The Negotiator

Amazon.com essential video

Although it eventually runs out of smart ideas and resorts to a typically explosive finale, this above-average thriller rises above its formulaic limitations on the strength of powerful performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey. Both play Chicago police negotiators with hotshot reputations, but when Jackson's character finds himself falsely accused of embezzling funds from a police pension fund, he's so thoroughly framed that he must take extreme measures to prove his innocence. He takes hostages in police headquarters to buy time and plan his strategy, demanding that Spacey be brought in to mediate with him as an army of cops threatens to attack, and a media circus ensues. Both negotiators know how to get into the other man's thoughts, and this intellectual showdown allows both Spacey and Jackson to ignite the screen with a burst of volatile intensity. Director F. Gary Gray is disadvantaged by an otherwise predictable screenplay, but he has a knack for building suspense and is generous to a fine supporting cast, including Paul Giamatti as one of Jackson's high-strung hostages, and the late J.T. Walsh in what would sadly be his final big-screen role. The movie should have trusted its compelling characters a little more, probing their psyches more intensely to give the suspense a deeper dramatic foundation, but it's good enough to give two great actors a chance to strut their stuff. --Jeff Shannon

Description

This film centers on a former FBI hostage negotiator who, after being framed for murder, tries to clear his name by taking several people hostage in order to uncover the guilty party.

Customer Reviews:

Solid Jackson and Spacey.......2007-08-14

This is by a far one of my favorites to pop in when I want some great acting and action. Good suspense and good story make this well worth your time. By far one of the greatest cop movies. When a few cops go bad, they try to cover up by casting dirt on a hostage negotiator portrayed by Samuel Jackson. When he realizes he is in over his head he takes hostages and calls for an outside negotiator, played by Kevin Spacey, he thinks is clean. He must then figure out a way to let Spacey in on what is going on without getting anyone killed in the process. I highly recommend purchasing this if you like police or detective movies.

Excellent movie with realistic negotiation tactics.......2007-06-08

I had seen this movie many times over the past few years, but decided to buy it to incorporate into a presentation I recently did on Crisis/Hostage Negotiation. It was the first time that I watched the movie with the intent of evaluating the accuracy of the movie's portrayal of actual negotiations. I was surprised how accurate the negotiation processes were portrayed in the movie...it matched many of the conflict communication theories I studied.

On the entertainment side, getting Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson together in the movie surely didn't hurt. Good cast, decent story line, well put together and enjoyable to watch.

One of the best action-thrillers.......2007-05-29

The Negotiator is an excellent action/thriller with 2 great performances from Kevin Spacey and Samuel Jackson. Despite being billed as an action film, this isn't your standard brainless Van Damme flick. The impression throughout the movie is tense. The best thing about the movie is the dialogue.

Both Spacey and Jackson are negotiators. Jackson is accused of murdering his partner and is determined to prove his innocence. He does a good job acting as an on the edge, almost out of control guy to the negotiators but also does a good job convincing his hostages and the audience that he is innocent. Spacey arrives almost half way thru the movie but is outstanding in his scenes. He immediately takes over the negotiations with Jackson's character from a helpless, nervous negotiator who Jackson made a complete fool of in a couple of especially good scenes.

This film made sense, and provided a good, logical ending. I wish more movies were half as good as this one. The plot twists are interesting, and not as shallow as the average film in the genre. The story is very original, and Gary Gray is in my opinion one of the most underrated directors today and deserves credit for putting this together. Fans of the genre should admire this movie, while many others can probably appreciate what it has to offer. Solid entertainment for 140 minutes.

Exciting..........2007-05-04

to the end! That is the best word to discribe this movie! Great action and drama. Perfect casting with great acting. The truth will be brought out in the end!

Too much drama.......2007-03-15

A friend told me alot about this movie and I happened to buy this movie from Wal-Mart and I watched it and it doesnt sound the same as what my friend told me about. This movie is about drama and crime and she knows I am not into drama and crime so I made her buy the DVD from me. I am not too interested in this movie.

Average customer rating:

WOW DANG ONE OF THE BEST TV DVD-MOVE FOR SHORE EVER DONE
Sheer terror on a very real level
Ransom
Where's the director's cut?
Someone Will Pay...

