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| Behind Enemy Lines |
| By Terri The first time I watched this movie one thing really stood out and that was just how wrong Owen Wilson was for the role of Navy navigator, Chris Burnett. I know actors don't like to be typecast, and believe me this is one of those roles where he got his wish, but it was glaringly appearent from the start of the film that maybe they should have used another actor for this part. I don't have a problem with actors spreading their wings and trying something new but Owen Wilson has such a quirkiness about him (maybe it's a personality trait) that just didn't fit with this character. Owen Wilson as an action star? I don't think so. This was an attempt to be an arousing film made to play on people's sense of patriotism but it achieved nothing more than being another standard chase flick. There are some pretty good shots of an F-15 crashing and burning and I always enjoy movies about the Navy (Go Navy!), especially ones that take place on aircraft carriers, but what the hell happened to Gene Hackman? If he plays one more gritty but caring Commander/Leader/Coach in a movie he'll have broken a record (I'm sure there's a record somewhere for this stuff). What happened to the guy from The French Connection or The Poseidon Adventure? Is it me or is he starting to show signs of what I call the "Al Pacino Syndrome", where one takes a role (in Al's case a boisterous, preachy mentor) and continues to portray that same character in every movie that follows (i.e. Scent of a Woman, Devil's Advocate, The Recruit)? It's gotten so bad that I don't even hear what the character is saying anymore other than "wah wah" sounds (try to think of the teacher's voice in the Charlie Brown cartoons and you'll know what I mean). Gabriel plays Navy pilot, Stackhouse. It's a character I can hardly describe because they gave him very little character in this movie and he dies before you ever get a chance to know him. A good rule of thumb in writing, movie making, etc., is to give your characters traits that the audience can sympathize with especially if you're going to knock them off. In this film Stackhouse is murdered for only one reason, to show you (and Owen Wilson's character) just how bad the bad guy is. There is no other explaination for why a terrorist would kill a wounded Navy pilot instead of taking him hostage and using him to get something from the government (as any smart terrorist would do), and most cetainly incurring the U.S.'s wrath in the process. Come to think of it that would have made a much better film; Stackhouse is taken hostage and it's up to Burnett to try to rescue him with nothing but his wits to guide him through a hostile and foreign country. Now that's the movie I wish I had watched instead of this one. If you're the type that easily enjoys a movie because of the big explosions (and all the pretty colors that come with it), then this film is for you. If I have to watch it again because my husband won't hand over the remote then I'll only stay long enough to see Gabriel's character die...and maybe not even until then. My rating: D Check out IMDb.com user comments. |