Breaking In

THE GIST: After her estranged father's murder, Shaun travels to his house with her two kids to settles the estate. The house is equipped with high-end security systems that are oddly turned off. After their arrival, four criminals break in and take the kids hostage, in search of a big payback. Shaun, who ends up locked outside the house, will have to leverage her knowledge of the property against the criminals to get her kids back.

Breaking In is an action/thriller that rests entirely on Gabrielle Union's ability to make us believe the severity of what she's going through and her ability to outsmart the bad guys. I'd say she does a really good job on both fronts, and is definitely the main reason to watch the movie.

The kids, Ajiona Alexus and Seth Carr are also very good, and Billy Burke as the main villain is wonderful, surrounded by Richard Cabral, Levi Meaden, and Mark Furze who are all perfectly cast.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Definitely recommend a couple hours of suspense with this game of cat-and-mouse.

Grade: 7