RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Behind Enemy Lines
Behind Enemy Lines

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
36 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 12

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Behind Enemy Lines

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Blunt Review | comment Comment
12/02/01
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt
Blunt Review

Eight years is enough distance for Hollywood to deem [Bosnia] a suitable venue for battlefield derring-do, turning suffering, destruction and genocide into mindless spectacle.

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
12/02/01
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY

You get the feeling the filmmakers didn't want to make anyone think too hard about what's going on here behind the scenes of the main storyline.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
12/02/01
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

John Moore delivers exactly the movie you would expect from a director of a Sega ad.

Full Review Source: NUVO Newsweekly | comment Comment
11/30/01
Edward Johnson-Ott
Edward Johnson-Ott
NUVO Newsweekly

First-time feature director John Moore masters not only the second-by-second intensity of the action sequences and the bleakness of the physical and political landscape.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
11/30/01
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Technically proficient, morally vacant and troublingly jingoistic.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
11/30/01
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

A thrilling action picture for anyone who enjoys getting their auditory and visual senses assaulted, and their nerves absolutely wrecked.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
11/30/01
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

The whole thing falls apart thanks to Burnett's ridiculous attitude ... His reaction to the insolence from above is insulting.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/30/01
Max Messier
Max Messier
Filmcritic.com

A fun run-and-gun popcorn flick.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
11/30/01
Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
San Francisco Examiner
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Philadelphia City Paper | comment Comment
11/30/01
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
Philadelphia City Paper

Pro forma stuff, so much so that you start to wonder why no fetching femme resistance fighter materializes to help the Americans on the ground.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
11/30/01
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Moore ... has fallen prey to the 'Look what I can do now that I'm a movie director with a big budget' syndrome.

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
11/30/01
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

This baby comes equipped with all the bells and missiles. Given the standard-issue plot, it's about all it can be.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
11/30/01
Rita Kempley
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The pop-soundtrack bombast of the too-infrequently somber Behind Enemy Lines ... sometimes reduces a mediocre pursuit movie with capable action to 'Rockin' Bosnia.'

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
11/30/01
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Directed by first-timer John Moore on the strength of his work on a Sega game ad, which may tell you everything you need to know about its visual sense and narrative nonsense.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
11/30/01
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star

Put into the context of a real world at war, the movie seems impossibly shallow.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
11/30/01
Moira MacDonald
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times

'Oh no, what will happen to Tom Cruise!' -- that might have worked. 'Oh no, what will happen to Owen Wilson!' just doesn't cut it.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
11/30/01
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle

Former cameraman John Moore, now director, proves you can win total military support and spends piles of money and be a storming, braying, by-the-book hack.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
11/30/01
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune

If you're looking for anything beyond flashy entertainment, Behind Enemy Lines feels out of whack from the start.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
11/30/01
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

Like a good soldier, it does get the job done and in an efficient -- some would say simplistic -- way.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
11/30/01
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for Behind Enemy Lines

July 06, 2007: Warner Bros. Planning a Remake of "The Dirty Dozen"
At first I was completely annoyed when I read the news. Then I heard who was writing the remake, and I felt a little bit better. More...

May 22, 2006: An Evil Trio of "Omen" Clips
Breathlessly looking forward to June 6th so you can finally get a glimpse of the all-new Damien and his devilish ways? Then head on over to IGN FilmForce and get a gander at... More...

April 28, 2006: Thor, Hulk, Captain America ... and a Few More New Marvels
While the hiring of Jon Favreau as "Iron Man" director is pretty exciting movie-geek news, it seems that Marvel's Avi Arad has a whole bunch of new projects just... More...

January 27, 2006: Teaser Bulletin: Omen 666
In a year that promises a whole bunch of horror remakes (some welcome, some not) there's one that's sure to cause a bunch of tongue-wagging, and it's John Moore's redo of... More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

70% 70% Where the Wild Things Are 03/12
83% 83% Paranormal Activity 03/12
89% 89% Zombieland 03/12
76% 76% The Informant! 03/12
— The Strength of Water 03/12

What’s Hot On RT

Shock! Horror?

Shock! Horror?

Lars von Trier talks Antichrist

Zombieland

Zombieland

Director Ruben Fleischer's favourites

New Avatar action

New Avatar action

Watch an exclusive chase clip from the film

Kids' Book Films

Kids' Book Films

We fly through 10 of the best

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
14
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
36
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
16
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
116
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
176
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
130
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
76
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
58
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
37
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
17
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
13
  • Total Recall: Children's Book Adaptations
3
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
13
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
9
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
20
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Behind Enemy Lines at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Behind Enemy Lines at IGN
  • Behind Enemy Lines at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Dressing Wonderland
Dressing Wonderland External Link

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Win tickets to Cold Souls
Win tickets to Cold Souls External Link

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.