Behind Enemy Lines

Unrated

11/30/20011h 46m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ His only weapon is his will to survive. ~

Overview:

While flying a routine reconnaissance mission over Bosnia, fighter pilot Lt. Chris Burnett photographs something he wasn't supposed to see and gets shot down behind enemy lines, where he must outrun an army led by a ruthless Serbian general. With time running out and a deadly tracker on his trail, Burnett's commanding officer, Admiral Reigart, decides to risk his career and launch a renegade rescue mission to save his life.

Director:

John Moore

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$40,000,000.00

Revenue:

$91,753,202.00

Key words:

sniper
war crimes
bosnia and herzegovina
rescue mission
u.s. navy
based on true story
north atlantic treaty organization (nato)
naval officer
bosnian war (1992-95)
serbian
atrocity
combat
behind enemy lines
jet fighter pilot
mine field
hunted
jet crash
aircraft carrier
reconnaissance
mass grave
marines
enemy territory
naval flight officer
navy pilot
running for one's life
no fly zone

Cast

Owen Wilson

~ as ~

Lt. Chris 'Longhorn' Burnett

Gene Hackman

~ as ~

Admiral Leslie Reigart, Commander Adriatic Battle Group

Gabriel Macht

~ as ~

Lt. Jeremy 'Smoke' Stackhouse

Olek Krupa

~ as ~

General Miroslav Lokar

Vladimir Mashkov

~ as ~

Tracker (Sasha)

Marko Igonda

~ as ~

Bazda

David Keith

~ as ~

Master Chief Tom O'Malley

Charles Malik Whitfield

~ as ~

Capt. Glen Rodway, USMC

Eyal Podell

~ as ~

Petty Officer Kennedy

Joaquim de Almeida

~ as ~

Admiral Juan-Miguel Piquet, Commander of NATO Naval Command

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

CinemaSerf
Written 1 year(s) ago
6
Owen Wilson is a disillusioned pilot aboard an American aircraft carrier. Bored with the relentlessness of it all, he puts in his papers to the chagrin of his commanding officer. With two weeks left to go, he is flying a reconnaissance mission over Bosnia when he is shot down, his pilot murdered by rogue troops and he is forced to flee for his life - pursued by a ruthless sniper - whilst his task force colleagues try to find and rescue him. Based on a true story, it is actually quite a well paced manhunt with plenty of peril and pace. What diminishes it is the really poor choice of actor to lead. Wilson plays the disinterested flier well enough at the start, but as things heat up on the ground he really isn't good enough to hold the film up en seul. Gene Hackman is his boss (Adm. Reigert), and he isn't really up to very much either - though he does do the slightly gung-go "go get our boy back" role well enough. The premiss of the genocide being perpetrated on the locals is writ large, and having seen much news coverage at the time of this largely forgotten Balkan war, the story is not without it's potency. It is quite watchable, but is still a somewhat light-weight depiction of a truly difficult situation.
R
RalphRahal
Written 5 month(s) ago
6
Behind Enemy Lines is one of those movies that doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, a straightforward action thriller with high-stakes chases and explosions. The plot is predictable, filled with familiar tropes and moments that feel like they were borrowed from other war films and stitched together. It doesn’t have much depth or originality, but it still manages to be entertaining. The directing leans heavily on fast cuts and a hyperactive camera style, which can feel excessive at times, but it keeps the pacing tight. The cinematography does a decent job of capturing the tension, with some impressive aerial shots and a gritty, cold war-zone atmosphere.

What carries the film is the acting. Owen Wilson, stepping away from his usual comedic roles, delivers a solid performance as the lead, and Gene Hackman brings the expected level of authority and gravitas. The script is functional but nothing special, just enough to push the action forward without adding much depth to the characters. The score complements the tension well but isn’t particularly memorable. Despite all its flaws, I still found myself enjoying it. Maybe it's the mix of solid performances and non-stop action, or maybe it's just one of those movies that works as a guilty pleasure.