Ransom (Special Edition)
Starring: Mel Gibson , Rene Russo , Brawley Nolte , Gary Sinise , and Delroy Lindo
Director: Ron Howard
Manufacturer: Touchstone Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00015YVDG
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Amazon.com essential video

When it comes to ramping up to vein-bursting levels of tormented anxiety, Mel Gibson has a kind of mainstream intensity that makes him perfect for his heroic-father role in director Ron Howard's child-kidnapping thriller. When you think of Ransom, you automatically think of the scene in which Mel reaches his boiling point and yells, "Give me back my son!" to the kidnapper on the other end of several torturous phone calls. Trapped in the middle of any parent's nightmare, Mel plays a self-made airline mogul whose son (played by Brawley Nolte, son of actor Nick Nolte) is abducted by a close-knit group of uptight kidnappers. But when a king's ransom is demanded for the child's safe return, Mel turns the tables and offers the ransom as reward money for anyone who provides information leading to the kidnappers' arrest. Thus begins a nerve-racking battle of wills and a test of the father's conviction to carry out a plan that could cost his son's life. The boy's mother (played by Rene Russo, reunited with Gibson after Lethal Weapon 3) disapproves of her husband's life-threatening gamble, and a seasoned FBI negotiator (Delroy Lindo) is equally fearful of disaster as the search for the kidnappers intensifies. Through it all, Howard maintains a level of nail-biting tension to match Gibson's desperate ploy, and the plot twists are just clever enough to cancel out the overwrought performances and manipulative screenplay. Ransom may not be as sophisticated as its glossy production design would suggest, but it's a thriller with above-average intelligence and an emotion-driven plot that couldn't be more urgent. Adding to the intensity is a superior supporting cast including Gary Sinise, Lili Taylor, and Liev Schreiber as the kidnappers, who demonstrate that even the tightest scheme can unravel under unexpected stress. Remade from a 1956 film starring Glenn Ford, Ransom is diluted by a few too many subplots, but as a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, it's a slick and satisfying example of Hollywood entertainment. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In this action-thriller, Academy Award(R)-winning superstar Mel Gibson (Best Director, BRAVEHEART, 1995) is Tom Mullen, a wealthy executive whose charmed life is suddenly shattered when his young son is abducted and held for ransom by a gang of ruthless criminals! That's when Mullen defies the experts and takes matters into his own hands ... boldly turning the tables on the kidnappers in a last-chance effort to rescue the boy! A critically acclaimed smash from Academy Award(R)-winning director Ron Howard (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, 2001) that features Rene Russo (THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR) and Gary Sinise (THE HUMAN STAIN) in an excellent supporting cast -- you'll find RANSOM pays off big with unpredictable twists and unstoppable excitement!

Customer Reviews:

WOW DANG ONE OF THE BEST TV DVD-MOVE FOR SHORE EVER DONE.......2007-05-08

NOW I COULD EASYLY SAY THIS WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE GRATEST MOVE EVER MADE IN THE WORLD THAT IS SO FOR SHORE & THAT IS PUTTING IT LIGHTLY

Sheer terror on a very real level.......2007-04-18

Imagine it--losing a child in a very public place. Almost every parent knows that feeling, losing track of a son or daughter momentarily. Fear quickly erupts in your mind so intensely until they are located. This movie exploits that fragile and vulnerable feeling to the utmost extreme.

Mel Gibson and Rene Russo play the frantic parents that somehow become seperated from their son while the family is at a science fair. They grasp on to some fragments of hope until their worst fear manifests in the form of a simple email...
"I HAVE YOUR SON" a computerized voice echoes coldly into their devastated minds. You'll be fighting back tears and choking on the lump in your throat as you see the shocking images of their frightened young boy bound and gagged. The parents are completely overwhelmed as the demands are uttered over the computer.
Director Ron Howard plays with your emotions throughout this thriller. Gibson really is perfect for this role as the rich, arrogant businessman that has a questionable past he can't get away from. Russo does pretty good as his grief-stricken wife who questions her husband's judgement. Gary Sinise was dead on as the abductor. His face portrays some underlying elements of violence and mystery.
This is a well done, suspenseful story with enough turns to keep you guessing. It might shake you up a bit.

