Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

Originally Written

Saturday , January 28, 2006

It's been a long time since I have seen this film, and I vaguely remember seeing it in the theaters and thinking it was a good film. Now five years later after watching it again I realize Behind Enemy Lines is a great film! The film showcases talent from one of the long time greats Gene Hackman, and usual funny man Owen Wilson... and no this is not a comedy.

Wilson plays Chris Burnett a naval pilot sent out on a recon mission, who ends up getting into some deep trouble. He and his partner detect some activity in the neutral zone and decide to check it out and test the jets fancy camera. Little do they know that they are putting their lives at extreme risk, because more is going on down on the ground than they realize. They are discovered and quickly shot down, and Burnett's partner is captured and killed. Burnett is forced to try and survive, figure out why they were shot down, and get rescued, all while on the run from a band of assassins. The only problem is the Navy has to get authorization to send in a rescue party. The man whose leading the destruction on the ground is one of the supposed allies of the US, and he's pulling all the strings to make it impossible for the Navy to save Burnett and find out the truth.

This is a really entertaining film; Gene Hackman does a great job giving a very commanding performance in a rather limited role. Owen Wilson, known mostly for his Ben Stiller and Jackie Chan sidekick roles, does a great job in this more serious action adventure. He still provides the usual comedic relief and smart mouth comments that he is well known for but he also delivers a very convincing dramatic performance.

Another highlight are some of the nice camera shots that help add to the experience, and are most noticeable in the many action sequences. Behind Enemy Lines does a good job of making everything as real and authentic as possible, and is shown through the great direction and filming. The story isn't perfect and maybe could have been a little deeper, but it does what it was set out to do and that is offer up an exciting, entertaining and enjoyable adventure in a relatively short amount of time. Definitely give this one a rent, it's Owen Wilson at his best and is one of the best films of its type that I have seen.

9/10