Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, La La Land) is the favorite re-pairing because they could make another completely different movie now. — Bill Simmons
The script is called well-constructed and well-written, with a shout-out to the writers, including Richard Price for the screenplay. — Bill Simmons
The kidnappers, by shorthand, are Lieutenant Dan, the bald Californication guy, New Kid on the Block number two, the HBO narrator guy and Lily Taylor; Lily Taylor is praised. — Bill Simmons
Early email as a plot device, when getting an email signaled that he must be really rich. — Bill Simmons
The crew is a sneaky good cast who all played their positions; Donnie Wahlberg was stunt casting in 1996 and has since become a successful actor on Blue Bloods. — Van Lathan
The narrative of the dirty cop as the lead villain has aged best. — Van Lathan
The second half is preferred over the setup-heavy first half; from Donnie Wahlberg's death the movie goes to another level. — Bill Simmons
Sean getting kidnapped is a first candidate: the balloon drifting up with nobody running it is a kidnapping-movie staple, like an overturned toy car, a basketball rolling across an empty court, or a swing still moving. — Bill Simmons
The scene sets up the parents' guilt and shows Sean as already alone: he cannot compete in the science fair because his mom is a judge, and he cannot play with his dad because too many people want to talk to him. — Van Lathan
Because it was a different time, the family has no security; they were business magnates rather than celebrities and did not face threats on social media. — Van Lathan
Tom's money delivery, with the locker-room change of clothes and bags, leads to the phone call in which he is told he paid off the union guy and is a payer, laying the groundwork for the kidnappers. — Bill Simmons
Donnie Wahlberg plays the good kidnapper, a type like the one good prison guard who will sneak you a candy bar but did not sign up to kill kids. — Bill Simmons
Tom realizing they will probably kill his son, after the man at the drop had no idea about the drop-off, is called a good piece of writing that motivates his refusal to pay.
Tom going on Channel 5 and flipping the ransom into a bounty is called fantastic; a clip is played, and the station staff look horrified.
At home Russo's character goes at him with full fire in a really nice argument (clip played); it is just a great stretch of the movie.
The 'Give me back my son' phone call (clip played) has Mel getting madder and madder, and few other actors seem right for that scene.
Sinise shooting the other kidnappers, the well-constructed shootout, and the final Gibson-versus-Sinise moment when the kid wets himself are listed; the last is an all-time movie moment. — Bill Simmons
The version watched on TNT on demand cut out the kid wetting himself, which is called an overreaction. — Van Lathan
One pick: the stretch from the TV station through the 'give me back my son' call to Sinise, when they start playing chess, described as the obvious choice. — Bill Simmons
The other pick gives Sinise love: the car ride to the ransom with his time-machine and Morlocks speech about the rich, the reason he took the role, a rare 90s bad-cop moment with two acting greats going against each other. — Van Lathan
Dirty-cop stories were just starting then, with Copeland and The Glass Shield. — Van Lathan
