I loved this because it gave me insights into issues between the Scottish Highlanders and the Lowlanders and the relationship with the king. While there are some dull moments at times, the issues facing the young Davie Balfour are portrayed very well. The inexperienced young man falls into no man's land when he puts his trust in the authorities and in the crown and is treated horribly. The rest of the cast does nicely including the actor portraying Alan Breck. He is such a loose cannon and Davie must constantly be on his guard, not knowing who his friends really are. The scenes of the Scottish Highlands are breathtaking and the threat of the nasty British is always in the air. People are so proud of their heritage and are still fighting for autonomy to this day (the recent vote for independence which failed). This is worth dying for in the eyes of the rebels and is portrayed nicely in this film. I really felt a kinship with young Davy and felt his bull headedness and naïveté were well portrayed.

A rollicking good yarn that starts a bit slowly but once it hits its stride, carries you through at a good clip. I found James Anthony Pearson (Davy Balfour) a bit flat initially, in an otherwise stellar cast. Thank goodness Davy Balfour is rescued and the whole show as well, by the ever captivating Iain Glen (Alan Breck) or the whole thing might have sunk without a ripple into the briny waves as just another rehashing of a well told tale. Once Alan Breck literally hops on board, the whole thing lifts measurably and is propelled forward as the story rapidly picks up momentum. What fun it is watching Davy and Alan match wits with the devious Col.Mac Nab (played with great relish by Paul McGann)and the other host of baddies scattered throughout. The character who comes closest to matching Alan both intellectually and in her daring escapades is Catriona Stewart (excitingly played by Kirsten Coulter Smith.) Too bad the main character was a male role. Kirsten Coulter Smith shows the right combination of intelligence, righteous anger and fearless daring with the full range of emotions associated with these feelings, to have made a perfect lead. She's someone to watch for in future productions. (On a small but fun side note, Iain Glen had the opportunity to display some of his impressive fencing skills. While a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts he and fellow school chum, Ralph Fiennes spent two years perfecting their swordsmanship so they could win the prize awarded at the end of their last term. Mr. Glen says that most students spent a couple of weeks at it, but he and Ralph turned it into a personal quest. They wanted that prize over some of the more esoteric such as "Best Hand Gestures" or "Best Silly Walk" (not really prizes but you get the picture.) Thankfully they won, or as Mr. Glen asserts it would have been pretty sad because they had spent so much time at it.)

I remember being fairly disappointed with the early 1970s adaptation of KIDNAPPED starring Michael Caine . Perhaps the fact that I saw this three part TV series had everything to do with it ? What I liked about this adaptation is that some thought seems to have gone into the story structure . Episode one introduces the characters then concentrates on Alan Breck and Davie Balfour being cornered on the boat which sets up a cliffhanger for episode two which sees them on the run in the Highlands being pursued setting up another cliffhanger episode for the final part where everything is resolved It's certainly exciting epic stuff and I'm sorry that at least one reviewer on this page wasn't too happy with it . Iain Glen makes a flamboyant hero far better than Michael Caine was and perhaps my only criticism is that it's fairly obvious the locations resemble Middle Earth rather than the Scottish Highlands . A pity the production team felt the need to travel to the other side o the world to make this very Scottish drama

This is just how I remember the story from reading it as a kid (many years ago). Having re-read the book, I realise that the BBC has made quite a few changes, but as far as I can see they are all for the better. Someone complained that maybe there was a little too much running around, and they could have a point, but it is a chase movie. Iain Glen was brilliant. I really enjoyed the music as well, does anyone know if you can get it anywhere?The locations looked brilliant. True, sometimes not what you'd call authentic (not a sprig of heather in sight), but it captured the breathtaking beauty that the young hero Davie would feel, and if you hadn't been to Scotland, maybe you wouldn't know the difference. The ending was one of the most moving things I've seen for months on TV. Let's hope they do Treasure Island next!