The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Screeching its way into filmic obscurity, Kidnap, does itself no favours as a Halle Berry-led version of Taken which tells the story of a determined mother on hot pursuit of her kidnapped son. The fact that it spent three years sitting on a shelf before eventually summoning the funds for a wide cinema release tells you all you need to know; the story is strained with poor editing and even shoddier dialogue and while the simplicity of its structure makes it a straightforward watch, the overall result is forgettable.

Berry stars as Karla; a tired single mom of six-year-old Frankie (Correa) who earns her living working at a low-paying job at a local Louisiana diner. Facing a custody battle with her unseen ex-husband, Karla is struggling to keep it together, knowing full well that her dire financial situation is not going to help her win the case. Things take a turn for the worst when, while spending some quality time with Frankie at a public park, she receives a phone call from her attorney delivering bad news.  It’s during that phone call that she ends up losing sight of Frankie, catching a glimpse of him in the parking lot being pushed into the car by a grubby kidnapper. 

With no one to call for help –Karla manages to conveniently lose her phone along the way – and with the police seemingly uninterested to jump to her assistance, it’s up to her to chase down the kidnappers.

Despite the constant urgency of the plot, as well as all of the speedy car-chase action sequences, Kidnap is remarkably sluggish. The screenplay, credited to Knate Lee – the producer behind Bad Grandpa and Jackass 3D – is simple, uncomplicated and establishes the unbreakable bond between mother and son well.  However, despite a few touching moments, everything about it feels cheesy and melodramatic, with the story failing to capture any real suspense or tension, which isn’t help by the sloppy editing of the actions sequences.

Running at approximately 82 minutes, Kidnap finds its saving grace with Berry. Serving as a co-producer, the Oscar-winning actress delivers a fierce performance and audiences will have no problem in rooting for her.  However, she never manages to overcome the script’s lack of anything that should have made Kidnap an interesting and an adrenaline-pumping ride.