History Film / Ransom

* DeadpanSnarker / TheAlcoholic: The kidnapper played by Evan Handler. "You know, you're not going to get to go to your brother's funeral, either."

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: What Tom turns the ransom into is intended as a shock and surprise move to everyone, but since the gambit was featured heavily in the trailer, the audience knows that we get to this point an hour in (this ''was'' the climactic act in the original, and the kidnappers simply panicked and let the kid go free).

** [[spoiler: Maris also tries to kill Shaker after he turns on the rest of the group. Pity that his aim turns out to better than hers.]]

[[quoteright:325:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Ransom_poster_5217.jpg]]

Our story features a wealthy couple, Tom Mullen (Creator/MelGibson) and his wife Kate (Creator/ReneRusso). Tom is the proud owner of an airline company and his fortune includes several millions. Shortly after their introduction to the audience, former employee Maris Conner (Lili Taylor) kidnaps their son Sean (Brawley Nolte). The film proceeds to introduce her accomplices, siblings and small-time crooks Clark (Liev Schreiber) and Cubby (Donnie Wahlberg) Barnes, high-tech criminal Miles Roberts (Evan Handler) and mastermind Jimmy Shaker (Creator/GarySinise), a corrupt NYPD detective.

* NewYorkCityCops

* VillainousRescue: When Mullen goes on television saying he's not going to pay up, Shaker has to rush out to the forest where his gang are already digging a grave for Sean and stop them murdering him. Then when further attempts fail, Shaker murders his fellow conspirators and 'rescues' Sean, hoping to claim the reward money.

* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: When Mullen makes his broadcast, Maria and the other criminals immediately take Sean out to the woods to be shot and buried, rather than wait for them all to turn on each other. He's only saved because Shaker finds out in time, and is still determined to get his money.

'''''Ransom''''' was a 1996 thriller film, directed by Creator/RonHoward. It was intended as a loose remake of ''"Ransom!"'' (1956), but ended up barely resembling its predecessor.

* HeelFaceDoorSlam: [[spoiler:Poor Cubby]]

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: What Tom turns the ransom into is intended as a shock and surprise move to everyone, but since the gambit was featured heavily in the trailer, the audience knows that we get to this point an hour in.

* BoundAndGagged

* DestinationDefenestration

* DoWrongRight

* IHaveYourWife
* KillTheOnesYouLove: [[spoiler:Jimmy Shaker seems to care for Maris, his girlfriend and fellow kidnapper. When he kills the two expendable remaining kidnappers to make himself out as a hero cop, she shoots him in turn, clearly expecting him to dispose of her as well. He seems a bit shocked at this before he kills her as well with apparent remorse.]]

* ActorAllusion: When Sean asks his father why he can't participate in the science contest, Tom explains that there would be a conflict of interest since his own mother is the judge. Sean asks if he can enter under a fake name, and Tom suggests "John Smith". Mel Gibson provided the voice of John Smith in the previous year's ''Disney/{{Pocahontas}}''.

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: A naturally rather livid Mullen gives Shaker a rather nasty pummeling during the chase when the police arrive. Shaker tries to drive him off by kicking him into a running car and shoving him through a glass window, but [[UnstoppableRage he still keeps coming after him]].

* PapaWolf: Deconstructed. Tom will do anything to get his son back. When he realizes that the kidnappers are going to kill Sean anyway even if he gives them the ransom money, he tries to turn the tables on them by turning the ransom into a reward for their capture. Tom maintains his resolve when the mastermind calls him up and Tom threatens to hunt him down if he doesn't get his son back immediately. The kidnapper pretends to shoot Sean and Tom breaks down from his apparent failure. Luckily he still gets Sean back later on, but he played an immensely dangerous gamble that could just have easily have ended this way.

* BatmanGambit: Shaker COULD have just shot the kid and run for it.

* DirtyCop: Jimmy Shaker.

* PapaWolf

** Except that is a bit of a plot hole - the kid could have identified him before, when the cops came into the room where Shaker "rescued" him and Shaker identified himself to the rest of the policemen.
*** Not quite: Sean [[HeroicBSOD was pretty well out of it]] when he was rescued, and Shaker seemed to be talking in a slightly different voice at the time (likely due to everything that had just happened leaving him short of breath). In such moments, [[BreakTheCutie the poor kid]] likely just didn't catch such a detail.