Ransom.......2006-08-15

People have lately seemed to forget that Mel Gibson is an actor. It seems that a lot of people are thinking that he's the religious writer/director of The Passion of the Christ and the recent recipient of a D.U.I. charge which has been completely overpublicized. "Ransom" is nothing new in the world of kidnap a child for money movies, but this 1994 thriller has a dream cast and a great director...And it's pretty smart too. The film stars Gibson, Rene Russo ('Big Trouble'), Delroy Lindo ('Get Shorty'), Gary Sinise ('Reindeer Games'), Lili Taylor ('Pecker'), Liev Schreiber ('The Manchurian Candidate'), and Donnie Wahlberg ('Saw II') and is directed by Oscar winner Ron Howard (Best Director, 'A Beautiful Mind'). Gibson plays Tom Mullen, the millionaire owner of a large airline; Tom has recently made a few mistakes and narrowly escaped some jail time, but is now trying to get his life back to normal. Then his son is suddenly kidnapped and the kidnappers give him the typical movie warning (in a distorted "Saw" like voice) "2 million dollars, no police." Tom's wife Kate (Russo) convinces him to call the F.B.I. and like all characters in these kind of movies...He does. Meanwhile, we get an inside look from the kidnapper's point of view. At first, it seems two brothers (Schreiber and Wahlberg) are the head of the operation and a woman named Maris (Taylor) and some other dude who's name I don't remember are just along for the ride. However, Gary Sinise shows up as Jimmy Shaker a cop who isn't all he appears to be. The movie takes a big turn however in the 2nd act, when (after a botched ransom drop) Gibson tells the kidnappers via the local news that he will not pay them 2 million dollars and instead offer it as a bounty to whoever brings the kidnappers to justice. Twists are common in ransom movies, but they're not always as smart as one like that. Lindo co-stars as the head of the F.B.I. team trying to get Tom's son back. Now this is a great example of a ransom movie, which I guess is good since the movie is called Ransom. It gets right to the point and it's never dull; All the actors are well cast in their roles, especially Sinise and Gibson who are stand-out. This is pretty different from Ron Howard's other films...If his name wasn't on the credit sequence, I wouldn't have even guessed he had directed it. Anyway, there's nothing more I can say...It's a very entertaining film, that's smart and has some good acting...See it.

GRADE: A

Where's the director's cut?.......2006-07-01

How can this be a special edition when they didn't bother to include the director's cut of the film? They released it on the Ransom laserdisc years ago with an extra 18 minutes added back into the film. With so many studios re-releasing movies left and right these days, maybe we'll see a another special edition of Ransom come out in the future...this time done right. With any luck it will include the director's cut that so many fans of the film want on DVD.

Someone Will Pay..........2006-03-28

What would you do if a child of yours was taken from you and put up for ransom? That is the question that director Ron Howard ("Apollo 13") leaves the audience to ponder in his action-thriller "Ransom", starring Mel Gibson ("Braveheart" & `Lethal Weapon' franchise), Rene Russo ("Lethal Weapon 3"), and Gary Sinise ("Forrest Gump").

"Ransom" is the story of multi-millionaire airline executive Tom Mullen (Mel Gibson), whose charmed life is flipped upside down when a gang of criminals kidnap his only son. Asking for a hefty ransom while threatening to kill the child if the family doesn't pay, Mullen and his wife (Rene Russo) choose to pay the ransom. However, due to police mistakes the ransom drop is botched, leaving Tom to wonder what will happen if he continues to rely solely on the police and the F.B.I. to solve this case and return his son to him safely. That is when this desperate father does what no one thought possible, he turns the tables on the kidnappers by placing a bounty on their heads. Now with the kidnappers on the ropes and tensions high, it's a battle against time and fate for the kidnappers to make their decision and for Mullen to get his son back alive.

This critically acclaimed box office smash had the perfect blend of action, suspense, and drama all carefully crafted by Academy Award winning director Ron Howard and his producer Brian Grazer. With outstanding performances by the entire cast, especially Mel Gibson and Gary Sinise who shine brightly in every scene, there is not a single weak moment in this entire film. With plenty of twists and turns that will keep your head spinning so that you don't know whose right and wrong, "Ransom" is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

"Ransom" is a definite must-see, it would be a huge mistake on anyone's part not to watch this movie.

"Ransom" is rated R for violence and language.

Average customer rating:

WOW DANG ONE OF THE BEST TV DVD-MOVE FOR SHORE EVER DONE
Sheer terror on a very real level
Ransom
Where's the director's cut?
Someone Will Pay...

Ransom
Starring: Mel Gibson , Rene Russo , Brawley Nolte , Gary Sinise , and Delroy Lindo
Director: Ron Howard
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6304711883
Release Date: 1997-12-03

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

WOW DANG ONE OF THE BEST TV DVD-MOVE FOR SHORE EVER DONE.......2007-05-08

NOW I COULD EASYLY SAY THIS WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE GRATEST MOVE EVER MADE IN THE WORLD THAT IS SO FOR SHORE & THAT IS PUTTING IT LIGHTLY

Sheer terror on a very real level.......2007-04-18

Ransom.......2006-08-15

Where's the director's cut?.......2006-07-01

Someone Will Pay..........2006-03-28

Average customer rating:

Intense
As Good As It Could Be
It grabbed me!
ENTERTAINING... BUT WAY OVER THE TOP!
Bruce Willis - old & grizzly?

