Rating: 
Summary: a lousy flunk-out copy of the japanese "rashomon"
Review: this movie, like all the critics's reviews, is a totally clueless and messy movie. it's a japanese "rashomon" wannabe but failed pathetically and wasted the talents of those key-roled actors. well, everyone involved, witnessed, told a different story and none seemed true enough and believable. then as it twisted so many times and so out of control, the final scene was just a joking meaningless "well, that's all, folks!" cartoonized ridiculous ending. i just felt pity for those actors who got to do the actings in the downpouring rain (man-made or not man-made), got so wet but still, for nothing. like one of the movie reviews pointed out, after so many and so confused twists, whodonit or what, how, when and why, simply became purposeless and could not be cared less.
Rating: 
Summary: a basic review for Basic
Review: Basic had all the ingedients to be a good thriller. It had a well known director with a well deserved cast and a story with multiple plot twists that involved deception, murder, corruption, and a hint of romance. So what went wrong? What really went wrong with it was that the ending wasn't worth all the confusing plot twists that happened during the film. The ending wasn't worth all the figuring out I tried to do. And I really wasn't all that shocked or surprised with the ending. With films like these, you kinda have to expect a ending like the ending of Basic. I was never really interested enough in the film to really care about how it ended. The performances were great, the chemistry between Travolta and Nielsen was definitely there, and McTiernan did a fine job on the direction, but I really think this film failed at producing an interesting enough story to really care about the plot twists and its ending.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Movie in a long Time
Review: I read the other reviews and really don't understand them at all. This is one of the very best movies I have seen in quite some time. This is a heads up movie, you have to pay attention, especially to the characters. It is a bit far fetched but its a movie. I truly enjoyed it, with all the true to life war movies that are out there, its nice to see one a little different.
Rating:
Summary: leave the ending alone people
Review: regardless of what many people here say, the ending is part of what makes this movie so great. the old-school "hand of god" ending is great. It's good for people who are sick of the twelve standard plots. Some may say that a whodunnit has plenty of mystery, but you go into it knowing that every theory is wrong until you are about an hour and a half into the movie.
Yes, the ending does negate most of the movie, but so what. It is not a waste of time to watch this movie, it is a waste of time to watch another, more predictable movie that gives away the ending after ten minutes. Go into the movie with an open mind and you will leave happy, don't and you won't.
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie.
Review: Plain and simple. Excellent movie. For those of you who don't understand the movie, it's really not that hard. It's kind of got that "Ocean's Eleven" ending feeling. Smooth and satisfying. If you don't like it don't watch it again. If you do, then buy it. Nuff said.
Rating: 
Summary: Overall good but can be a little scattered...
Review: I'm a big Travolta fan and I like seeing him step out of the box of his previous typical roles but this type of character seems to be becoming more of his typical role these days. Unpredictable. Headed up by an all star cast of Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Taye Diggs, Tim Daly and Giovanni Ribisi, Basic is full of action and twists and turns. It gets a little hard to follow at times but is generally good. My big time pet peeve is Connie Nielson's acting. Her thick southern accent which was very prevalent in the beginning of the film seems to disappear much of the time and then she remembers "oh, I'm supposed to be southern!" If you're being paid to act as a certain character, I'm real big on staying in character. Ribisi played his character really well but I'd give anything for him to have used another dialect. I can't even beging to explain how annoying it was, so much so that for me, the dialect detracted from the brilliance he was trying to bring across. Another peeve is the cinematography can be annoying. The rain in the beginning shots is the most horribly computer generated rain I've seen in years. In the DVD extras it shows one scene where Sam Jackson is ragging on a soldier and it was a brightly lit set...on film it's raining and just done badly. So if you're not nit picky, you probably won't notice or care. Overall worth the rent/buy due to the plot, just keep your eyes peeled and your brain sharp!
Rating:
Summary: BASICally plot twist-o-rama.