The story proceeds in the familiar pattern of the original film for a while. Tom gathers the money, but not as ransom. He offers it as bounty for whoever arrests the kidnappers. Not long after, proceeding to double the price. In the original film, the bounty on their heads scared the gang enough to immediately returned the kid. Not here. Instead, the 1990s gang turn on each other.

The story proceeds in the familiar pattern of the original film for a while. Tom gathers the money, but not as ransom. He offers it as bounty for whoever arrests the kidnappers. Not long after, proceeding to double the price. In the original film, the bounty on their heads scared the gang enough to immediately returned the kid. Not here. Instead, the 1990s gang turn on each other. The quiet contemplative mood of the original is replaced here by a bloodbath.

'''''Ransom''''' was a 1996 thriller film, directed by RonHoward. It was intended as a loose remake of ''"Ransom!"'' (1956), but ended up barely resembling its predecessor.

Our story features a wealthy couple, [[Creator/MelGibson Tom Mullen]] and his wife [[ReneRusso Kate]]. Tom is the proud owner of an airline company and his fortune includes several millions. Shortly after their introduction to the audience, former employee [[LiliTaylor Maris Conner]] kidnaps their son [[BrawleyNolte Sean]]. The film proceeds to introduce her accomplices, siblings and small-time crooks [[LievSchreiber Clark]] and [[DonnieWahlberg Cubby]] Barnes, high-tech criminal [[EvanHandler Miles Roberts]] and mastermind [[GarySinise Jimmy Shaker]], a corrupt NYPD detective.

The film was both a commercial and critical hit, gathering several awards. It earned $309,492,681 in the worldwide market. With $136,492,681 in the United States market alone, it was the 5th most successful film of its year.

'''''Ransom''''' was a 1996 thriller film, intended as a loose remake of ''"Ransom!"'' (1956). It ended up barely resembling its predecessor. The new film was directed by RonHoward.

Our story features a wealthy couple, Tom Mullen (Creator/MelGibson) and his wife Kate (ReneRusso). Tom is the proud owner of an airline company and his fortune includes several millions. Shortly after their introduction to the audience, former employee Maris Conner (LiliTaylor) kidnaps their son Sean (BrawleyNolte). The film proceeds to introduce her accomplices, siblings and small-time crooks Clark and Cubby Barnes (played respectively by LievSchreiber and DonnieWahlberg), high-tech criminal Miles Roberts (EvanHandler) and mastermind Jimmy Shaker (GarySinise), a corrupt NYPD detective.

* ActorAllusion: When Sean asks his father why he can't participate in the science contest, Tom explains that there would be a conflict of interest since his own mother is the judge. Sean asks if he can enter under a fake name, and Tom suggests "John Smith". Mel Gibson provided the voice of John Smith in the previous year's ''{{Pocahontas}}''.

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: A naturally rather livid Mullen gives Shaker a rather nasty pummelling during the chase when the police arrive. Shaker tries to drive him off by kicking him into a running car and shoving him through a glass window, [[UnstoppableRage he still keeps coming after him]].

* [[spoiler: HeelFaceDoorSlam: Poor Cubby]]

Our story features a wealthy couple, Tom Mullen (Creator/MelGibson) and his wife Kate (ReneRusso). Tom is the proud owner of an airline company and his fortune includes several millions. Shortly after their introduction to the audience, former employee Maris Conner (LiliTaylor) kidnaps their son Sean (BrawleyNolte). The film proceeds to introduce her accomplices, siblings and small-time crooks Clark and Cubby Barnes (played respectively by LievSchreiber and DonnieWahlberg), high-tech criminal Miles Roberts (EvanHandler) and mastermind Jimmy Shaker (GarySinise), a corrupt NYPD detective.

Then their demand for ransom is raised, two million dollars. Some character conflict is introduced among the kidnappers. The more ruthless ones want to kill the kid anyway to avoid identification. The others want to release the boy, even risking identification. They agree to disagree until their ransom demands are met.

* BigApplesauce

* BloodFromTheMouth
* BringMyBrownPants: Mullen's young son, freed, recognizes the voice of his kidnapper. Mullen sees the puddle he's making and gets clued in, then makes a valiant try at bluffing his way through his interaction with Shaker — of course, bluff checks are notoriously spotty when it comes to scenes like these.

* LimaSyndrome: One kidnapper seems to want to be friends with the boy.

*** Not quite: the kid was pretty well out of it when he was rescued, and Shaker seemed to be talking in a slightly different voice at the time (likely due to everything that had just happened leaving him short of breath).

* WhatTheHellHero: Reaction by his wife, the FBI, and most everybody else when Mullen pulls his gambit.