The General's Daughter

Rating:
Summary: Not a bad movie
Review: I disagree with the previous reviews of this movie. Yes, it's hard to believe, especially the fact that a man would be silent about atrocities done to his daughter. But I have this image of the military mentality being, military first, everything else later and this movie sort of confirms it. Whether or not that is correct, I couldn't tell you.
The plot itself, while tragic, was interesting. The fact that John Travolta is stubborn about finding the truth and exposing all involved, including those who hid it, was a redeeming factor. I was surprised at the end when I found out why and how. I was saddened by the events after I finished watching the movie, but the fact that it left an imprint in (on?) me made me realize how involving it is, which means it cannot be all that bad.

Rating:
Summary: NOT TOO GOOD CONSIDERING THE TALENT HERE...
Review: I knew this movie would have a lot of holes in it when, in the beginning, the title character changes a tire WITHOUT A JACK. Wow, if she could do that then the writers aren't paying much attention and, after awhile, neither was I. None of the people here are in the least sympathetic so we really don't care who did what and why. So the film meanders along with a few seemingly shocking developments but comes to a silly end to the relief of all. Everyone here is diminished by this one.

Rating:
Summary: Quite disappointing
Review: After having read the book & the author's message on how he closely collaborated with the director & assured his readers that the movie would be closely patterned after the book, I though it would be nice to see the movie as well. Afterall, John Travolta is a good actor. But I was totally dismayed after seeing the movie. If I had not read the book, most of the scenes would not have made any sense. I should have just stuck to the book.

Rating:
Summary: Tasteless and stupid
Review: Also offensive, sick and very far removed from reality.

I mean ten West Point cadets sadistically gang rape a co-ed cadet for hours while brutally beating her up, and the Army decides, on a balance of considerations, to just forget it? Huh? And then the general himself, loving father of the girl, tells her to buck up and pretend it didn't happen? What? I mean there are some sociopathic guys at the Point, no doubt, but ten sickies in the same class stupid and sadistic enough to do something like that because they are jealous of her? The Army might well try to cover it up, but they sure as hell would want to know who did it. And it gets worse. The lifestyle that the daughter adopts because of this horror and the insane way she seeks to rid herself of the memory is like something dreamed up by a serial killer screen writer on a bad day. And then, after treating us to this nightmare of degrading misogyny, the authors, looking for a saving grace, run some closing words down the screen telling us that now there are over 200,000 women serving proudly in the military, as though perhaps we ought to be thankful for the events depicted in this film for that fact, or maybe they hoped to create the illusion that something like those events actually happened!

I'm taking names: the director is Simon West, novel by Nelson DeMille, screenplay by Christopher Bertolini and William Goldman, who, alas, has seen better days. Here's an example of how trite some of the dialogue is. Travola's character is a seasoned veteran who actually fought in Vietnam and now is a warrant officer. He is told by Col. Fowler, another even more seasoned veteran, in dead seriousness that there are three ways to do things, "the right way, the wrong way, and the army way." Wow, that was original probably a hundred years ago, the sort of wisdom usually handed out by drill instructors to Private E-1's during basic training, not something a colonel might say to a warrant officer. Or, here's another. Travolta, recalling how as a raw recruit in Vietnam, he was by chance comforted by the general who asked where he was from, and when he heard from Boston, told him that the Red Sox had won the day before. The sound track soars and the camera pans to the faces of Col. Fowler and Madeleine Stowe to show us they know how uplifting and inspirational that was for the frightened young man.

But don't blame the actors for this travesty. John Travolta, who begins the movie as an undercover sergeant, put a lot of (somewhat stupid) energy into his part, including a funny southern accent, and obviously had a good time. And you can see that James Woods tried hard to infuse some sparkle into the insipid lines and to bring some depth into the shallow and cliche-ridden character he plays. James Cromwell as the general was as ugly as sin and twice as despicable, while Madeleine Stowe looked good enough to ravish. And I thought Leslie Stefanson did a commendable job as the incomprehensible daughter.

Bottom line: a new place in hell has been set aside for the purveyors of this sort of sexploitation thriller We'll call it the Griffin Mill Screening Room (after the Machiavellian producer from The Player (1992)), a place in which the producers, the director and the writers are forced to view their concoction until the evaporation of the last black hole in space or the Big Crunch, whichever comes first.

