Reviews & Ratings for
Ransom More at IMDbPro »

Blow me the money., 11 December 2008

Author: dunmore_ego from Los Angeles, California

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Mel Gibson is an airline owner whose son gets kidnapped and held for ransom. Rather than play into the kidnappers' hands, Mel's status allows him to go on national TV to advertise that the 2 million dollars ransom money has become bounty money - he offers the 2-mil as reward for any info on the kidnappers.

Serpentine Gary Sinise heads the kidnapping ring, which also features Liev Schreiber, Lili Taylor and Donnie Wahlberg, all doing a vapid job of being hardened kidnappers.

Crazy-eyed Delroy Lindo is the FBI agent helping Mel and his wife, Rene Russo, find their boy, while trying not to act TOO much like Laurence Fishburne.

Both Mel and Rene do some fine traumatized acting - we really feel they've lost a son. But there's nothing like Mel's "tragic face" - you know that look he gets like he's one feather-push away from total nervous breakdown? I love it! Ron Howard directs this well-made thriller. First two acts are compelling, especially the twist of turning the ransom into bounty - which sets all the kidnappers against each other and twists Gary's panties no end. But the last scene ruins any impact of True Vengeance; even robs us of that satisfying feeling of Justice - and I mean True Justice, not The Law's milky version of it.

It may not be politically correct to "wish" vengeance on someone, even if they're bad guys - but the Hollywood/MPAA staple that makes it imperative that bad guys should draw first and ONLY THEN be shot down by the good guys is becoming tiresome. End result is always the same - bad guy gets killed - but the methods of execution are so painfully pc transparent.

In RANSOM, Gary Sinise is beaten by Mel - justifiably - then the cops show up and force Mel to drop the gun he has trained on Gary. Even though Mel has every right to shoot this scum who kidnapped his boy, The Law and our supposed Moral Compass tells us he shouldn't, tells us the criminal should be wrung through the judicial system for punishment. All moot when the downed criminal suddenly draws a hidden gun on Our Hero and Crazy-Eyed Lindo pumps the perp full of lead. Case Closed.

The resolution is the same as if Mel had killed him, but now we all "feel better" about ourselves because the criminal drew on Our Hero behind his back. That kind of willowy movie rationalization is gonna get someone killed in real life.

It ain't gonna be me.

Add another review

Related Links