Sex: Not too much
Violence: Lots too much (unless you like that kind of thing)
Children: No way!
Main message: Love your family and do the smart thing in the long run even though it seems wrong in the short run. (Then pray because you might be wrong, after all.)

Okay, so it's not the most profound video you'll curl up to watch on a cold winter night. But, like a good action book, it will be hard to "put down".

Ransom is the story of a wealthy airline owner, Tom Mullen (Mel Gibson), his wife Kate (Rene Russo) and their ten-year-old son, Sean. Sean, played by Brawley Nolte (Nick's son), is kidnapped early on in the movie by a couple of criminals, a corrupt cop and a caterer who looks like she's on drugs.

One of the criminals is a guy with a soft heart, who in his world, the movie proves, finishes last. The evil cop and the caterer seem to have the kind of romantic (?) relationship that keeps psychiatrists in business.

Tom Mullen is willing to pay a lot more than the $2 million the kidnappers ask for, but he realizes with cruel foresight that they will never return his son alive. He therefore pulls a stunt that shocks and alienates his wife, the FBI guy helping them out and most of the public.

Naturally, anyone who grew up in the (relatively) innocent 60's of the Andy Griffith era will appreciate the fact that the director, Ron Howard, who played Andy's son Opie, is about the same age as the kidnapped Sean. My, what a long way the civilized world has come.

Ransom is about loving your family, about willingness to take a risk in the short run to keep your child alive in the long run, about the "haves" and "have nots", about politically correct bribes and those that are not (that part is never too well developed) and about married partners trying to trust each other and hang together through the cruelest hardship of all. It is also about being smart, willing to take risks, knowing how to interpret the terrified eyes of your son and being able to handle a gun well.

No, not profound, but the script is fairly good, the acting is okay and the main surface message - not to give in to kidnappers, especially when you think it won't help anyway - is somewhat logical. It's a shame the characters weren't better developed but, hey, if it's sensitivity you want, there's always The Piano.

Bottom line: It's a good watch. When you stick Ransom in the VCR, unplug your phone.

Just be sure the kids are safely tucked in first.

Please share your thoughts with us at our Film Board.