Kidnapped

When you're adapting a story by Robert Louis Stevenson, you're more than likely taking on a project that requires a large scope and skill behind the camera to pivot from sweeping, large-scale drama to intimate, small-scale drama at a moment's notice. Such is one of the many burdens that Delbert Mann's 1971 "Kidnapped" struggles to shoulder. With a great-looking new 2K master from Kino Lorber and Blu-ray release from their Studio Classics label, the Michael Caine gem and its few failings are up on display for a new generation of viewers to access.

Based on both Robert Louis Stevenson's "Kidnapped" and "Catriona," the film follows a young orphan named David Balfour (Lawrence Douglas) as he seeks out his dead father's fortune during the Jacobite Rebellion in eighteenth-century Scotland. His evil uncle Ebenezer (Donald Pleasence) sells David into slavery and sends him away on a ship headed for the West Indies. There, he forms a relationship with Alan Breck, a Jacobite agent looking for a home after the British have wiped out most of his clan. After a rebellion by Captain Hoseason (Jack Hawkins) was staged with the intent of stealing all Breck's gold, Breck kills everyone on the ship except for David. The ship then crashes, and the two make off into the Scottish wilderness. Again, they're forced to elude Redcoats looking for renegade Jacobites.

Michael Caine is in top form as Alan Breck. At multiple points during the film, I kept hoping that the rest of the film would rise to the occasion of his performance. He's as dashing and heroic as Errol Flynn, but can perfectly emulate Alan's disconnection with a land that doesn't want him. Most of the story is about David and Alan's travels cross Scotland to claim David's rightful birthright. Alan begrudgingly does so because of his affection for the boy.

But while the cast may be stacked with game performers, including a slithering portrayal of Uncle Ebeneezer by Donald Pleasence, Mann's work behind the camera can't rise to the occasion of Stevenson's original text. At 107 minutes, the story feels like the annotated version of Stevenson's original stories. Originally produced for television, "Kidnapped" falls into many of the same pitfalls that beset the format in the early '70s. Yet, it was shot on location off the Argyll Coast, and many of the shots do look gorgeous. It's just when the film cuts to heightened action and conflict that the cracks start to show. Caine reportedly even waived his normal fees when the production went over budget.

This new Blu-ray from Kino Lorber does look great, and the new 2K master preserves the grain field from the original film perfectly. This reviewer just wishes "Kidnapped" had been given the stage it truly deserves. But for now, this new release stands as an interesting artifact from a famous actor's long career. Special features include:

� Original Theatrical Trailer

"Kidnapped"
Kino Lorber Blu-ray
$29.95
https://www.klstudioclassics.com/product/view/id/6120