Rating: 
Summary: Don't draw a Line through this one
Review: Behind Enemy Lines is one of those movies where you know it's going to be a typical, Hollywood made movie where every cliché in the book is used. But, it's also one of those movies that you don't really care and you just want to feel good about it.With great performances by the two leading men, Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson, Behind Enemy Lines is a good movie that keeps you interested throughout and makes you feel like you're a part of it. John Moore does a fairly nice job as director. There wasn't really anything spectacular done. It was a pretty basic form, but I'm not complaining. It worked. The action sequences were a bit unbelievable, and that is why I give this film only four stars. Also, I don't think the scenes were produced all that well and cleanly. I've definitely seen better. But to me, the action was only a sideshow to what the movie was really about. It wasn't about people getting shot up and killed; it was about survival and how one man will stop at nothing and use his brain instead of weaponry to get himself out of a sticky situation. 4 Stars
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining propaganda.
Review: This movie occasionally alludes to the fact that there were three sides to the wars in Bosnia, and that each of them committed various transgressions. (We see, for example, that the mercenary sent to take out the American pilots had been held in a Croat or an Islamo-Bosnian p.o.w. camp.) The fact that President Clinton joined with Osama bin Laden in assisting the Muslim government of Bosnia is unmentioned in this movie, and in the end, the typical Hollywood formulas come through. Thus, while they owned 67% of Bosnia in the last Tito-era Yugoslav census and the US insisted they accept a "peace" plan giving them only 49%, the Serbs are portrayed here as virtual Nazis. (Interestingly, the Serbs were the only one of the three warring factions in Bosnia that didn't side with the Nazis in World War II.) If you accept the equation of the US Government's enemy of the month (Kaddafi, Noriega, Milosevic, Saddam Hussein, et al.) to Hitler, you'll love this movie. Otherwise, you are apt to feel manipulated most of the way. As to the merits of the movie: Gene Hackman's character is far more hung up on the idea of losing one pilot than any seasoned military officer would be. His lip-biting performance is one of his worst (and I am a confirmed Gene Hackman fan). One notes, too, the politically correct "men and women" in the caption at the end of the movie; mustn't say "people" or "sailors" when "men and women" will do! Pretty lame, I say.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the critics said...
Review: I found this movie to be quite more enjoyable than the critics would have led me to believe. It was refreshing to see a pro-USA, patriotic film with our soldiers portrayed as the good guys. While the plot was somewhat predictable, the film is entertaining, proceeds smoothly, and the acting is performed quite well. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: ONLY ONE STAR HERE: HACKMAN, OCCASIONALLY
Review: Interesting. Other reviewers either loved or hated this walk in the woods. And that's about all it is. Unfortunately, long verbal walks too - mostly in circles - to match the flyer running around the woods. Strained editing and oh-so familiar plot with oh-hum writing. Disliked it after the first 15 minutes, after an hour hated it; didn't finish it. Compare it to Hackman's BAT 21 to see a similar downed airman story that's a hundred times better.
Rating:
Summary: Hard to swallow ......
Review: I originally thought that Owen Wilson was miscast to play this part, but I gave it a chance. As it turns out though, I wasn't far off. David Kieth (who plays a fellow military man ... again) could have done a much better job in Wilson's role. Gene Hackman gave his usual great performance, but its not enough to save this film. The ending was just too much to swallow, even for the feeble minded movie-goer. So why give it 3 stars? The special effects are great, especially the aero battle. The story of a man down behind enemy lines, and not being "allowed" to give rescue is an old but good one as well.
Rating:
Summary: Based on a True Story!
Review: OK, this is a typical American-made military movie. Yes, I can say that, because I AM an American. There are lots of explosions, bullets flying everywhere, etc., and it's all based on a true story! It's really not bad. Owen Wilson is spot on as a Navy flier fed up with milk runs and police duty. He's turned in his resignation and is just clocking time till his service is up. On a recon mission, he and his pilot spot unusual activity "off the beaten path" in territory that is supposed to be off limits. Their plane gets shot down as they do an unauthorized flyover, getting them caught "Behind Enemy Lines." The plot follows Owen's character, the sole survivor, as he tries to reach a safe rescue spot. As these kind of movies go, it's very watchable. Well, there were a few places where you think, "No way is anybody going to go through all that and walk away." Hollywood bad guys never can shoot worth a darn. I thought the ending in particular was way over the top, but what the heck. I'm not sorry we rented it.
Rating: 
Summary: Which genius funded this one?