Hostage (UMD Mini For PSP)
Starring: Kim Coates , Robert Knepper , Tina Lifford , Kevin Pollak , and Serena Scott Thomas
Director: Florent Emilio Siri
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

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Accessories:

ASIN: B0009KQOJW
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Product Description

Hostage PSP UMD Movie MODEL- 29839 VENDOR- UMD MOVIE FEATURES- Hostage PSP Movie A cop looking for a quieter way of life is thrown into the most dangerous crisis of his life in this thriller based on the novel by Robert Crais. Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) used to be a hostage negotiator with the Los Angeles Police Department, but after a standoff goes horribly wrong, Talley moves himself and his family to a small, quiet town in Ventura County, where he serves as chief of police. When three young criminals attempt to steal a car from a wealthy accountant, the situation quickly spins out of control and the thieves are trapped inside the heavily fortified home, taking the accountant and his family hostage. The FBI soon arrives on the scene, and Talley eagerly hands over the situation to them, but when Talley unexpectedly finds himself in telephone contact with one of the children inside, he begins to suspect that the feds are out of their depth. After hes approached by a masked stranger who has an agenda of his own, Talley is forced to decide if he should protect the safety of the family in the house or his own wife and kids. Hostage was the first English-language film from director Florent Emilio Siri. -- SPECIFICATIONs ----------------------------------- MPAA Rating : R Genre : Action Thriller Theatrical Date : 2005 Run Time : 113 minutes Distributor/Studio: Miramax a http://sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start;sid=IM9RrHcFL1dR2jXO_2BbpzgIdMk_PW5NJS4=?CategoryName=umdandDept=moviesmusic#"target="_bl

Amazon.com

You get two hostage crises for the price of one in Hostage, an overwrought but otherwise involving thriller grounded by Bruce Willis's solid lead performance. Making a dramatic pit-stop on his way to Die Hard 4, Willis plays a traumatized former Los Angeles hostage negotiator, now working as a nearly-divorced police chief in sleepy Ventura County, California. Willis suddenly finds himself amidst two potentially deadly stand-offs when a trio of hapless teenagers seize hostages in the fortress-like home of an accountant (Kevin Pollack) whose connections to organized crime result in Willis struggling to rescue his estranged wife and daughter, who are being held hostage by faceless thugs at an undisclosed location. Having directed two of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell video games, director Florent Siri brings plenty of slick, competent filmmaking to Willis's desperate dilemma, and the film boasts a gritty, graphic style that draws attention away from implausible plot twists. The bothersome, over-the-top performances by the teenaged villains also slightly compromise this gloomy but emotionally gripping adaptation of Robert Crais's novel, named as one of Amazon.com's best books of 2001. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Intense.......2007-07-29

First I'll start with the obvious. This movie is action-packed and is filled with all the tension of a good thriller almost from the word go. There's plenty of guns and explosions and blood for the action movie fan. However, what I think makes this movie better than the average action movie is the performances. First of all, Ben Foster does a fabulous job as Mars Krupcheck. This guy gave me the creeps more than any horror movie killer has ever done. Finally, Bruce Willis. Now, I know he is known for his action/comedy work, but, in this movie, he gives maybe his most emotional performance to date. The hurt is written plainly on his face as he deals with becoming involved, once again, in a complicated and violent hostage negotiation (which he tried to leave behind after he lost a little boy a year before the action takes place). He has all the passion and anger of a typical action hero when need be, but there are also quiet moments when he needs to show his character's sadness and despair. In these moments, his performance really touched my heart. I won't give too many specifics, so as not to ruin any surprises along the way, but Willis really impressed me in this one. It is these performances that make this movie stand out for me. In short, this is a good movie for anyone who enjoys action films, but also for anyone who really loves to see a movie that is just plain good.

As Good As It Could Be.......2007-04-19

Nearly sunk by some extraordinarily bad casting and acting, HOSTAGE maintains enough momentum to sail over its problems, but it's a close shave. I like Robert Crais' novels, but when they get filmed all the life goes out of them and the coincidences seem to assume huge, blatant outlines, as though highlighted by Sharpies. Bruce Willis is fine as the hostage specialist who burns out after one excruciating standoff during which a child hostage gets killed. Of course you know that, years later, and still haunted by his failure, and even though he's moved himself miles and miles from any stressful urban situations, somehow he's going to find himself right back in the thick of another, even worse, hostage crisis. In this kind of picture, that's part of the formula. "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!"

