The Kidnapping of the President

This movie looked like it was rushed to release for some reason. Definitely not a well made movie. So unbelievable. The scenes where the President (Holbrook) were downtown and walking among the people were a farce. There would not be a chance for the common folk to be within 30 yards of the President in that situation in real life. If it wasn't for the blood and profanity, this was shot like a TV movie. It could have been decent if it was done differently. Holbrook's (President) talents were never realized in this movie. Shatner's acting is okay. The production values in this movie leave a lot to be desired. Overall, I think most people would be better off not wasting time to watch this affair.

I really wanted to hate this movie. William Shatner has played in some real turkeys, 'Big Bad Mama' being a prime example. However, there was something about this film that I really liked. Maybe it was WS looking all natty and noble in his navy blue suit and trench coat. Or the idea of Van Johnson as the vice president, married to Ava Gardner -- oh, what a casting fiasco that was! Or Hal Holbrook being presidential yet once again. Or the fact that this was a Canadian film actually shot on location in Toronto (starring my favorite guy from north-of-the-border). The story wasn't too bad, the acting wasn't too horrible. And did I mention how cute Shatner looked?

At the very least The Kidnapping Of The President should discourage Barack Obama or Mitt Romney against foreign travel. Even in a country like Canada with close cooperation between governments, there's still a turf war over security.

And some security President Hal Holbrook had. A Che Guevara wannabe Miguel Fernandes wires himself with explosives and handcuffs himself to Holbrook while he's visiting Toronto. Great crowd control from the RCMP. He demands one hundred million dollars in diamonds or he and a confederate who lock Holbrook in an armored vehicle will blow it up.

There are a couple of side issues in this film. Fernandes has the sister of a former comrade whom he killed convinced that it was those no good Yankee capitalists that did Cindy Girling's sister. Secondly President Holbrook before leaving for Toronto confronts Vice President Van Johnson about some indiscretions that were never fully explained and wants him off the ticket. Now Johnson is the guy who is making the command decisions from the White House about the ransom money and of course Holbrook's life.

William Shatner is the Secret Service agent in charge and he does one colossal breach of stupidity during the crisis that I'm still reeling over. I can't say what it is, but no Secret Service agent would do it or for that matter any law enforcement person.

The Kidnapping Of The President is a rather mediocre product from Canada and I'd skip it.

Latin American terrorists abduct the President of the United States while he is on a state trip in Toronto. The Secret Service have to devise a plan to get him back alive.

This Canadian political thriller features Captain Kirk - I mean William Shatner - in a starring role as the head of the American Secret Service. It's always kind of fun watching him in contemporary roles and in this one he even gets to utter an f-bomb which was a bonus. He's pretty good value here and the main reason I am guessing anyone would actively seek this one out. Starring alongside him is one of those reliable 70's stalwarts, Hal Holbrook, who gets to play the President. The film itself really starts out pretty well and by the half-way point it has set in motion a pretty intriguing scenario. It would only be fair to say though that in the second half it kind of peters out a bit and the varied action and events of the set-up culminate with a situation that can best be described as a man in a van. Still, it ultimately is decent enough fare and the Toronto setting I quite liked. It certainly had the potential to be better though.

Starring William Shatner as a Secret Service agent, the President is successfully kidnapped and the search for him and the kidnappers is on. A decent film, far better than Vantage Point which had a similar idea behind it, the acting and pacing are decent as is the ending. Worth seeing if it were ever on.