Ransom

Mel Gibson has never been afraid to be over the top, and "Ransom" is no exception. He pours his energy into the role, and the movie almost works largely because of him. Rene Russo is solid as his strong, skeptical wife, and Gary Sinise—one of my faves—cruises as the cop who solves(?) the case. Ron Howard doesn't go out on any limbs, and the film hints at a philosophical complexity that is never realized. In the end, it becomes a manipulative revenge fantasy. Rated R.

—Ian Williams

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