The problem is that all the children in the movie, and the young people in general, are terrible at acting. I know there are good young actors out there. I know this in my heart, just as I know that Rumer Willis is not one of them! Wooden isn't the word. She's heroic the same way Sofia Coppola was in The Godfather III. Rumer plays Bruce's rebellious daughter in this one, not a stretch you might think but she looks like she's suffering the tortures of the damned. And she spends most of the movie in bondage as it happens, gee thanks Dad. Yet she's Sarah Bernhardt compared to the three punks who take a suburban mansion hostage, and the brother and sister they imprison. They are all terrible and nearly ruin the show. Ben Foster, sometimes very good, here sinks his own career with a series of acting "decisions" which belong in the Clunker Hall of Fame. If he lives another three or four years, he will look back on this, the folly of his youth, with fists rubbing his eyes, as though he can't believe he was the same person. A twelve step program might help, but is there one for "Ham Anonymous"?

Now all the Ben Foster fanboys and girls will come down on me like the plague Hilary Swank fights in THE REAPING, but the truth is the truth and what Ben Foster does here is an insult to the very reels of film that captured his performance in.

It was nice to see Serena Scott Thomas as Bruce Willis's wife. If her casting follows its usual pattern, they must have offered the script to her sister, Kristin Scott Thomas, who then shuddered and rolled it sideways and sent it whooshing down the pneumatic tube to sister Serena. Yeah thanks Sis.

It grabbed me!.......2007-03-31

I didn't think it was possible, but I've finally found a film that gave me Stockholm Syndrome in reverse.

ENTERTAINING... BUT WAY OVER THE TOP!.......2007-03-26

I like Bruce Willis and that is probably why I watched this film. It's an OK popcorn muncher that is entertaining, just don't think about it too long afterwards. I have seen much worse,so if you like action movies this is worth a look.

Bruce Willis - old & grizzly? .......2007-02-22

The start of this will shock any potential lovers of Bruce Willis. (Me.) He looks out of shape (deliberate?), long GREY haired, and with a grey beard, just to round things off. The clothing is awful too, all baggy, but it has to be deliberate, as by the end of the movie, he's buff, shaved, and wearing tight t-shirts. Oh, and a topless scene too. Woohoo! Is that a real tattoo?

This is a very character driven movie, which I was surprised at, and definitely wasn't expecting. I was thinking that if it didn't have Bruce, it could have turned into a straight-to-DVD movie that you get from the bargain bins. Having Bruce makes it worth watching (and more), and also a script that could have been the next Die Hard script does give it potential.

The story goes like this: Bruce is now a small town police guy, who works on the policy of No Crime Tuesdays (or No Crime Week if you would prefer). He's hiding from his past, and is happy living the quiet life, although his wife and daughter aren't. (Look out for Bruce's real life oldest daughter, Rumer, playing his daughter in this. She's her mother's double, but with her father's jawline. Blink, and you WILL miss her, which shows having two of the biggest parents in showbiz does not bring you instant movie roles.)

Three guys are across the other side of town, thinking about stealing a car. Two brothers, one good, the other a wannabe gangster, are with the ultimate bad boy, black wearing, scene stealing, Ben Foster.

A father, daughter, and son, are in witness protection, in a house straight out of Panic Room, in fact it is one big Panic Room. The dad is a small time criminal, the daughter wants to go out, (wearing more than what I wear when I go out and no one stops me!), her father wants her to change, and the son just wants some peace. The three bad boys break in, intent on stealing the car, but get interrupted by the family, and sidetracked by an open safe full of cash, and it escalates from there.

There's another set of bad guys, who are linked to the father, and when they find out Bruce is involved, kidnap his family. A small storyline, but still an important one.

As I've already mentioned, Ben Foster steals every scene, and is well worth watching in this. He plays a cold hearted, evil character here, with black clothes, black hair, and very cold eyes. The character is very well developed, but not overly developed. His back story is a mystery to begin with, but piece by piece, you learn a bit more about the character. I said to my dad afterwards, that his whole character, the way he carried himself, especially the final scene, reminded me of The Crow, and particularly the late Brandon Lee. His final scene is something that will stick in my head for a good long time (I'm surprised I didn't have nightmares, without giving too much away). All his evil and emotion are portrayed vividly through his eyes, and he has the potential to be a really, really good actor.

The whole hostage situation, and the negotiation tactics are what keeps this film going. Normally some finales leave some loose ends, but this film ties them up magnificentally, although the unidentified masked men (the second group of bad guys) does seem a little too convenient, with their motives going unexplained.

I did enjoy this movie, and I can't wait to see more of Ben Foster, and it's well worth picking up for cheap. But I will warn you, you won't be able to forget Ben Foster's final scene.

