MovieChat Forums > Ransom (1996) Discussion > the fbi knew shaker was the ransomer...

the fbi knew shaker was the ransomer...

posted 12 years ago by SmackCheeks
5 replies | jump to latest

.... so why wait to nab him after he leaves the bank and kills a few more people? Remember the phone call in the car on the way to the bank with shaker to collect the reward money? That phone call indicated the FBI knew shaker was their man and were in fact surveilling him. If that's the case, why did the FBI endanger the lives of Tom and his family, the bank employees and the public knowing full well the money had to be collected. The FBI were portrayed as dickwads right from the start and come to think of it, so were the ransomers and so was his wife. The only hero here is, you guessed it.... Mel bloody meglomaniacle egotist Gibson.

[–] spookyrat1 12 years ago

" Remember the phone call in the car on the way to the bank with shaker to collect the reward money? That phone call indicated the FBI knew shaker was their man and were in fact surveilling him."

You must have watched another film SmackCheeks. It was just the opposite. But to an extent your point is still valid. All that occurred with that short call was that [spoiler...]Tom tipped off the FBI he was heading to the bank with the kidnapper under the guise of prepping his plane for take-off. Shaker wasn't mentioned and neither was any surveillance. They actually had to then check with the wife to find out which bank they were heading to.[end of spoiler]

I do agree that you'd think they would have contacted the bank soon after to warn them although this may have taken more time than you think to convince the manager etc. it wasn't some sort of phone hoax.

[–] SmackCheeks 12 years ago

Yeah, I think you are right... But why does the FBI dude ask Tom in the car "is the kidnapper with him" if the kidnappers were all dead or am I missing something. You have gotta wonder why the hell Shaker went to personally pick up the reward when he could have gotten his lawyer to do it.

[–] spookyrat1 12 years ago

"Yeah, I think you are right... But why does the FBI dude ask Tom in the car "is the kidnapper with him" if the kidnappers were all dead or am I missing something."

Yeah, you're missing something!

In the wash up to the shootings there were background news bulletins where there was speculation that the master kidnapper had escaped (which was true...Shaker) The bulletins were saying the dead crims didn't have the smarts to do it by themselves.

In the car Shaker tells Tom to prep his private jet so as to make his escape. But Tom rings Hawkins ("the FBI dude") and alerts him to trouble by pretending he's calling his PA David, to prep the plane. Hawkins realises Tom has problems and asks him, "Is the kidnapper with you?"...and it goes on from there.

Hope you have the gist of it now.

[–] kellymariekitty 9 years ago

Hahahahhaa just laughing at your crims term - my father says this :) hehehehhehehee

[–] kellymariekitty 9 years ago

Because tom was acting strange in the car over the phone & he also rang the fbi guy but pretended it was a pilot he was talking to.
If somebody rang you & said 'Get the plane ready' and your a cop a bit of common sense would tell you 'something is up & they cant talk over the phone'