Ransom (1996)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Tom Mullen	Mel Gibson	½
Kate Mullen	Rene Russo	½
Jimmy Shaker	Gary Sinise	½
Agent Lonnie Hawkins	Delroy Lindo	½
Maris Conner	Lili Taylor	-
Sean Mullen	Brawley Nolte	-
Jackie Brown	Dan Hedaya	-

Review

Ron Howard's Ransom sees Mel Gibson leave his faux Scottishness behind and return to the American continent for this clever thriller. 'Cause Ransom actually is just a little bit more intelligent and well-written than your average film in this genre. The villain isn't all that one-dimensional, and the hero isn't all that "one-man-army" as one may fear. Still, it doesn't quite work. Howard thinks he's directing a thriller, but the suspense isn't there. Gary Sinise, although well-cast as the villain, is uncovered and unmasked too soon. And the format is too tepid and lacks edge. Fair acting by the cast underlines this film's mediocrity.