RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • 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
 
 
121 - 140 (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
 
 

This is an action flick, and in that regard it delivers everything that it's supposed to and more.

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
11/29/01
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

As steel-toed, tin-eared, flat-footed, jingoistic military thrillers go, Behind Enemy Lines marches in formation, clomping down familiar roads.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
11/29/01
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly

Here, it's all about the people who are fighting, not about what they're fighting for, and nobody seems to care about justice or freedom.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
11/29/01
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Moore, just up from television commercials, relies too heavily on a pastiche of stylistic elements cribbed from others.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
11/29/01
Charles Savage
Charles Savage
Miami Herald

Has a crassness remarkable even for Hollywood.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
11/29/01
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

All those arguments about how desensitizing video games are certainly apply here.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
11/29/01
Glenn Lovell
Glenn Lovell
San Jose Mercury News

Engaging junk, replete with plenty of flag-waving, one-dimensional villains and big-bang payoffs that will delight action movie fans.

Full Review Source: Contra Costa Times | comment Comment
11/29/01
Mary F. Pols
Mary F. Pols
Contra Costa Times

A piece of jingoistic claptrap, but one expertly calculated to appeal to viewers' emotions, particularly at the present moment of national crisis.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
11/29/01
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

An implausible military technology adventure that takes about 10 minutes to get started, then climaxes for an hour-and-a-half.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment Comment
11/29/01
Paul Tatara
Paul Tatara
CNN.com

The Bosnian War becomes a video game, Gene Hackman turns into a pseudo-John Wayne, and Owen Wilson and Vladimir Mashkov impersonate The Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
11/29/01
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune

It is loud. It is formulaic. It’s also, more often than not, a thumping good time at the movies.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
11/29/01
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Convoluted to the point of sheer stupidity.

Full Review Source: Talking Pictures (U.S.) | comment Comment
11/29/01
Tony Toscano
Tony Toscano
Talking Pictures (U.S.)

[Wilson] either retools his lines into uncanny comic gems ... or pumps enough life into the typical monosyllabic action dialogue to make it enjoyable.

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
11/29/01
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy

...the American masses...seem to want our entertainment and our wars to be simplistic, expeditious, dangerously shortsighted, and goal-oriented to the point of tunnel vision.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
11/29/01
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

A very timely movie, it features some of the best aerial combat footage ever filmed.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
11/28/01
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

A stylistic ping-pong match that nonetheless gives off great energy.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
11/28/01
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

I had a blast watching it and that's pretty much all that I was looking for in this film

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
11/28/01
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

The exhausting obsession with gizmos and gotchas only accentuates a baffling disinterest in the story's emotional crux.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
11/27/01
Jessica Winter
Jessica Winter
Village Voice

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | comment Comment
11/27/01
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Uncomplicated war movie with straight-ahead, MTV-style action mixed with simplistic politics.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
11/21/01
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
 
 
121 - 140 (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

What’s Hot On RT

Coen Brothers

Coen Brothers

We count down their 10 best-reviewed films

Avatar

Avatar

Watch an exclusive behind-the-scenes video

RT's Twilight corner

RT's Twilight corner

Everything you need on New Moon is here

Doomed Romance

Doomed Romance

Our top 10 star-crossed movie lovers

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
5
  • 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
102
  • 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
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
  • McTeigue Says Superman Is "In a Weird Place" Source: MTV
204
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
158
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
129
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
97
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
74
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
51
  • Five Favorite Films with Werner Herzog
50
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
31
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
22
  • RT on DVD: Harry Potter returns, Bella heads to Adventureland
4
  • Ho, ho, ho! It's RT's Great Big Gift Guide!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
8
  • 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
16
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

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

Fresh Links

Featured
Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi?
Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi? External Link

The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.

New Moon Portraits
New Moon Portraits External Link

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

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.