was hindered by smaller plots that gave a large disconnect between motives and actions. Another fault was with the acting. The secondary characters did a great job at delivering what their intent was, but the main girl character just lacked when it came to genuine emotion. The final thing that was frustrating was the creativity. The entire movie was based around this girl being a "secret weapon", but she did nothing special. The girl did nothing that was out of the ordinary; she did pretty much basic things.www.chorror.com

Once again low budget film makers have created an interesting film that rivals some major releases when it comes to creativity. The end result may not be the greatest movie ever made but at least you have a group here making an attempt at something new. With the loss of drive-ins across the country as well as double features a thing of the past, direct to DVD is the only way these independent films get made. And on occasion you get something decent.Kaya Scodelario stars as Kelly, a young girl desperately in love with boyfriend Mark. But Mark's mother isn't fond of the young girl, seeing her as someone from the wrong side of the tracks and just trying to latch on to her son. So the pair do what any young couple does, she sneaks into his bedroom at night via the second floor window. Their romance takes a dive when Kelly reveals to Mark that she is pregnant, something he's not too happy about.That night gets worse as the pair are surprised by the sound of someone in the house other than his parents. Checking things out Mark finds a group of kidnappers in the house who take him and his mother hostage and his father, a banker, to the bank as a plan to rob it. Kelly, aware of what is going on first tries to get out the window forgetting that Mark locked it the night before and has the key on him. She quickly hides beneath his bed and tries to figure out just what to do.An altercation resulted in the leader of the gang Shane (Dougray Scott) being severely wounded. He sends part of the team with the father and two men stay with him. Of course, the bed they choose to leave him in is Mark's.As the movie progresses Kelly is left to her own devices to find a way to either get help or take on this trio of bad guys before the rest of the gang returns. Rather than go the route of "Die Hard" ingenuity or Rube Goldberg contraptions, the screenwriters here have Kelly employ whatever she has on hand to her advantage. Her first feat is to get out from under the bed and make her way around the house. Then she begins to find ways to deal with the problem first hand.This would make the film a variation of the hostage turned heroine but rather than leave it at that more complex situations are brought into the mix. A secret that turns the story on its head late in the game comes off surprising but in review makes sense. The movie leaves you with an ending that's quite satisfying for all involved.Some have really ripped this movie to shreds in various reviews. For me it wasn't award winning material but it was a pleasant enough 80 minutes that was far superior to many films that are released this way. The acting of all involved was quite good, especially Scodelario as Kelly and Ed Skrein as a member of the gang with a penchant for violence. The movie won't be one that you'll remember long after seeing it but for an evening's entertainment it does a fine job.

If you watch the movie, most of the plot holes are explained, (locked windows, the boyfriend takes the key from the lock to stop the girl leaving early on in the film, the mother does scream when untied but her lover is lying on the floor with his head a bloody pulp from a baseball bat!) I could go on closing the holes, but suffice to say, It's not a great film, but I have seen a lot, lot worse. The cast is good and acting OK, but it is a story told many times before and in many cases better. I think it is a vehicle for some up and coming stars Kaya Scodelario and Ed Skrein to put on their CV as both are now in big budget Hollywood movies, Maze Runner and Transporter:Refueled respectively. GT