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Amazon.co.uk Review
When it comes to ramping up to vein-bursting levels of tormented anxiety , Mel Gibson has a kind of mainstream intensity that makes him perfect for his heroic-father role in director Ron Howard's child-kidnapping thriller. When you think of Ransom, you automatically think of the scene in which Mel reaches his boiling point and yells, "Give me back my son!" to the kidnapper on the other end of a phone. Trapped in the middle of any parent's nightmare, Mel plays a self-made airline mogul whose son (played by Brawley Nolte, son of actor Nick Nolte) is abducted by a close-knit group of uptight kidnappers. But when a king's ransom is demanded for the child's safe return, Mel turns the tables and offers the ransom as reward money for anyone who provides information leading to the kidnappers' arrest.
Thus begins a nerve-racking battle of wills and a test of the father's conviction to carry out a plan that could cost his son's life. The boy's mother (played by Rene Russo, reunited with Gibson after Lethal Weapon 3) disapproves of her husband's life-threatening gamble, and a seasoned FBI negotiator (Delroy Lindo) is equally fearful of disaster as the search for the kidnappers intensifies. Through it all, Howard maintains a level of nail-biting tension to match Gibson's desperate ploy, and the plot twists are just clever enough to cancel out the overwrought performances and manipulative screenplay. Ransom may not be as sophisticated as its glossy production design would suggest, but it's a thriller with above-average intelligence and an emotion-driven plot that couldn't be more urgent. Adding to the intensity is a superior supporting cast including Gary Sinise, Lili Taylor and Liev Schreiber as the kidnappers, who demonstrate that even the tightest scheme can unravel under unexpected stress. Remade from a 1956 film starring Glenn Ford, Ransom is diluted by a few too many subplots, but as a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, it's a slick and satisfying example of Hollywood entertainment. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Special Features
DVD 9
English
Region 2
Directors Audio Commentary
4 Deleted Scenes
What Would You Do Featurette
Between Takes Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
English
Region 2
Directors Audio Commentary
4 Deleted Scenes
What Would You Do Featurette
Between Takes Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
NB: This is a review of the Sean Connery film Ransom, not the Mel Gibson film with the same title. For reasons best known to themselves, Amazon have lumped the reviews for the two different films together!
Caspar Wrede's Ransom (retitled The Terrorists in the USA) is an entertaining enough cat-and-mouse yarn from 1975 if you have an hour and a half to spare, helped immensely by a commanding performance by Sean Connery as the Scandinavian security chief having to deal with a hostage crisis and an airplane hijacking by Ian McShane's terrorist. There are some neat plot twists, Sven Nykvist's cinematography makes good use of the snowbound locations and there's a strong Jerry Goldsmith score that helps drive the film along nicely, although it is rather disconcerting to hear John Quentin speaking with Malcolm Terris' voice in a particularly noticeable bit of dubbing.
An efficient Saturday night thriller that doesn't aim high but does deliver, Cinema Club's DVD has a good widescreen transfer that includes the original UK theatrical trailer.
Caspar Wrede's Ransom (retitled The Terrorists in the USA) is an entertaining enough cat-and-mouse yarn from 1975 if you have an hour and a half to spare, helped immensely by a commanding performance by Sean Connery as the Scandinavian security chief having to deal with a hostage crisis and an airplane hijacking by Ian McShane's terrorist. There are some neat plot twists, Sven Nykvist's cinematography makes good use of the snowbound locations and there's a strong Jerry Goldsmith score that helps drive the film along nicely, although it is rather disconcerting to hear John Quentin speaking with Malcolm Terris' voice in a particularly noticeable bit of dubbing.
An efficient Saturday night thriller that doesn't aim high but does deliver, Cinema Club's DVD has a good widescreen transfer that includes the original UK theatrical trailer.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Generally faithful to the 1950's version (starring Glenn Ford and Leslie Nielsen), the story concerns a wealthy - albeit shady - businessman who's son is kidnapped. Upon receiving the ransom demand, he decides not to pay and instead places the the sum of the ransom as a bounty on the kidnappers head.
Good performances throughout (especially Rene Russo) and a neat twist to the old formula, give Ransom an edge missing from some of the other modern thrillers around.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ransom
Inevitably a butt clenching movie which aims, and succeeds in causing your stomach to turn, your heart to race and your eyes to glue themselves to the screen.
The storey of Tom (Gibson) and his wife(Russo) is of a terrifying ordeal. Their nine year old son has been kidnapped, and in return for their son, Gibson and Russo, will have to pay a ransom of $2,000,000. Will they pay up? Clearly they love their son. This is truly a harrowing story of bravery and madness.
Full of action, heart breaking acting and one of the most enduring scenes of emotion I have witnessed for some time.
I strongly recommend this film. Its well directed, well acted and has a great plot. What else do you need? *****
Inevitably a butt clenching movie which aims, and succeeds in causing your stomach to turn, your heart to race and your eyes to glue themselves to the screen.
The storey of Tom (Gibson) and his wife(Russo) is of a terrifying ordeal. Their nine year old son has been kidnapped, and in return for their son, Gibson and Russo, will have to pay a ransom of $2,000,000. Will they pay up? Clearly they love their son. This is truly a harrowing story of bravery and madness.
Full of action, heart breaking acting and one of the most enduring scenes of emotion I have witnessed for some time.
I strongly recommend this film. Its well directed, well acted and has a great plot. What else do you need? *****
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not a fan of Mel Gibson but...
I'm not a fan of Mel Gibson but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie with him in it. Tremendous twist (and risky with the boy's life at stake) to offer a bounty on the kidnapper instead... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Dr Watson
It's Jimmy Shaker Day...
This film has a lot of good things going for it. Mel Gibson is stubborn and unlikeable and you feel Rene Russo's pain when he won't back down about the ransom. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Stavrogin
Mel Gibson once again excellent, no suprise.
This film is about a billionaire whose son is kidnapped. the performances are spot on and Gibson is sublime. one word describes this film amazing, true classic. Read more
Published 13 months ago by ekb
It's very good you know, but.......
Kidnappers snatch the son of multi millionaire airline magnate Tom Mullen (Mel Gibson) and demand $2 million ransom for the boys return. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Spike Owen
disapointing seller
Before this was dispatched I realized my partner had asked me to order vhs by mistake rather than dvd so I asked seller to cancel it and not send it. Read more
Published 15 months ago by R. WILCOCK
vhs
this is a vhs tape that i can see as i dont have vhs when i sent for this it said it was a dvd and when i got it it was a video so i have to have it now but do you have the dvd... Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2010 by D. A. Copley
excellent service
The whole experience of ordering and receiving the dvd I ordered was simple and faultless. My daughter enjoyed the surprise of receiving an unexpected gift due to the punctual and... Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2009 by J. Thayer
Which film?
Recently watched Mel Gibson one but wanted to know more about the original (Glenn Ford) and intrigued by this Sean Connery one NOT THE MEL GIBSON 1997 ONE! Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2008 by Natasha Catmur
brilliant ,a truly gripping plot
i first saw this film when it was released on video when i was about ten and it really freaked me out. Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2007 by calvin
With power comes responsibility
Ransom is not just another everyday action flick, this is an excellent portrayal of a man who feels his accumulated power faceless in a bizarre situation. Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2007 by Jay
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