Ransom 1996

 

Ransom

Actors ‏ : ‎ Mel Gibson, Gary Sinise, Rene Russo, Brawley Nolte, Delroy Lindo

When it comes to ramping up to vein-bursting levels of tormented anxiety, Mel Gibson has a kind of mainstream intensity that makes him perfect for his heroic-father role in director Ron Howard's child-kidnapping thriller. When you think of Ransom, you automatically think of the scene in which Mel reaches his boiling point and yells, "Give me back my son!" to the kidnapper on the other end of several torturous phone calls. Trapped in the middle of any parent's nightmare, Mel plays a self-made airline mogul whose son (played by Brawley Nolte, son of actor Nick Nolte) is abducted by a close-knit group of uptight kidnappers. But when a king's ransom is demanded for the child's safe return, Mel turns the tables and offers the ransom as reward money for anyone who provides information leading to the kidnappers' arrest. Thus begins a nerve-racking battle of wills and a test of the father's conviction to carry out a plan that could cost his son's life. The boy's mother (played by Rene Russo, reunited with Gibson after Lethal Weapon 3) disapproves of her husband's life-threatening gamble, and a seasoned FBI negotiator (Delroy Lindo) is equally fearful of disaster as the search for the kidnappers intensifies. Through it all, Howard maintains a level of nail-biting tension to match Gibson's desperate ploy, and the plot twists are just clever enough to cancel out the overwrought performances and manipulative screenplay. Ransom may not be as sophisticated as its glossy production design would suggest, but it's a thriller with above-average intelligence and an emotion-driven plot that couldn't be more urgent. Adding to the intensity is a superior supporting cast including Gary Sinise, Lili Taylor, and Liev Schreiber as the kidnappers, who demonstrate that even the tightest scheme can unravel under unexpected stress. Remade from a 1956 film starring Glenn Ford, Ransom is diluted by a few too many subplots, but as a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, it's a slick and satisfying example of Hollywood entertainment. --Jeff Shannon

Ransom (1996)

 

Mel Gibson as Tom Mullen

Ransom

Actors : Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Brawley Nolte, Paul Guilfoyle, Gary Sinise

In this action-thriller, Academy Award(R)-winning superstar Mel Gibson (Best Director, BRAVEHEART, 1995) is Tom Mullen, a wealthy executive whose charmed life is suddenly shattered when his young son is abducted and held for ransom by a gang of ruthless criminals! That's when Mullen defies the experts and takes matters into his own hands ... boldly turning the tables on the kidnappers in a last-chance effort to rescue the boy! A critically acclaimed smash from Academy Award(R)-winning director Ron Howard (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, 2001) that features Rene Russo (THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR) and Gary Sinise (THE HUMAN STAIN) in an excellent supporting cast -- you'll find RANSOM pays off big with unpredictable twists and unstoppable excitement!

 

Mel Gibson as Bret Maverick - Maverick

 

Mel Gibson

 

Braveheart

Actors : Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen, James Robinson

Director/star Mel Gibson took home Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards for this historical epic about 13th-century Scottish hero William Wallace, a farmer forced into fighting the forces of England's King Edward I after they kill his father and

In his engaging audio commentary, Mel Gibson is deeply appreciative of his cast and collaborators (especially Oscar-winning cinematographer John Toll) and, of course, quite amusing when he wants to be. Gibson notes, "I fell in love a little bit" when he cast then-newcomer Catherine McCormack as William Wallace's ill-fated bride, and throughout his informative commentary, the actor-director conveys genuine passion for the story and a firm understanding of the period history that informed the entire production. The accompanying documentary, Mel Gibson's "Braveheart": A Filmmaker's Passion, is a 28-minute promotional film with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with primary cast and crew. Particularly interesting are sequences revealing the equipment required for the epic battle scenes, including air cannons for firing dozens of arrows, and costly mechanical horses created to simulate animal-related violence. Viewers will especially admire the considerable challenge of filming in Europe's rainiest region, Scotland, where inclement weather enhanced the film's gritty authenticity. --Jeff Shannon

 

 

Maverick

Actors : Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner

Inspired by the 1960s TV series that starred James Garner in the title role, this lightweight Western from 1994 proved to be a surprising box-office hit. Well, maybe not such a big surprise, since it's from the star and director of the Lethal Weapon movies, and operates with a similar combination of mainstream plotting and easygoing humor. Mel Gibson stars as card-playing gunslinger Brett Maverick, who meets up with wily gambler Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster) and a marshal named Zane Cooper (James Garner, trading his old role to Gibson) on his way to the World Series of poker in St. Louis. Maverick's trying to raise the $5,000 needed to join the high-stakes contest, but that's easier said than done due to a lot of unscrupulous competition and a twisting plot of tricks and deceptions. It's all played for laughs and action, so the movie never wears out its welcome, despite a running time that could've used a good trimming. It's also fun to see the rapport between Gibson and Garner, as if the present and former Mavericks were a kind of surrogate son and father, bonded by their mutual skill in charming and conning their way through tight spots. Director Richard Donner also pays tribute to old Westerns by casting veterans of the genre in cameo roles (including Bert Remsen, Dub Taylor, and Denver Pyle), and Gibson's Lethal Weapon costar Danny Glover pops in for a surprise appearance. None of this really adds up to much since the movie makes no pretense about taking itself seriously, but that's precisely why audiences found it so entertaining. --Jeff Shannon

 

Hollywood Mel Gibson 1992

 

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson - Hamlet 1990

 

Hamlet 1990

In Denmark, Prince Hamlet finds himself involved in a conspiracy of powerful interests within the royal palace. Cruel uncle Claudius kills his brother and takes the power of the kingdom. After an encounter with the restless ghost of his murdered father, Hamlet feigns madness and plots to take vengeance.

Bird on a Wire (1990) Starring: Mel Gibson

 

Bird on a Wire (1990)

Actors : Mel Gibson, Goldie Hawn, David Carradine, Bill Duke, Stephen Tobolowsky

Superstars Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn team up with this non-stop action-comedy directed by John Badham. Hiding under the FBI Witness Protection Program, Rick Jarmin (Gibson) gets nervous when old flame Marianne Graves (Hawn) recognizes him. But before he can assume a new identity, the man he put in jail (David Carradine) is released and comes to pay his respects. Rick and Marianne find themselves thrown together on an exhilarating cross-country scramble, barely evading the gangsters, police and an amorous veterinarian (Joan Severance). Their whirlwind travels eventually lead to an unforgettable climax in an elaborate zoo exhibit. PBS-TV calls the film "a roller coaster of a movie with hot action and wild humor! This Bird soars!"

Mel Gibson -- action hero

 

Mel Gibson

He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocalyptic action series Mad Max and as Martin Riggs in the buddy cop film series Lethal Weapon.

 

Air America 1992

Actors : Mel Gibson, Robert Downey, Jr., Nancy Travis

CIA-funded pilots hit drug traffic while flying supplies for the covert war effort in Laos.