Review: "Behind Enemy Lines" is exactly the kind of film that I will not spare harsh words for. After all, was I not made to sit for two hours watching a work so devoid of passion, truth and entertainment value? The film is predictable down to the very last detail. It is a work processed straight out of the Hollywood Money Making Machine with no touch of humanity anywhere to be found. I think it would be more appropriately titled "Run Owen, Run! (Brought to you by Coca-Cola, Chevrolet and Ice Cube.)" If you've seen the film you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you must know, the plot involves Owen Wilson as Chris Burnett, a Navy lieutenant running away from his Serbian foes. Gene Hackman is Admiral Reigart, the one trying to pick Burnett up and bring him back home. The trouble is, a peace treaty was recently signed between America and those chasing Burnett, so if Admiral Reigart dares and goes after him, his entire command is at stake. War is a complex subject, and a good war film should never be able to be summarized in three sentences. But this isn't a good war film, and I just did it, didn't I? I probably don't need to tell you how unrealistic this whole affair is. Am I supposed to believe that with an entire section of the Serbian army on his tail, Burnett gets out completely unscathed? Are these guys really such bad shots that out of all of them, not one can even hit Burnett in the leg? With the carelessness Burnett shows, he's pretty damn lucky that Hollywood "magic" can pull him out of a jam whenever he needs. I say Burnett is careless, let me elaborate. If I were in his position, and had a chance to escape by blending in with the opponent, there is no way I would take off a ski mask that was concealing my identity (even if I did get rewarded by hearing that triumphant music in the background). I am also sick of directors coming into Hollywood, placing a bunch of radical camera tricks in their film and thinking that makes them Orson Welles. POV, 360 degree rotation, Slow-Motion (one of the inventions the film world would be a better place without), lightning-quick montages, it's all here, and ALL the time. Director John Moore never gives it a rest. English should be a required course in film school so directors can forget about the lenses and the camera speeds for at least a minute and focus on the point they're trying to get across. Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman do their worst in this film. Owen Wilson is a generally good actor who somehow lets all his acting skills go to waste and create a completely bland, stupid character. And Gene Hackman? It would be a huge understatement to call him a fantastic actor who's had some classic performances, but he is scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one. I can safely say that this is one of the worst performances of his fruitful career, and I am in shock that such a smart actor as him would choose such an empty project. However, Gene Hackman at his worst is better than Ben Affleck trying his hardest. The one reason "Behind Enemy Lines" is on a level slightly above dreck like "Pearl Harbor" is because it is graced with his presence. "Behind Enemy Lines" is the kind of film built to [bring] in money, and maybe grab a few awards along the way. Unfortunately, this is becoming the norm for war movies these days, but trust me, people aren't being fooled. If you want a surge of post 9/11 patriotism or inspiration, save your nine bucks and rent something with real emotion like "Casablanca" or "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"; something that aims to do more than nab the top spot at the weekend box office.
Rating: 
Summary: Great film
Review: I didn't get to see this film in theatres, and quite honestly, I didn't really want to, either. In fact, when going to rent a movie for the weekend, I passed this one despite a suggestion from a friend. Eventually, I decided to check it out, although I thought it would be another "stupid war movie." I was very pleasantly surprised. Although not completely accurate, it was still a great action film that kept me interested the entire time. (And after all, Hollywood's first priority was never accuracy, was it?) I thought the acting from Gene Hackman was wonderful, and Owen Wilson did a great job, as well. Although predictable at times, this is one of those rare films in which, even though you know what will happen, you STILL want to see it. Overall, a great film. I would highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Patriotic Thriller
Review: Behind Enemy Lines is the story of a two army men who fly their plane into forbidden territory in order to photograph the Bosnian
army's secret undertakings. By using their powerful weapons, the Bosnians fire at the plane, and the two men's plane plummets to the ground behind enemy lines. Only one of the two men survives.
As the surviving man struggles to stay alive in his journey through the rugged wilderness to get back to base, he is relentlessly hunted by deadly Bosnian mercenaries . . . A captivating storyline, great character development, and a historical theme makes Behind Enemy Lines a patriotic thriller that everyone should see.
Rating:
Summary: Yeah, OK, it's not the greatest movie ever...
Review: ...but it's a good stuff-blowing-up distraction for a Friday night. Watching Owen Wilson running, hiding, evading the enemy made me maddeningly tense. Yes, there were some awful lines, [bad] parts of the plot, etc. But I wasn't looking for the meaning of life here, just a good rental. And I got my $[money] worth. Really, it was worth that just to hear Hackman yell "What the...is the problem???" I also loved the landscape: creepy and desolate and more like a character in the movie than just a background.
One thing that baffled me: during the mass grave scene, there's a flashback (in black and white) of the mass killings, and right in the middle of it there's a tiny 2 or 3-second segment that came directly from the movie "The Savior" (great movie)when the main female character is about to be murdered. I scanned all 107 reviews to see if anyone mentioned it, but nobody did. (I know, that's pretty pathetic, but I really wanted to know.)
I would have liked more interaction between the Wilson and Hackman characters, but I was left pretty satisfied overall.
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