Behind Enemy Lines

Starring: Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman
Directed by: John Moore
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action
Box Office: $58,856,790
2001

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: While on a routine reconnaissance mission over Bosnia, NAVY pilot Burnett (Owen Wilson)is shot down, and finds himself stranded behind enemy lines. Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman) struggles with his superiors, who feel they must leave Burnett to die, while he believes they cannot leave their man behind. Burnett must not only struggle to stay alive from the sinister forces in Bosnia-Herzegovia, but make it through the enemy lines if he wants to be rescued.

Review:

Tim: This film is a refreshing break from typical war movies. Perhaps the most outstanding aspect of this film is the camerawork, which at times is truly remarkable and must-see. The film is a pleasure to watch, giving a new look to action scenes. The scene with the landmines is simply incredible- pay attention to the slow motion explosion, it is fascinating to watch.

The film's success comes mainly from Owen Wilson. He has proven himself a credible comedic actor, giving great performances in Shanghai Noon, Meet the Parents, and several other films. Here he shows the diversity of his acting talents, playing the action lead here (although he does get a number of hilarious lines- look for the "Wilson" Cast Away reference). Gene Hackman gives a good performance, but doesn't have much to do in the film besides look upset and concerned. He plays his part straight, at times seeming bloated and unconvincing. While not his best work, it's tough to find many flaws in his performance. His star potential will more than likely draw many people to the film. One downside to the movie is that Wilson and Hackman don't get many scenes together. When they do appear side-by-side, its fun to watch Hackman's forward Admiral interact with Wilson's laid back pilot.

Besides some beautiful combat scenes, the film doesn't really present anything new. It's not the typical action/military movie, and for that reason will appeal to many people who aren't excited about military movies. The film does contain enough suspense to keep any thriller fan satisfied.

I recommend watching this film. For true movie fans, they will be surprised and delighted to see a different side to typical military movies, and will be impressed with Wilson's work. Military/Action fans will have another film to heap on the pile of decent works, and will be excited to see a film with some amazing special effects, and explosion scenes done like you've never seen them before. On a forewarning note, don't expect anything too spectacular from this film- it doesn't try to do everything, but does what it does very well.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Shanghai Noon, Meet the Parents, Crimson Tide, Saving Private Ryan