Rating: 
Summary: Owen Wilson...WHAT A JOKE!!!!
Review: Alright this movie was not that bad, i mean they were some good actions scenes and some suspense but that was about it. gene hackman was ok too, but this film was defintly not one of his best. What really ruins the movie is Owen Wilson. I mean that guy cannot act for his life. No one wonder why he is always given small part in movies. As his first leading role in a movie...he flat out was horrible. Towards the end it gets worse, hes says many stupid lines and the guy acts with no feeling or expression. It seems he is just saying a bunch of words with no meaning... (HINT) (when Owen wilsons pilot gets shot in the head) Owen wilson fails to show any emotion about his dead friend. Also the movie failed to capture more details about Owen Wilsons survival time in Bosnia. I mean the guy is just running from a bunch of serbs. Also he didn't even get hurt which would of made it more suspenful. this movie is just worth renting..don't buy it and make the same mistake i did.
Rating: 
Summary: 2nd worst film of 2001.
Review: With only Tomb Raider coming in as a worse film, Behind Enemy Lines is simply the second worst film of the past year. Why? It's simple, with overdone, hyperkinetic direction, helmer John Moore has shown he truly believes his audience suffers from attention deficit disorder. Worse yet, for such a cheesy action movie, there's actually very little action. With the exception of the destruction of a fighter jet and a skirmish at the end (the latter of which is horrendously choreographed), not much happens except seeing Gene Hackman barking over and over about how he wants his pilot back and watching Owen Wilson run in slow motion, run in normal speed, run with disjointed camera work, and uh...occasionally walk, even in slow motion. There are all the usual cliches, such as the commander who won't leave his man behind, the "villainous" admiral who would rather leave the pilot in enemy territory for the sake of a peace treaty, and there's even a uniform switch that gives our hero the chance to escape. I don't know about you, but I would have rather just seen some Mcgyver-type stuff, considering the lack of seriousness involved. There are other problems plot-wise, such as very poor introduction into the political situation in Bosnia. The movie introduces a teen who helps out Wilson, then he just suddenly exits the film. What the heck? There's zero suspense because you know how it's all going to end. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I had a hard time rooting for Wilson, considering all the dumb moves he made (such as, oh, flying off mission, leaving his flight partner behind, etc.). But that's okay, all we need is a final scene shot in slow motion with hundreds of seamen and pilots cheering our "hero" on with a rock song playing in the background to let us know this is a "good" movie. There are even subtitles at the end that reveal the characters' fates, as if we even care enough by that point.
Rating:
Summary: Please save us from that soundtrack!!!
Review: This movie could qualify for a very potent war thriller if it wasn't for the "teens-join-the-NAVY-fun" soundtrack and general attitude. If one is to join the NAVY expecting that bullets, will chose to avoid them due to their degree of expressed patriotism, they should chose a Hollywood career instead! A rescue operation is supposed to be a 'brains first-muscles second' business, the result of a combination of careful planning and daring attitude. The "Admiral" made a point there when he "grilled" the navigator about drills, but the rest of the movie including his choice of sending a demoralized personnel into a holiday mission, not assigning a liaison officer in the NATO rescue mission, and so-on and so-forth reveal his own incompetence. The gung-ho decision of the pilots to fly over the neutral zone completes the picture. Thank God this is NOT a real story and these people are NOT real NAVY officers! I would feel more safe and proud as an American having a cynical but sharp group of people to fight for this country than a reckless but "patriotic" bunch, with good looks and loads of testosterone who count on Hollywood bias to have them wining unnecessary battles. Anyway, if anything else, the weakest point of this movie is this obnoxious, out of context, "speak-to-the-youth" soundtrack that gets better only after the movie is over and the credits screen begins! Such a shame! This is the first time I wished the audience had the freedom to choose the background music in a film! The SAM scene is a first class cinema effect, and the man-hunt has some bright moments but could have done far better.
