"Behind Enemy Lines" wasn't going to be released until sometime
next year. But then the studio realized that it might be exactly the
kind of movie Americans want to see right now. So they rushed it into
theaters nationwide, apparently hoping that audiences will ignore the
complete lack of logic, character development and coherence because
they will be too busy rooting for the hero.
Not to be confused with the direct-to-video 1996 movie of the same name, "Behind Enemy Lines" is your standard Hollywood action movie that harkens back to the days of John Wayne, pro-American movies and, more recently, Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo" trilogy. The bad guys are cold-hearted and kill for fun and no other reason, and the hero is pure goodness through and through.
Owen Wilson ("Meet the Parents," "Zoolander") takes a stab at playing an action hero, starring as Chris Burnett, a cocky, cynical navigator for the Navy stationed on an aircraft carrier that sits near Bosnia. He is getting ready to quit the Navy after seven years of service, upset that there is no action or war to partake in.
As is the norm for movies like this, Burnett is at odds with the commander of the ship, Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman). Reigart is a gruff, old school officer who doesn't appreciate Burnett's attitude. They exchange words, and the Admiral tells Burnett to behave himself for two weeks and then he can go on his merry way.
On Christmas day, Burnett and his pilot, Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht) are sent on a routine mission to take some photographs with their plane's new digital camera.
All is going according to plan until Burnett spots some activity on his radar. But it's in a no-fly zone, and travelling in it would violate a NATO treaty that is seeking to ensure a cease-fire between the Bosnians and Serbians. Burnett is a rebel, though, and doesn't care about "the rules." He quickly talks his pilot into checking things out.
Before long, two missiles are hot on their tail. Stackhouse does his best to lose them, but eventually they are shot down. After they eject from the plane and land on solid ground, Burnett seeks out a higher altitude so he can radio for help. Stackhouse has an injured leg so he stays behind and waits.
To cut to the chase, literally, Stackhouse is disposed of and Burnett is on the run. He does his best to stay alive while Reigart tries to assemble a rescue mission. But because of politics, NATO orders him to do nothing. Will he leave the pilot alone or go against his superiors and attempt to rescue him? Are Wisconsin winters cold?
"Behind Enemy Lines," written by David Veloz and Zak Penn from a story by Jim & John Thomas and directed by John Moore, is best and aptly described as big, dumb and loud. It's one of those movies where the hero dodges hundreds of bullets and outruns missiles and bombs, with nary a scratch on him. There are plenty of moments that work better as comedy than anything else.
The screenplay is short on plot and long on explosions. Wilson is a good actor and brings much-needed humor to his role, but his character is as cliched as the movie. Hackman, on the other hand, could do this kind of role in his sleep. He has about ten minutes of screen time and couldn't have spent more than a week filming his part. We learn absolutely nothing about his character other than his name. Must have been quite a paycheck, or he had a few days to kill.
Hiring first-time director Moore certainly didn't help matters. He goes way overboard with slow motion shots and his camera never stops moving. He likes to continuously circle the action, which is annoying, unnecessary and succeeds only in giving the viewer a headache. Moore also thinks it's cool to speed up shots and use quick cuts. This is more MTV video than war movie.
To make things worse, as if that were possible, blaring techno music is used during many of the action sequences. It's completely out-of-place and ridiculous, and it feels like the filmmakers don't want us to take things seriously. Add to that an overblown, mind-numbingly unrealistic and schmaltzy conclusion, and you've got a war movie that is pure Hollywood and pure nonsense.
There is probably an audience for "Behind Enemy Lines," and because it's glossy and feel-good, many will surely love it and cheer on Burnett in his plight. But don't be fooled. It's the type of movie that tries to do our feeling for us and it doesn't have an original idea in its entirety. Watch the trailer and skip the movie. You won't miss a thing.
"Behind Enemy Lines" opens at theaters everywhere on Fri., Nov. 30. Click here for showtimes.