Rating:
Summary: Too much Dialogue!
Review: ""The General's Daughter" had the potential to be a strong and well done movie but it failed in doing so.....by dragging this movie on and the plot moving at a slow pace, I was starting to fall asleep and I didn't really care at one point what happened....I thought the scenes with the daughter getting attacked were a little too gruesome......"The General's Daughter" should've included some more action in it......that way I would've been on the edge of my seat and really cared about who killed his daughter.....after a while, I didn't really care I just wanted the movie to end!

Rating:
Summary: Stop speaking!!!!
Review: This movie has a story, it has a cuty, but the voice!! No way!! It sounds like he jumped out of a cowboy film. (I'm talking about John Travolta by the way).

The story: The general's daughter gets rapped and killed and Paul Brenner (John Travolta) and his partner (Madeleine Stowe) has to solve it in a couple of days. There are no witnesses and no alibis for all the people, and Moore (James Woods) does a very good job playing Hannibal Lecter (well no). He doesn't eat people but he certainly isn't good at looking dangerous and mysterios.

Now you wonder why I gave this movie 4 stars don't you. Well I have to admit I like all the movies of John Travolta, but I'm a reviewer so I have to write the truth..., but John rocks.

xxx Dominique

Rating:
Summary: Worst film of 1999
Review: The worst film of the year is this blundering psychological murder mystery starring John Travolta giving a hackneyed performance, and Madeleine Stowe looking like she just wandered onto the set by accident one day and decided it was worth it to just stay. Travolta plays a military officer who is assigned to investigate the occurrences surrounding a young female officer found bound, gagged and murdered on a military base. James Cromwell is the girl's father (the general of the title), and Stowe is Travolta's ex-wife who is also a part of the investigation. The film tries to throw red herrings at you for two straight hours, but one look at the billing in the opening titles easily gives away who the actual culprit is. While you're waiting for the answer to the riddle, you're stuck watching a rambling bore full of idiotic speeches, overly melodramatic music and completely nonsubtle mysogynestic overtones (how much can director Simon West linger on closeups of the young woman's underwear being slowly pulled off her body during a gang rape scene before we scream? Sadly, the producers of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider had forgotten about this by the time they hired him to direct it) Written by William Goldman, who six months after the release of the film actually had the gall to write an article in Premiere criticizing that year's Academy Award nominees for Best Picture. Doesn't he know it should take one to know one?

Rating:
Summary: Predictable and Dumb!
Review: When you hear John Travolta try and speak as a true southern would, you can't help but hope and wish he doesn't talk anymore. The Generals Daughter is about a female officer who is found tied up, naked and murdered. She is the daughter of a top general and there is a huge mystery behind who did it. No clues, suspects. Gee we never have heard or seen something like this before! So with just a couple of days to solve the case in rides Paul Brenner (John Travolta.) He his assisted by Madeleine Stowe both are CID Officers. They only add to the tension that is hanging on the base. With James Woods and James Cromwell rounding out the supporting cast. This film with it's just horrible lame dialogue and predictable turn at every corner. It belongs on the shelf and best be forgotten. Grade:D-

Rating:
Summary: **~~~~~** A Superb Movie **~~~~~**
Review: I don't agree with what the other reviewers said. This is a good movie. Sure the nudity and all that stuff was disturbing but that's what makes the problem. If the problem was weak, than it would be a really bad movie but the problem was very very dark and disturbing. That's what I find captivating about this because with every clue Travolta finds, there is more. (More secrets, more problems and more secret agendas)

Some may not like the fact that it makes the military men seem as if there is always some sexual drive, but it does exist. Because women are looked down upon (sometimes) and there are problems, like rape. People can always find proof in the NY Times or in other newspapers and I believe there are even statistics to it. ALthough I may be wrong.

I seriously loved this movie because it was really captivating(I guess I mentioned that already) The language and the scenes of the movie lure you in. I was really surprised when people gave it a kind of low score because this is a strong movie. To me its one of those movies that has all these ideas and explorations, in a nutshell it makes you think.

But don't listen and just read the reviews, go out and rent or buy the movie and form your own opinion. To me, this movie deserves 5 stars.

^_^ ~ Izzy

Rating:
Summary: Predictable
Review: The General's Daughter is not a bad film, but it is just so completely predictable. One problem is that the DVD case states that there is a twist ending, so right from the start of the film you try to work out who will be the guilty person and it's not hard to pick, basically just look for the most unlikely characters and, as always, you've got your man. Even if you don't know exactly what they did or how they did it, you pretty much know who is going to be responsible right from the start. The acting is excellent, it is well paced and Madeleine Stow is looking as beautiful as ever, but you've seen it all before. Still worth a look, though probably not one to buy.