There is one moment in "Kidnap" where the unassuming waitress, Karla Dyson (Halle Berry), asks her little boy Frankie and some other children to "play the quiet game." This is only one scene where the quick-thinking Karla is able to outfox some nefarious criminals and to rescue her beloved Frankie from their clutches.
The film is primarily driven by action, as opposed to character. Thus, the majority of the narrative consists of a sustained, daredevil car chase sequence in which Karla pursues the kidnappers of young Frankie. Karla had only left the child unattended for a brief stretch of time at the Louisiana carnival and even played her "Marco Polo" game to ensure that Frankie was within the sound of her voice.
But Karla had to take a phone call privately from her divorce attorney. Yet that tiny window of opportunity provided the nefarious Terrence Fickey with the time to kidnap Frankie. The nefarious villains are Fickey, his stout wife, and perhaps other hardened criminals involved in a child abduction ring.
Early in the film, Karla encourages her young son to eat his vegetables. For Karla, "it makes us invincible." Based on her heroic actions, she may be right about the veggies!
But the film raises a question that goes well beyond dietary issues. Karla had no trust in the authorities to locate her kidnapped boy. As portrayed in the film, the police were incompetent on multiple counts: failing to locate the correct red minivan; slow response to an Amber Alert; poor judgment on the part of a motorcycle cop; and overall sluggishness in responding to the desperate mother. There may be cases where "civilian pursuit" is more effective than trusting in loyal officials and authorities. Beyond serving as a vehicle for Miss Berry, the film may offer not only a good amount of suspense, but also an important theme to consider.
The film is primarily driven by action, as opposed to character. Thus, the majority of the narrative consists of a sustained, daredevil car chase sequence in which Karla pursues the kidnappers of young Frankie. Karla had only left the child unattended for a brief stretch of time at the Louisiana carnival and even played her "Marco Polo" game to ensure that Frankie was within the sound of her voice.
But Karla had to take a phone call privately from her divorce attorney. Yet that tiny window of opportunity provided the nefarious Terrence Fickey with the time to kidnap Frankie. The nefarious villains are Fickey, his stout wife, and perhaps other hardened criminals involved in a child abduction ring.
Early in the film, Karla encourages her young son to eat his vegetables. For Karla, "it makes us invincible." Based on her heroic actions, she may be right about the veggies!
But the film raises a question that goes well beyond dietary issues. Karla had no trust in the authorities to locate her kidnapped boy. As portrayed in the film, the police were incompetent on multiple counts: failing to locate the correct red minivan; slow response to an Amber Alert; poor judgment on the part of a motorcycle cop; and overall sluggishness in responding to the desperate mother. There may be cases where "civilian pursuit" is more effective than trusting in loyal officials and authorities. Beyond serving as a vehicle for Miss Berry, the film may offer not only a good amount of suspense, but also an important theme to consider.