A rare appearance from Owen Wilson in a serious dramatic role, and he does a pretty good job as Chris Burnett, a USN flight officer who is disillusioned by his service in Bosnia - specifically, not being able to do anything - that he plans to leave the Navy following the end of his current tour. He tells Admiral Reigart (played by the dependable Gene Hackman, who brings appropriate gravitas to the role of a flag officer) the same, and the admiral is nonplussed.
Then, on a Christmas Day flight, Burnett and his pilot, Stackhouse, veer off course into the DMZ and uncover evidence of genocide, which puts him at odds with those responsible. Thus, Burnett is chased through the wintry landscape by army forces and also a sinister tracker basically working alone, whilst Reigart, on the USS Carl Vinson, must get out of political entanglements to try and save the downed pilot.
A gritty movie at times, shining a fictional light on a brutal real-world conflict. Wilson does a good job as Burnett. Hackman is as good as ever, and even Joaquim de Almedia as the NATO admiral who is against Burnett's rescue is good.
"Behind Enemy Lines" definitely doesn't want for spectacular action sequences, either.
Decent entertainment, if nothing else.
Then, on a Christmas Day flight, Burnett and his pilot, Stackhouse, veer off course into the DMZ and uncover evidence of genocide, which puts him at odds with those responsible. Thus, Burnett is chased through the wintry landscape by army forces and also a sinister tracker basically working alone, whilst Reigart, on the USS Carl Vinson, must get out of political entanglements to try and save the downed pilot.
A gritty movie at times, shining a fictional light on a brutal real-world conflict. Wilson does a good job as Burnett. Hackman is as good as ever, and even Joaquim de Almedia as the NATO admiral who is against Burnett's rescue is good.
"Behind Enemy Lines" definitely doesn't want for spectacular action sequences, either.
Decent entertainment, if nothing else.