Ransom

Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: November 8, 1996

2.2	USER SCORE Generally unfavorable reviews based on 276 Ratings

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User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

pgmarkDec 16, 2010

Average at best and I hate Hollywood on remakes. I liked the original better with Ford even if it is a bit dated now. Nothing special here but worth a watch if bored.

3 of 11 users found this helpful38

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FilipeNetoDec 29, 2019

A simple, predictable film and where the best are the good performances of Gibson and Sinise.

This movie is quite simple: A group of criminals kidnap the young son of a businessman who is being prosecuted on a bribery charge demanding twoA simple, predictable film and where the best are the good performances of Gibson and Sinise.

This movie is quite simple: A group of criminals kidnap the young son of a businessman who is being prosecuted on a bribery charge demanding two million dollars in ransom. The entire movie is basically set in the family drama surrounding kidnapping and the father's attempts to get his son back safe and sound.

The movie works reasonably. It starts off very well, but the final part is pretty bad, predictable and unrealistic. It all rests on the backs of Mel Gibson and Gary Sinise, two very capable actors who were very effective in their respective roles, managing to give a certain dramatic depth to a film that would have far less quality without them. In fact, the characters of the two actors are classic antagonists to each other, in that they are all that the other is not and are destined to face an epic and climactic final confrontation. The rest of the actors have less visible characters who provide the necessary support: Rene Russo is quite good, even when hysterical. Lillie Taylor is dark and looks a bit sadistic, while Liev Schreiber and Donnie Wahlberg have poorly made characters who look totally amateur in the criminal world. Delroy Lindo, meanwhile, did what he could, but his character also seems totally lost and unsure what to do in most of the movie.

Ron Howard did a good job of driving, but he could have done better and noticed some problems he didn't. Personally, I think the movie has some rhythm problems: not only does the abduction happen too early, preventing us from establishing a bond of empathy with the kidnapped child, but the role of Sinise's character in the young man's disappearance could have been revealed closer to her. end of the movie. The choices made here took strength and impact out of the entire movie, as we already knew everything that was going to happen.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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GrantN.Jan 17, 2006

A quality movie but one would expect more from Gibson and especcialy Howard after Apollo 13.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

FadeBlackJun 27, 2017

Decent enough thriller, carried by a great performance by the legendary Mel Gibson. The plot is entertaining, but disintegrates into cartoonish nonsense the further on it goes. It feels like it doesn't know itself how seriously it should takeDecent enough thriller, carried by a great performance by the legendary Mel Gibson. The plot is entertaining, but disintegrates into cartoonish nonsense the further on it goes. It feels like it doesn't know itself how seriously it should take itself, and maybe suffers a bit from that. Still, worth a watch.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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amheretojudgeJan 24, 2019

No More Negotiations.

Ransom Howard's thriller drama respects the genre like never before. His focus to create a crisp tense environment is clearly visible and pays off more than enough. This is a more grounded version of such commercialNo More Negotiations.

Ransom

Howard's thriller drama respects the genre like never before. His focus to create a crisp tense environment is clearly visible and pays off more than enough. This is a more grounded version of such commercial films, it thrives more upon the drama than it does on antics. It also has a script that demands good performance from its cast, it gives them enough room and range to factor in equally. And even though there are few dodgy lumps and questions that can be raised here and there, in order to really enjoy Howard's thrill, it demands few plot points to be scoffed off immediately.

One of the best bits of the film is mapping out the territories of their characters, no matter how obvious or cheesy it may sound like, this is all a big bluff coming from Howard, and they way he puppeteers these characters on screen is his masterful skill. To be fair Howard has a balanced script, that dares explore on either side of the drama, one that challenges the antagonist politically and one that challenges the protagonist emotionally, separating them with clean sharp vocab lies Howard and his execution. Gibson as the devil himself, or so he claims to be, has a very potent but risky play to play.

And with Russo supporting him decently, this parenting part of the drama is in safe hands. Sinise, the antagonist, has a juicy role to play, brimmed with revelations and main antics of the script in his hand, he makes sure that the irritation communicates thoroughly if not the fear. Ransom is a mature if not smart tale of ego clashing head to head on screen, the result is stupendous that brings out a potential contender on both the side of the party, satisfying every last requirements of a weekend night.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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