Average customer rating:

Interesting, but definitely a made-for-TV movie
VERY REAL... IN EVERY DETAIL!!!
Good movie - sad story
considering i was ther
Prinze and Schroder deliver amazing performances

Hostage High
Starring: Rick Schroder , Freddie Prinze Jr. , Katie Wright , Alexis Cruz , and Patrick Malone
Director: Michael W. Watkins
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005N5QX
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Description

In the vein of "187" and "The Substitute" comes this explosive thriller based on a true story. While students at a local high school prepare for the annual prom and graduation, a tense game of wits develops when Jason Copeland (Rick Schroder), a former student with a grudge, plans to take over the school. Only through the courage of one student, Aaron Sullivan (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) and police negotiator, Skip Fine (Henry Winkler), do the students stand a chance in this edge-of-your-seat thriller!

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but definitely a made-for-TV movie.......2007-02-23

I was one of the real-life hostages, so I bought the movie as soon as I heard about it. I knew it was a made for TV movie, so I wasn't expecting Oscar quality. I realize this is only "based on" a true story, so they have some artistic license, but they definitely did not capture the mood of the real-life events. It is much more like a mash up of the real event and a 12 year old's pizza party, which I found insulting. We did crack jokes and try to lighten the mood, but that is something you have to do in order to deal with having a gun pointed at you all the time. I blame the direction. All of that aside, the movie was interesting to watch, even as a watered-down version of the events and I think it would be a good conversation starter for parents and their children. I also give Henry Winkler a hair comb and two thumbs up. "ehhhhh"

VERY REAL... IN EVERY DETAIL!!!.......2006-07-16

I was a senior at Lindhurst High School the day of the shooting in 1992, and this movie, which the story was based, has done its homework. There is not a day that goes by that I am not, in some way, reminded or affected by the horrific events of that May 1 day. I was 19 at the time of the shooting when I lost my first period teacher, which this film portrays. He was more like a lifelong family friend than just my Civics Instructor. He was a true mentor to me and an inspiration to everyone who knew him. He will continue to be missed and never forgotten. This true-to-life epic recaptures the raw terror and horror of the siege. I very highly recommend this movie to everyone.

Good movie - sad story.......2005-01-08

I saw this movie when it first came out, but it was called "Detention: Seige at Johnson High". i recorded it but it has since been ruined. I was also there that day, although i was not in the same building. I was friends with alot of the people that got shot, and with some of the people that were held hostage. as a matter of fact, Beamon was supposed to call me that day after school. but thats all im going to say about that because i dont want to scare my kids by breaking down right now. Johnny...i never knew that you were the one. i cant even imagine how your life has been since that day. i dont think ive even talked to you since just after it all. email me some time... yeah_baby_its_wicked_@msn.com
anyone else that went to school with us can email me also.

considering i was ther.......2004-07-30

I have saw this film and it is a good one but the problem is i was one of the real hosteges and the movie is close enough to dreg up alotta memmorys i have tryed to for get i lost alotta good frends that day wich for their sake i will not say and my child hood to boot but to tell ya the truth if it is to be tolde it should be told the way it really went but for vewing sake good job all in all i just wish i would have known about this when it was being mad this is dedicated to all my frends and teachers who lived this nightmire with me i love all of ya ....forever in my thoughts... John M

Prinze and Schroder deliver amazing performances.......2003-10-23

I was impressed with the leads and this is a movie based on actual happenings. Prinze in one of his better roles and Schroder has never been better. the school shooting footage themselves might disturb a lot of viewers and it puts thoughts in your mind. Schroder is electric as the kid who was once a student at the school, comes back. Henry Winkler is great also as the police chief. powerful, violent to the extreme and a shcoking end that will leave you hanging.

Yugo the Negotiator, Vol. 1: Pakistan, Vol. 1

Average customer rating:

Not too bad, not too good
Who needs giant robots?
HOSTAGE SITUATION
Fascinating...

Yugo the Negotiator, Vol. 1: Pakistan, Vol. 1
Starring: Yugo the Negotiator
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000929V9U
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Amazon.com

The 2004 broadcast series Yugo the Negotiator is based on the long-running manga Yugo by Shinji Makari and Shuu Akana. Yugo Beppu will travel anywhere to resolve a crisis peacefully. He's polite to Third World informants, gallant to mistreated women, and impervious to pain. When a tearful girl begs him to free her father from the guerilla band that's holding him for ransom in Pakistan, Yugo accepts, even though he won't earn much. Neither Yusuf Ali Mesa's guerillas nor the Pakistani army want the freelance negotiator involved: they both beat the sushi out of Yugo. Although the storyline feels depressingly contemporary, Yugo plays like a retread of numerous anime adventures. The extras include very brief interviews with some of the Japanese artists, and a rambling discussion with a Pakistani consultant. Despite the work of the consultant, the script refers to Mera's crew as "dacoits," who were 19th-century robbers, not guerillas. (Rated TV 14 VL, suitable for ages 15 and older: violence, violence against women, sexual situations, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Description

Beppu Yugo is one of the world's finest private negotiators. His mastery of multiple languages, psychology, and his iron will set him apart from others in his trade. He has a proven track record of successful negotiations in tense situations where most others fail. Now the negotiator's skills will be put to the ultimate test as he goes up against fundamentalist terrorists in Pakistan.

