It is a story in 1983, when a group of childhood friends set out from the dangerous crime of the century. During this period, one of the richest men in the world, heir to the Heineken Empire in that period, was kidnapped. The kidnapping seemed to be horrific as criminals attempted to obtain the largest ransom ever for a kidnapped individual. It was truly the ultimate crime in history.
The true story of Freddy Heineken's kidnapping is fascinating, but "Kidnapping Mr. Heineken" is a disappointingly superficial film in which neither the kidnappers nor their captives are particularly interesting.
Rip It Up
December 21, 2015
While the ransom paid was the largest ever, the stakes never seem as high as they should be.
Cairo360
June 02, 2016
It's far from perfect, but Kidnapping Mr. Heineken still proves to be a generally likable and engaging small-time thriller, regardless of its imperfections.
Not only is Hopkins's Freddy incomparably more charismatic than any of his captors, he's the only one who, weirdly enough, seems to be enjoying the ordeal. But maybe that's simply a matter of pay scale.
It fails to accentuate the peculiarities of its from-the-headlines tale and instead turns itself into a rather generic and predictable kidnapping thriller.
Hopkins in captivity is always fascinating. He is not Hannibal Lecter-dangerous here, but as a stubborn captive in chains, he is still a defanged alpha male worth watching. If only we were allowed to see more of him.
