It's the run up to Christmas and I get invited to the premiere
of Behind Enemy Lines. Dilemma...do I go see this movie
I've heard nothing about, finish my gift shopping or finish
writing the reviews that are due here.
I'm
still not quite sure if I made the right decision! The hero
of this film is Owen Wilson (the blonde from Zoolander)
who stars as Lt. Chris Burnett, a naval aviator based on
an aircraft carrier anchored on the Adriatic.
While monitoring a cease-fire in Bosnia, Burnett becomes
bored with the lack of action and does little to endear
himself to his superior Admiral Reigart (Hackman).
On
Christmas Day, ace pilot Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht) and
Burnett, his navigator, are sent out on a routine reconnaissance
flight over Bosnian terrain. Stumbling across things they
were not supposed to see, they are soon shot down by Serbian
missiles and the action begins.
We lose Stackhouse at this point and follow Burnett on his
journey of survival, as Tracker the Serb (Vladimir Mashkov)
pursues him. And what a journey the guy makes.
We trail him through fields, up hills, down valleys and
through forests. Ever the open target - but never hit. As
you can imagine, there is much chasing and shooting. Of
course Burnett never gets shot (they never do!), but instead
manages to wound and kill those who are after him.
Meanwhile,
back at the aircraft carrier, Adm. Reigart is between a
rock and a hard place. He has been denied permission to
rescue Burnett, but can't leave him either. You get the
jist.
As
always, Gene Hackman is great as the snarling man in power.
As for Owen Wilson I'm not sure. He played the war hero
well and was a nice change, but it's not the best part for
him.
It
is director John Moore's first feature offering, and having
seen one of his highly visual commercials before, I can
see a trademark evolving. An exciting trademark.
This
film may not have been well planned, but it certainly is
not dull. The scenery is sometimes amazing and the lightening
fast shots coupled with powerful action music help the adrenaline
pump along nicely.
It's
all a bit Euro-Top Gun.
Verdict:
*** (3 stars out of 5) Wayne Cronin.
Behind
Enemy Lines is on general release from January 4th
Cert: 15PG Running Time: 105 mins.
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