Review: This flick starts out well but eventually get too confused for it's own good. The first fifty minutes was a pretty engaging military drama/thriller that gets the viewer guessing what version of the truth is a lie. Then it gets complicated beyond repair. The filmmakers had a good thing going but threw in way too many twists, leaving the viewer with an understanding of what happened, just somewhat confused on why so many deceptions had to take place to get there. If you liked the twistiness of WILD THINGS you'd like this flick, which I found too busy twisting to be delivering genuine thrills and strong plot.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I have to disagree with those who have bemoaned this picture for failing to fulfill genre requirements, as these people have obviously missed the point. Basic is NOT an action movie, nor is it really a murder mystery, it is not a romantic thriller, a war movie, or even a courtroom drama, and that is WHY it is so entertaining. The mere fact that it can't be pidgeonholed into a movie "catagory" or "genre" is the genius behind the direction, and I have to say probably one of John McTiernan's better movies to date. I'm not going to give anything away, except to say, this is a real potboiler, a whodunnit, and a dark sided movie all rolled into one. You will be compelled and find yourself guessing throughout the multiple twists, turns, and double backs that seem to be endlessly thrown into the mix. Probably not a movie to buy (once you know how it ends) and that's why I kept it to 4 stars, but don't be fooled by the trailers. This picture is slick, inventive, and totally absorbing. The performances are strong, and believable all round, and the storyline develops at an even pace, keeping you hooked. Who will you believe? and why? you will constantly be asking yourself until the final credits roll. A really good nailbiter - Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Great "whodunnit?" movie, slightly corny end
Review: Army ranger recruits go off on a training excercise with their Sargeant, and only two of them come back. Neither of them want to talk, and a former Army Ranger (John Travolta) is called in to help figure out who killed who. Travolta is partnered with the Army's official investigator who dislikes the idea. They repeatedly question people, getting different stories each time, continuously getting closer to the truth. Lots of flashbacks to accompany the testimony. "Basic" IS a movie that requires the viewer to pay attention to what the characters are saying. It is NOT an action movie, although the flashbacks of course include violent scenes. Low points are an uncreative general plot (reluctant former ____ brought back in to help with ____ , YAWN) and an "upside" ending that makes the whole thing feel a little like a corny TV show. On the other hand, a downer evil ending would have been cliche for this kind of mystery movie, so the choice must not have been easy. High points are mostly Travolta applying various clever interrogation techniques. He also includes his trademark wit. Samuel L. Jackson adds a convincing tough and dislikeable Sargeant, and his typical characteristics fit well into the part. The movie's basic framework is not terribly original, so the actual content is what makes it worth watching. The actors are good, the characters are distinctive, and the filming is of good quality. If you like the type of movie I described in the first paragraph, this is worth watching. Probably not worth buying for most.
Rating:
Summary: Great action. Unnecessary ending.
Review: I went to see this movie since I enjoy any movie featuring John Travolta and was expecting a regular action movie - I was quite overwhelmed. This is a fast pace, (mostly) intelligent movie, which moves along different lines then those you are used to. The film's ending is yet to be discussed and I can only say that my understanding of the film's events was totally changed at the last 5 minutes. I am not sure this ending was truly necessary - for me it was only a gimmick and the whole logic and understanding of the film was totally shattered.
The movie starts with a great scene of a military helicopter making its way through a stormy rain with the knowledge of a great storm breaking in. The helicopter holds a team of seven men and one woman, headed by the great Samuel Jackson playing the tough Sgt. West. You cannot but feel pity for this wet group of people wondering what does the near future hold for them.
The next scene is filmed 17 hours later when something is understood to have gone wrong with the team. The search team arrives in time to catch three men involved in a gun fight. One man dies, one man is wounded and the surviving soldier is not ready to talk. Hence - enter John Travolta, a former army interrogator, asked to find out what has happened. Travolta arrives after the regular interrogator (Connie Nielsen) is unable to get any information from the survivors. Together with Travolta they start a search for the truth of what happened, a search that becomes harder with every new piece of evidence.
This is not a movie that "goes home with you" or that gives you a new understanding of life, but is very entertaining and there is no dull moment.
Great act of Travolta (charming as always) Connie Nielsen and Samuel Jackson.
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