Back in the early 1980s, Freddy Heineken, one of the richest men in the Netherlands and the head of Heineken International, was kidnapped along with his driver. Eventually, one of the largest ransoms ever was paid for his release. This film is about the kidnapping from the point of view of the crooks as well as its aftermath. This is interesting because you never see or hear anything about the police investigation--you only see the police when they are pouncing on the criminals at the end of the film. This all sounds very exciting....so why was I left so unaffected by the film? It is competently made but also rather ordinary.

On the positive side, the music is really, really nice. It provides a taut atmosphere and some of the action sequences were very nice. Oddly, the most exciting moment in the film occurs early in the movie--well before the actual kidnapping. In order to raise funds to pull off the kidnapping, the gang knocks over a bank--and it's exactly what I assumed the rest of the film would be like. However, sadly, after this the kidnapping seemed a bit anticlimactic and the film just seems to descend into a state of adequacy and nothing more. I think much of it is because I never felt particularly connected with the kidnappers and the tension just seemed to dissipate until the relatively exciting finale. The bottom line is that this would be a decent film to rent, but I couldn't see heading to the theaters for this one.

By the way, although the film is about Dutch kidnappers, everyone in the film was British! They sounded very British and although it was filmed in the Netherlands, it seemed more like a British gang there on holiday. The same story is told, incidentally, in a Dutch language film (The Heineken Kidnapping) starring Rutger Hauer as Freddy Heineken. In this British version, the filmmakers were able to secure the talents of Anthony Hopkins to play this beer baron.

Kidnapping Freddy Heineken certainly lacks fizzle telling a true story set in Amsterdam in 1983. A group of friends who are builders fallen on hard times are turned down for a bank loan and decide on an outrageous plan to kidnap the head of the Heineken beer group.

They take Freddie Heineken (Anthony Hopkins) and his driver holding them hostage in specially built cells and issuing a massive ransom demand. The ransom is delivered but then their problems begins. The getaway with the money is not meticulously planned and their lack of experience as criminals backfires on them such as the desire to phone loved ones or feeling guilty about the crime.

Hopkins delivers a glorified cameo and like a wounded lion, shouts and screams with random outbursts and demands Chinese food, music and books. He is also worried that his chauffeur also being held in the next room is expendable.

The rest of the actors, Sam Worthington, Jim Sturgess put in bland performances because the script is so flat. Worthington does have one scene in a dress for some weird reason.

Director Daniel Alfredson directs with a lack of verve and urgency. The film does have one sequence of a car chase in Amsterdam which is impressive as they not only had to clear out all the tourists and install period details of the early 1980s. It would had been better such effort had been expended on the rest of the movie.

The film is based on a true story. In 1982 Amsterdam, A group of out of work construction workers, who have experienced the good life, are desperate for money. Their idea is to kidnap Freddy Heineken for ransom.

The film takes about 30 minutes until the kidnapping, establishing background and minor chracter build up. At this point the film becomes a drama about kidnappers buyers' angst. The action was sparse and not spectacular. Oh, there was a car chase and some gun fire.

This film opens with Freddy Heineken (Anthony Hopkins) talking, giving me Hannibal flashbacks. In fact that was all I could think about as where this film goes in the Hannibal chronology until he was off screen.

This is at times a boring crime drama.

Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.