Ransom (1996)

	Directed by: Ron Howard	COUNTRY USA Genre Thriller NORWEGIAN TITLE Ransom RUNNING TIME 116 minutes
	Produced by: Scott Rudin Brian Grazier B. Kipling Hagopian
	Written by: Richard Price Alexander Ignon
	Based on a story by: Cyril Hume Richard Maibaum

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. Ransom is actually 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 quite the "one-man-army" one might fear. Still, the picture doesn't fully 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.