When his flight attendant daughter (Helen Patton) is kidnapped in Germany by ruthless terrorists, family man Paul (Brian Dennehy) and his wife (Joanna Cassidy) grab their passports and head on over there to see what’s being done by the authorities to insure she’ll be returned home safe and sound. Unfortunately, both the American and German governments sit on their hands way too long, which infuriates the family. With the clock ticking away, a reporter (Ron Silver) gets Paul in touch with a former SAS mercenary (Anthony Valentine) to get her back. The only catch: Paul wants to tag along on the mission.
A Father’s Revenge is a crackling good Made for TV Movie that benefits from economical storytelling, tight pacing, and strong execution from director John (2 Days in the Valley) Herzfeld. The thing that really elevates the film from your average TV flick though are the excellent performances. Dennehy, who never had an ungenuine moment on film in his entire career, delivers a powerhouse performance as the concerned father who eventually takes matters into his own hands. Cassidy is his match in every way and the two have dynamite chemistry together. Silver is also quite good as the journalist who not only wants a big scoop, but also delivers on his promises to the family.
Since this is a TV movie, there are all the usual fade-in and fade-outs that signal the commercial breaks. However, that’s about the only tell-tale sign this was made for television. Overall, Herzfeld makes things look and feel rather cinematic, especially when compared to many TV Movies of the Week from the era. While most of the action is weighted towards the end, Herzfeld keeps the tension brimming throughout and punctuates the film with a strong finale. Couple that with Dennehy’s fine work and you have yourself a memorable drama in nearly every regard.
AKA: Payback.
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