Un chenapan au Far-West

This is the typical TV movie. You can tell from its budget, from its look, from its minimalism...

Seriously, this movie is nothing (and I mean, nothing) special. Although very far from being good, it does offer some fun to its audiences, particularly by Haley Joel Osment (he really is the one who steals the show). This was before Haley got widely known. Even in his early years he already possessed great potential for dramatic roles ('Bogus' is one good example of that) and he is better known for his acting skills in drama rather than in comedy. However, in this TV movie he is hilarious (I never thought I'd say this about him one day), particularly anytime he mimics indians and calls himself Red Chief. Not just that, he is way funnier than gloomy in this movie. This is the living proof that Haley could do comedy as well as he could do drama.

As a movie, it actually deserved a 5 rating, but I gave it a 6 as a gratitude gesture over Haley's fantastic performance in an unusual role for him.

I saw this movie in Language Arts and it's a well acted, well written, generally funny. There are some very corny cliché' jokes at the beginning (bad guys falling into mud, been there, done that). It's based on O Henry and of course the storyline and especially the ending is fantastic (he is famous for those ironic twist endings, like THE GIFT OF THE MAGI. Girl sells hair to buy husband chain for watch but husband sold watch to buy girl combs. Classic.) This film does have some great jokes and really surprisingly great acting. I was surprised to find out this was only a TV movie! The plot basically is that a troublemaking little boy is kidnapped by two bad guys (your average bumbling, kinda stupid, yet nice,) trying to make some money when their recent purchase of a mine fails. Since the boy is a trouble maker so, naturally, the parents don't believe him at first. I can't spoil the ending now can I?

You walk into class, and your teacher states that you would be watching short stories that were developed into movies over the next couple of weeks. Your response: Yippe (in a sarcastic way). You finally get to 'Ransom of Red Chief' and it already sounds boring. This happened to me. I didn't really start paying attention until some of my classmates started giggling. Actually, nobody was watching it until it appeared to be a great movie. It was a comedy, about two guys trying to make a quick buck. They had this master mind plan about raising money by kidnapping a man by the name of Ebenezer Dorset's little boy. One would think that the boy, AKA Red Chief would get hurt, but it was the criminals who did. At the end our sides were split listening to it! Have fun with it, and believe me when I say that it is worth while.

I read this story when I was in seventh grade, and was happy to see this television movie. It flowed nicely with the actual story, and I did not have one complaint. For anyone who has ever wanted to watch or read a family oriented piece, 'Ransom of Red Chief' is a good one.

I thought this movie was indeed a little bland at points, but overall it's a good movie to watch, sitting at home with your family, and gives a sense of warmth into the picture. I have always liked Christopher Lloyd (Back to The Future, Dennis The Menace, etc.) and I feel that he has done well in this movie. Haley Joel Osment (I'll Remember April, The Sixth Sense, Forrest Gump etc.) has always been one of my favourite child-actors, (next to Trevor Morgan of course), and does an explicitly wonderful job. I can admit, maybe he was a little too soft and, the little boy he played, is anything but nice. A dastardly, mischievous, little wretch, who enjoys nothing more than breaking the rules, (and no, no-one imagined Alex Linz playing the role of the little boy in a previous movie, he did, and played the role with much more trouble in him) but, I can say, that I did enjoy this movie immensely. And so did my kids, sat through it and watched it the whole way through without any interruptions. (Which is actually quite of a miracle, because usually all they enjoy watching is cartoons and The Disney Channel). I say well done, apart from the mishaps, and unfortunate casting in some parts (that I won't mention) a feel-good movie that I enjoyed, and would watch again! Also, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a little mischief, and also, quite some feeling.