Review of Kidnap (2017) by Greatmartin — 03 Aug 2017

It was a women’s week of movies starting last Friday with a fine performance by Florence Pugh in “Lady Macbeth” followed by a full out action movie with Charlize Theron, “Atomic Blonde”, then Catherine Deneuve and Catherine Frot in “The Midwife” and the opening today of Halle Berry in “Kidnap”. (And let’s not forget the week before with the hilarious “Girls Trip”!).

In “Kidnap” Halle Berry is a waitress, having a great line near the end of her shift, who is in the middle of nasty divorce proceedings for custody of her son who is her life. Spending a day in the park after her shift her son is kidnapped and the movie takes off! There is no fooling with Berry as an action star especially when she is a mother! Get out of the way cars because she is chasing the kidnappers after spotting one of them putting her child in the car.

In a movie genre like this, you have to park your logic at the door and there are some silly moments along with illogical happenings. In any case, there are a few edge of the seats minutes and enough tension near the end to keep you hanging in there just as Berry holds you interest for long times when she is alone in the car, chasing the kidnappers, and having only a picture of her child to talk to. And just as she had that great waitress to a customer line near the beginning at the end she has a better line about not fooling around with mothers.

“Kidnap” is a short, 81-83 minute action film, with plenty of action with Halle Berry doing a good job along with Sage Correa as her son, Chris McGinn and Lew Temple as the kidnappers, a few minor characters but let’s not forget the crook’s green 1980 Ford Mustang and Berry’s red Chrysler minivan as they are stars along with Berry.

Along with director Luis Prieto, screenwriter, director of photography Flavio Labiano and a good score by Federico Jusid, Hally Berry stars in a fast paced, filled with tension popcorn summer movie aptly titled “Kidnap”.