G.I. Jane

Starring: Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Anne Bancroft, Jason Beghe, Morris Chestnut, Daniel von Bargen, Kevin Gage, James Caviezel
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
1997

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A female soldier (Demi Moore) is the first woman to be enlisted in the Navy SEALS. She faces a series of obstacles, as no one wants to see her succeed.

Review:

Tim: I really believe that G.I. Jane is an underrated movie. I'm not suggesting that it's a great movie, but it is a good one, and I feel like it gets a really bad rap. Demi Moore actually "won" a Razzie Award for Worst Actress, which I think it a bit ridiculous. This movie isn't perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed it regardless. It is a solid, entertaining movie.

What I like about this movie is it's your classic underdog story. Demi Moore's character is given the opportunity to break the gender barrier in the Navy SEALS, but she has to go through hell to do that. Director Ridley Scott does a terrific job of portraying the intense, miserable training that causes 60% of recruits to drop out. The training is far beyond what most people believe themselves capable of enduring. I myself couldn't imagine the psychological and physical torment that must be overcome to survive the training.

So, we watch Moore as she faces sexism around ever corner, which only adds to the already nearly insurmountable odds against her. It's always fun watching a story about an individual willing to tough it out, no matter the challenges before them. The Navy SEALS training is brutal, and Scott does a terrific job of making this come to life. That aspect of the film is outstanding.

Moore's performance was really not all that bad. Sure, she doesn't have many terrific moments, but the performance is mostly believable. She gets a bad rap for this film. It's impressive how much she bulked up for the role, and even though she used stunt doubles for many of her scenes, she still put forth a great deal of effort, and I appreciate that. Viggo Mortensen is good as the Master Chief, and I liked Anne Bancroft as a U.S. Senator. The movie even features Morris Chestnut and James Caviezel as fellow Navy SEALS trainees. The cast is really quite good.

I don't know, maybe I should have hated this movie like a lot of people seem to. I simply couldn't do it. It is an impressive story about a woman facing overwhelming odds, and to a certain degree, overcoming them. It offers a vivid portrayal of some of the most intense military training on the planet, and even throws in a real-combat scene as well. This isn't a perfect movie, but Scott keeps the film moving so that it rarely drags, even with a 2+ hours run time.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Private Benjamin, Body of Lies, Black Hawk Down