Customer Reviews:

Not too bad, not too good.......2007-06-17

Yugo is a fairly decent anime for the time being. It brings something a little new. Use brains and trust to workout a situation, as oppose to guns blazing starring the [...] who can dodge every bullet and escape every trap known to man. The plot is very straightforward; Yugo is hired to negotiate a hostage situation. However he has to earn the trust of the kidnapper or he'll be killed on the spot. The character development is shaping up pretty well and Yugo isn't too bright(as you will soon see) when it comes down to actually having to fight the opposition.

The animation is decent. I really don't care for the soundtrack. The shortcomings for me is. Very little action and most of the characters are uninteresting for the most part. To include there's only 3 episodes on the DVD which I think is BS. I'm very happy I got this for only 3 bucks. Otherwise I would've been p*ssed. If your looking for excessive gore and shootouts, you won't find it in this volume. There is very little action but mostly character development on the part of Yugo, and the man he has to reason with.

Yugo the Negotiator may appeal to some, but it hasn't appeal to me. The characters and the story so far is very uninteresting to me. And due to the amount of episodes on the DVD I won't be continuing any further with this one.

Who needs giant robots?.......2006-10-03

This is a gritty series about a tough-as-nails negotiator with a heart of gold. Yugo has an incredible tolerance for pain and an indomitable will. He is willing to suffer incredibly in order to carry out his assignments, and often, his motives are compassionate rather than greedy or even idealistic. With a hero like him, who needs giant robots? The contemporary settings and villains who, despite their evil, do have their own kind of honor combine with the central character to make this a fascinating series. I wish the manga series would get translated into English (hint, hint).

HOSTAGE SITUATION.......2006-07-27

Yugo the Negotiator is a critically acclaimed show that follows the adventures of Yugo Beppu, a professional negotiator from Japan who is called in during crisis situations all over the world. He doesn't do it for the thrill though. He's trying to save lives, and make up for a botched negotiation years ago in which someone close to him died. His newest mission is to negotiate for the release of Japanese businessman taken hostage by Pakistani religious rebels. One negotiator has already been killed, probably due to his involvement with the Pakistani military, which was seen as a betrayal by the rebel leader. Realizing the danger, Yugo takes the case anyway, after the hostage's daughter pleads with him to save her father's life. So it's off to Pakistan where Yugo hopes to get the help of one of the last surviving Muslim clerics that knows where to find the rebel leader.

Yugo has a VERY slow pace compared to other anime, which isn't neccesarily a bad thing. Volume 1 plays more like the first hour of a two hour movie. While the show prides itself on its accuracy of its depiction of Pakistan, it's a little disconcerting that everybody there talks Japanese! And I think Yugo would stand out a bit more as he travels through the country since he's the only Japanese guy in a land of Pakistanis. The show does a reasonable job of handling the rising action and buildup to the real payoff next volume. It is a welcome break from typical anime with its focus on realism and character development.

Fascinating..........2005-07-10

I run the anime club at my local college, and we are part of ADV's ADVocates program, where they send us free DVDs and promotional material before being released to the public. The latest DVD they sent us contained the first two episodes of this series, and it looks quite good.

A hostage has been taken by a fanatical anti-government organization in Pakistan, and negotiations are falling apart. The daughter of the hostage, Mayuko, has decided to hire professional negotiator Yugo Beppo. An expert in the field and armed with many allies and his own expertise, he sets out to Pakistan to try to save the hostage's life...and from the previews and these two episodes, he'll go to any lengths to do so.

This series seems freshly realistic. The animation style is cool, the characters are enjoyable, and the story is addicting (like most animes) and keeps you wanting to see more. I can tell this one is going to be fairly good.

Content-wise, its a bit bloody and violent, and some mature themes are present, but this is what makes the series more realistic. It doesn't try to hide the nature of the beast...what you see is what you get...and I find that works very well.

As always, ADV does a very professional job dubbing this series. I'm no expert in telling the difference of accents in Japanese, but in English they work well. Based on their catalog release, there will be 4 total DVDs.