Rating: 
Summary: It should come with dramamine
Review: The story was great, the plot was intriguing, and the action was well done. However, the director goes for the Blair Witch shaky camera trick. By the end of the film I had a severe case of motion sickness. DO NOT watch this on a big screen TV.
Rating:
Summary: Give the World a Coke
Review: This film is one of those that in six months my wife will be stopping me in the aisle of the video store asking me, "Did we see this?" I hope it's not one that I rent again, only to recall too late, "Oops, we sure did see this." Other than the spooky scene with the dead bodies, there really wasn't so much gore. The editing was good with lots of modernistic cuts and flashes as the plane takes off. The DVD version doesn't offer much over the video. There are no deleted scenes in the bonus materials, simply extended edits of several of the other scenes and commentary. It would have been nice to have a few more women in the picture. The only one I can recall is the Bosnian girl in the truck with the coca cola. She did a nice job of looking tired. I enjoy watching Owen Wilson. Royal Tannenbaums was entertaining. However, there wasn't a huge amount of depth here. If he'd had a picture of his girl back home that he kept pulling out to inspire him to escape, we could have seen some levels. But this guy was pretty much a navy bachelor. BEL isn't brilliant, isn't awful, and is a pleasant enough way to spend the evening -- once. Eat the jello.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth a peek for the entertainment value
Review: An entertaining little movie, with not bad acting from all involved. Gene Hackman is perhaps a little too understated in his performance and I can't really imagine any protocol allowing him to head into hostile territory for the final extraction but what the hell this is Hollywood ain't it. Scenery was great and the action shots exciting. I loved the camera work. This innovative style that seems to be infiltrating modern film-making is fantastic and breaks the monotony of conventional filming angles.
Rating:
Summary: Good Action, Solid Story
Review: In 1998, with "Saving Private Ryan," Steven Spielberg raised the bar for all that would follow in the genre of "War" films (just as his colleague, George Lucas, had done some years earlier for Science Fiction with the original "Star Wars"). Spielberg put the reality into war on the silver screen, and since then nothing less has been acceptable. Not to say that "reality" alone makes for a successful film; other elements must be factored in, and in the final analysis, each film will succeed or fail on it's own individual merits, reality aside. One that does succeed, and for a number of reasons, is "Behind Enemy Lines," directed by John Moore, which delivers that expected reality, but offers a lot more along the way, as well. On a Christmas Day routine recon flight over Bosnia, Navy pilot Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), and his navigator, Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson), notice some activity in one of the "demilitarized" zones (which also happens to be a "no-flight" zone), and summarily take it upon themselves to investigate. Their efforts immediately cause more than a little consternation in certain quarters, however, and very quickly their mission goes south with dire results. Having seen (and photographed, no less) things not meant for their eyes, they find themselves on the wrong end of hostile missile, and their plane goes down. Having ejected in time, Burnett finds himself on the ground, alone, and in hostile territory. He manages to call in his position, but due to the muddled and convoluted politics of the moment, Admiral Leslie Reigart (Gene Hackman) is prevented from sending help in straight away, which leaves Burnett for a time to his own devices for survival in unknown terrain while in harm's way. But Burnett, a seven year veteran, is determined to make it, and to make this mission mean something-- which it will, if only he can get the proof of what he's seen back safely. And that means beating the enemy at their own game, and on their turf. Initially, Moore's film seems destined to become just one more of the brutally realistic and action packed war stories that have evolved since Spielberg's "Ryan," albeit a good one, from all indications early on. The story is solid and there's plenty of action, all of which is carried off nicely by star Owen Wilson, but by the half-way point there's nothing much that sets it apart from the usual action/drama survival film. It plays out, in fact, like a cross between "Enemy At the Gates" and "Black Hawk Down." Then something happens-- and it takes a turn that kicks it up a notch and takes it beyond anything those other films offered and/or delivered. Once the action surrounding Burnett's dilemma is established, Moore sharpens his focus on the more personal aspects of the story, and it suddenly becomes more than just a