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Movies / Upcoming / Behind Enemy Lines
Behind Enemy Lines

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Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

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Reviews Counted:127

Fresh:46

Rotten:81

Average Rating:4.7/10

Consensus: The plot for Behind Enemy Lines is more jingoistic than credible, and the overload of flashy visual tricks makes the action sequences resemble a video game.

Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

US Box Office: $58,767,833

Synopsis: On a reconnaissance flight over eastern Europe, disillusioned naval pilot Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) and his partner, Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), photograph a scene they were not meant to see.... On a reconnaissance flight over eastern Europe, disillusioned naval pilot Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) and his partner, Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), photograph a scene they were not meant to see. When their plane is shot down and Stackhouse is quickly captured and executed, Burnett must struggle to survive in unfamiliar hostile territory with a cold-blooded assassin and hundreds of enemy troops on his heels. Meanwhile, on an American battleship in the Adriatic Sea, Burnett's commanding officer, Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman), attempts to negotiate his soldier's return amidst tense political and military maneuvers. Soon Burnett discovers exactly why he's being hunted, making his situation--and Reigert's actions--even more perilous. Benefiting from Wilson's straightforward performance and Hackman's typically engaging presence, BEHIND ENEMY LINES proves itself with a solid story (loosely based on real-life events) and excellent action sequences. Shot in a cold, icy light, John Moore's film features a nail-biting aerial chase, a tense race across a grenade-filled wasteland, and a stunningly explosive final battle. Wilson, typically cast in quirky comedic roles, is an unlikely action hero who turns out to be the movie's secret weapon. By avoiding excessive macho posturing, BEHIND ENEMY LINES is smarter, more exciting, and better looking than most Hollywood military thrillers. [More]

Starring: Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Gabriel Macht, Charles Malik Whitfield

Starring: Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Gabriel Macht, Charles Malik Whitfield, Joaquim de Almeida, David Keith, Olek Krupa, Vladimir Mashkov

Director: John Moore

Director: John Moore
Screenwriter: Zak Penn, David Veloz, John Thomas, James Thomas
Producer: John Davis
Composer: Don Davis
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Reviews for Behind Enemy Lines

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41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/06/02
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With one taut action scene after another, as long as you leave your brain at the door, this is an a glibly entertaining ride.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/24/01
Jason Korsner
Jason Korsner
BBC

Too silly to be taken seriously on any level.

Full Review Source: Daily-Reviews | comment Comment
12/14/01
Shay Casey
Shay Casey
Daily-Reviews

This tiresome, half-baked game of cat and mouse is another case of too much formula, too little talent.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
12/12/01
Andrew Howe
Andrew Howe
eFilmCritic.com

Behind Enemy Lines contains some first-rate action set-pieces, in particular a harrowing sequence in which Stackhouse tries to elude missiles homing in on his jet. But other passages are curiously slack and uninvolving.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
12/09/01
Daniel Eagan
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International

An old-fashioned game of the cinematic cat-and-mouse, soldier-on-the-run variety.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
12/08/01
Michael O'Sullivan
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Has the smell of last week's leftovers all over it.

comment Comment
12/08/01
Robert Wilonsky
Robert Wilonsky
New Times

It's certainly not a must-see, but it's a decent enough diversion.

Full Review Source: Norman Transcript | comment Comment
12/07/01
Jim Chastain
Jim Chastain
Norman Transcript

While it's far from the worst B-movie action flick to come down the pike, I'd hardly consider that a strong endorsement.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
12/07/01
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

derivative, but it ain't dull

Full Review Source: AboutFilm.com | comment Comment
12/06/01
Carlo Cavagna
Carlo Cavagna
AboutFilm.com

The only thing certain about Behind Enemy Lines is that Mr. Wilson is in it for the chance to work with Mr. Hackman, and Mr. Hackman is in it for the money.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
12/06/01
Rex Reed
Rex Reed
New York Observer

A flag-waving film experience that fits the present war times in America after the events of September 11.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment 1 Comment
12/06/01
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Feel(s) like a seasick hybrid of Top Gun and Saving Private Ryan.

Full Review Source: Matinee Magazine | comment Comment
12/05/01
Chuck Rudolph
Chuck Rudolph
Matinee Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Community Newspapers | comment Comment
12/04/01
Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Houston Community Newspapers

The reigning philosophy here is, if you can't make it good, make it incoherent.

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
12/04/01
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

Big, dumb, filled with explosions, and no token romance in sight...THANK YOU!

Full Review Source: Radio Free Entertainment | comment Comment
12/04/01
Andrew Manning
Andrew Manning
Radio Free Entertainment

As an exercise in stunts, action and special effects, the film does well enough, but it lacks the strength of characters and story to make it better than average ...

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
12/03/01
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

A piece of junk.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
12/03/01
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: www.susangranger.com | comment Comment
12/03/01
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
12/02/01
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
Modamag.com
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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