If you're looking for something original, fresh, and realistic, you'll like this. As ADV says, this series goes to show how many genres anime can cover. I recommend checking this one out for yourselves

Yugo the Negotiator: Complete Collection (3pc)

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Yugo the Negotiator: Complete Collection (3pc)
Starring: Yugo the Negotiator
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Anime & Manga | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000UP87WS
Release Date: 2007-10-02

Description

A hostage has been taken in Pakistan; the chances of his survival are slim to none. Yugo Beppu, the world's leading private negotiator, is called to the scene by the hostage's daughter to deal with a fierce anti-government faction. Walking a dangerous line between the powerful military and ruthless guerrillas, it will take more than words for Yugo to survive in the blazing desert.

Dangerous Missions - Hostage Negotiators (History Channel)

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Dangerous Missions - Hostage Negotiators (History Channel)

Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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American Justice - The Hostage Takers

ASIN: B000FKP0ZU
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Description

Still a relatively new concept, hostage negotiators have found themselves portrayed as the heroes of movies and subjects of folklore. We'll uncover the everyday challenges of these men and women who use words against weapons as they fight for the life of innocent bystanders in incidents ranging from politically charged stand-offs to violent domestic disputes.

Yugo the Negotiator, Vol. 2: Pakistan, Vol. 2 - Honor

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MEETING YUSUF

Yugo the Negotiator, Vol. 2: Pakistan, Vol. 2 - Honor
Starring: Yugo the Negotiator
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000ADKWLO
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Description

Yugo's negotiations in Pakistan are off to a rocky start as he is captured by the anti-government dacoits as a prisoner, rather than received as an emissary. Sentenced to roast in the sun, he must survive gruesome torture to prove his worth as a hero to the fearsome dacoit leader, Yusuf Ali Mesa. To make matters worse, bloodthirsty Lieutenant Colonel Shadle from the Pakistani Army is hunting Yugo down at every turn to stop the negotiations and wipe out the dacoits. In a war of words, mind and military might Yugo must show his adversaries what a true hero is made of in the dramatic conclusion to Yugo's negotiation in Pakistan.

Customer Reviews:

MEETING YUSUF.......2006-09-04

Yugo has finally found the remote Pakistani village where Iwase, the Japanese hostage, is being held, but the rebel leader, Yusuf Ali Mesa, refuses to meet with Yugo and instead sets out to torture our hero, or more likely, to cause his death, by chaining him to an altar-like rock in the blazing desert sun. You see, Yusuf only negotiates with "heroes", so he has a whole list of sadistic trials that any would-be negotiator has to endure just to meet with him! Even if he gets Iwase in a position to be released, Yugo still has to find a way to get the ransom money to Yusuf and get Iwase out of the country. You would think that the Pakistani government would be doing all it could to HELP this process, but the military commander, Shadle, wants to kill the rebel forces, and is willing to cause the death of two Japanese to do it!

Volume 2 was well-done if a bit overcooked at times. The torture sessions lasted a little too long in my eyes and bordered on the unbelievable at some moments such as when Yugo plunges a knife into his arm without showing any pain and shows no loss of motion in it afterwards. Yusuf and Shadle seem like two sides of the same coin playing with madness and come out as caricatures because of it. What I liked about both volumes that I have watched so far is the slow pace of the first 6 episodes which play more as an action suspense film instead of an anime.

Yugo the Negotiator, Vol. 3: Russia Vol. 1 - Legacy

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Things Heat up in the Cold

Yugo the Negotiator, Vol. 3: Russia Vol. 1 - Legacy
Starring: Yugo the Negotiator-Russia 1-Legacy
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000C1VAYM
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Description

No giant robots. No high school vixens. Just a professional hostage negotiator whose job takes him to hot spots around the world. In the third installment, Yugo's work takes him to Russia, where his negotiating skills will be put to the test!

Customer Reviews:

Things Heat up in the Cold.......2006-03-25

This disc starts the second arc of the Yugo series (the first two DVDs are the Pakistan story arc). Yugo, a professional negotiator, is hired by a Russian expat in Japan to negotiate the release of a relative of his in Siberia. His family was broken up during the Russian revolution because they were connected to the Tsar. Of course, once Yugi arrives in Russia the plot thickens, and it turns out his client actually wanted to rescue his relative because she holds a ring that, when matched with one of his own, tells the location of a large sum of gold "lost" in the revolution. Add the Russian intellignce sevice, who also wants the gold, several everyday Russians who want to help Yugi for various reasons, and the cold climate of Sibera, and the story arc becomes riveting.

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