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Kidnapping Mr. Heineken
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fact-based thriller lacks spark; some violence, language.
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Kidnapping Mr. Heineken
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What's the Story?
In 1983 in the Netherlands, five friends led by soon-to-be brothers-in-law Cor Van Hout (Jim Sturgess) and Willem Holleeder (Sam Worthington) attempt to get a legitimate bank loan to start a business but are turned down. Looking for a significant source of income, they hit on a plan to kidnap the country's richest person, beer king Freddy Heineken (Anthony Hopkins), and demand a huge ransom. After meticulous planning, they pull off the job, grabbing Heineken and his chauffeur, and settle in waiting for the money to come in. But the weeks roll by, and nerves become increasingly frayed. Finally the payoff comes, and it's huge; but can they get away with it and still remain friends?
Is It Any Good?
There's no real suspense in this film. Daniel Alfredson, who directed the second and third films in the hit Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, should be familiar with complex crime films -- but even though truth is often stranger than fiction, KIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN doesn't spark to life. We know going in that this case involved the highest ransom ever paid at the time, so we can guess what the outcome of the story is.
That, plus the details of the kidnapping aren't quite as nutty or as inventive as a fiction film might have been. The tensest moment comes when the kidnappers realize they left the ransom note on a copy machine; they retrieve it, and everything's OK. The characters never feel alive, and we're not even sure how they know each other. In their roles, Sturgess and Worthington can only give middling performances. But Hopkins is entertaining in brief spurts as the chatty victim.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Kidnapping Mr. Heineken's violence. Is it necessary to the story? Are the characters to be admired for avoiding violence when they can?
Does Heineken seem like a real-life role model, a self-made billionaire? Does he have wisdom to share? Does his product (beer) affect who he is?
Do you agree with the idea that you can be rich with friends or rich with money, but not both? How or why?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 6, 2015
- On DVD or streaming: April 14, 2015
- Cast: Jim Sturgess , Anthony Hopkins , Sam Worthington
- Director: Daniel Alfredson
- Studio: Alchemy
- Genre: Thriller
- Run time: 95 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language throughout
- Last updated: October 7, 2022
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