The bad falls somewhat on the shoulders of Travolta. He often takes his bad guy shtick over the top and it does not land all that well, especially when his voice gets all high as spits out the f-bombs. James Gandolfini also falls under the bad as his slimy mayor performance did not strike me as being genuine.
The ugly award goes to Tony Scott. As surprising as it is, his over-the-top direction, frenetic camera work, and mixing of speeds and stock does not work all that well here, proving to be more of a distraction than anything else. I am surprised because I have generally enjoyed his work and his use of the excess, this includes recent outings like Deja Vu, Man on Fire, and even Domino. A little more restraint and focus would have been appreciated. Then there is the way the action is staged, especially the police convoy, it is staged in rather idiotic fashion that sets up some of the dramatic crashes that make no sense. I am not sure they really thought this through prior to shooting it. This convoy leads to Gandolfini's best line of the movie.
Screenwriter Brian Helgeland does not escape criticism, as while the screenplay has its moments, it has some mind bogglingly silly moments two. Among the moments you can include every scene between the kid and his webcam girlfriend, ridiculous, especially considering what they do and where it can be seen. Another moment would be the cops lines after picking up the ransom money, brilliant (but not really).
Bottom Line. Yes, the movie is a little fun and has its moments of genuine tension and surprise but on the whole it fails to deliver a truly memorable experience. The editing takes it to within an inch of its life, the performances wildly fluctuate, and some of the silliness should have been avoided. Still, you could do worse (I think Land of the Lost is still playing).
Mildly Recommended.
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