quest for survival; it becomes the study of a man on a mission, a man with a goal and a purpose, an individual against whom the odds are decidedly stacked. And by infusing that decisive human element into the story, it elevates the film to a higher level and achieves the kind of success never realized by either of the aforementioned films, in part because of their failure to effect that very same level of human drama that sets this film apart. As Burnett, Owen Wilson is very effective, turning in a performance that is quite natural and affecting. Wilson has something of a quirky appearance and a rather mesmerizing tone and manner of speaking that gives him a charismatic screen presence and makes him extremely accessible and convincing. He manages to avoid the trappings of the stereotypical "fly-boy" character, checking his ego and machismo at the door, and it makes Burnett very real and believable. It also makes the development of his character-- his actions, reactions and attitudes-- convincing as the story progresses, as well as lending credibility to the overall film. Hackman, on the other hand, falls directly into stereotype with his portrayal of Reigart; this is a character we've seen time and time again in just about every war film to come down the pike. But to his credit, Hackman does it extremely well, which is the beauty of watching an actor of his caliber perform. He's the consummate professional, and even when covering familiar ground, he has the ability to make it seem fresh and, most importantly, entertaining. Hackman is a gifted actor with a tremendous range; this character-- by it's inherent nature-- simply has nothing to offer by way of a challenge. Reigart is merely a character that serves a purpose, and Hackman realizes that intent to the fullest. The supporting cast includes Charles Mark Whitfield (Rodway), Joaquim de Almeida (Piquet), David Keith (O'Malley), Olek Krupa (Lokar), Vladimir Mashkov (Tracker) and Marko Igonda (Bazda). A film that offers some insights into politics, as well as the human condition, it manages to be thought provoking while delivering some terrific action, drama and solid entertainment. Worthy to be called one of "Ryan's " more successful offspring, "Behind Enemy Lines" is the watermelon of war films; it takes some doing to get through the rind, but once you get to the good part, it's pretty sweet, and more than worth the effort. And that's the magic of the movies.
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting, Thrilling, and Amazing Acting!
Review: I think "Behind Enemy Lines" is a great war film. Not only is the action constant - it still manages to make you laugh at the same time. I honestly truly enjoyed the film and Owen Wilson did an incredible acting job in it. Gene Hackman does a great job playing the commander with compassion. The ending of the film is not surprise, but it gives you a little, warm fuzzy feeling inside. This film is certainly worth watching!
Rating:
Summary: Good, not Great.....
Review: If you go in expecting something like We Were Soldiers or Black Hawk Down, you'll be let down. This shouldn't stop you from watching it though, it is a "feel good" movie and has a positive ending for those of you tired of watching films where "the good guy loses". The acting is horrible, but the special effects and cool action scenes should be good enough to let you have an O.K. time.
Rating:
Summary: "War" movies like this are hard for me to watch
Review: Well where to begin, well if you're 12, like lots of "cool" explosions, five thousand bullets shot at the hero (with 0 hits), a supposed "tracker" who couldn't hit the side of a barn door standing two feet away with his sniper rifle, and lots of hard pounding techno music, well then this movie is for you. And that's fine, but if you're like me and prefer more realistic movies like "Blackhawk Down," "saving Private Ryan," "A Bridge Too Far," and others, you'll want to start laughing after about 15 minutes into the movie. As far as it being a "true story" as has been claimed by many reviewers, well sorry to burst your bubble but the real story (Scott O'Grady I believe was the pilots name) was shot down in Bosnia and basically hid in a bush for three days hiding from the Serbs while he ate ants and periodically made radio calls. Eventually his radio calls were heard and he was picked up by marines in Chinook helicopters. Great story, it's been on Discovery Channel a few times. But this Owen Wilson mess is far from the truth of the real story. But hey that's hollywood and a movie about a guy in a bush for three days wouldn't put many [rears] in seats, so throw in all the other [junk] and make some money off it. If you prefer actual history and realism over "flash," then stear clear of this movie, if you want to see a guy trip about 15-20 "bouncing betties" all within a few yards of the hero and not even have a boo-boo, then by all means rent away and enjoy it.
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