Well after Deathshow Gameshow and thoughts of SHATNER, I went in with low expectations for the Kidnapping of the President and I have to say I was happily surprised. TKOTP turned out to be a really nice blend of action, political thriller, and man in the control room disaster movie. Usually when you toss a bunch of sub-genres in the blender the results turn out to be well Deathrow Gameshow. This film on the other hand was a very nice thriller that made good use of the Toronto cityscape and making it more than just bland scenery. One reviewer even stated that the street names and buildings were all accurate which helped give an always nice realism boost to the project.
The pacing is very nicely down and you rarely find yourself checking your watch as the movie never spends too much time dwelling on a particular plot thread (and there are a couple of sub-plots at work) that it becomes boring, but never becoming confusing either. The movie serves as a nice predecessor to 24 and the story would fit perfectly at home with that show and its story of the President being kidnapped and held for ransom in a armored car in the middle of a square in full public view.
The acting is also good, with people going more for a realistic approach to the characters with the exception of the VP's wife (which is a thread that sort of ends randomly, but not illogically) and not a super charged action hero or overly melodramatic. Shatner even stays clam and does a nice job that doesn't cause one to think of his acting excesses.
The last 10 minutes are also very fast paced and don't fall victim to the one minute countdown becomes two hours, quite the opposite. Another couple of pluses are some super gory killings in the jungle during the beginning (it makes sense later on), Shatner going FUCK!, and some very nice camera work which helps give an almost documentary feel to the film.
The print used by BCI is excellent and looks great while still maintaining a gritty and realistic feel to the movie. The audio is also clear and free of any distortion.
This little known political/action thriller is well worth the purchase and even if you don't like it there is always Deathshow Gameshow!
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