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  • Tagged by many critics as overly predictable despite trying to be the complete opposite, BASIC is nevertheless a strong, original and entertaining film.

    The cast, from big names John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson to lesser-knowns Connie Nielsen and Taye Diggs, ably unravels the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a reviled army sergeant during a hardcore training outing. The episode is recounted in as many ways by as many witnesses, an interesting method that has worked so well in other films such as COURAGE UNDER FIRE. It may all seem confusing at first, but gifted director John McTiernan gradually weaves everything together, though perhaps not as seamlessly as one would ideally prefer.

    BASIC is not without its flaws, but they are not as glaring as one might think from professional reviews, or even many of the comments on this website. Its originality is welcome at a time when so many films follow the same cookie-cutter formula.
  • The movie deals upon a commando of brave soldiers . During the training , the sergeant (Samuel L. Jackson) is killed . A previously soldier and now DEA agent (John Travolta) has to solve who is the killer . He investigates the disappearance of a legendary Army ranger drill sergeant and several of his cadets during a training exercise gone severely awry . He's helped by an officer (Connie Nielsen) . They will have to face off difficult enigmas until to find out the truth .

    The picture blends action , suspense , whodunit , thriller , emotions and is pretty entertaining . The flick is tense and mysterious from the beginning till ending and is neither boring , nor dull but entertaining . The screenplay of the film has a twisted plot and the final gets an extraordinary surprise . Runtime film is overlong but is fast-moving and for that reason is amusing . The movie is similar to classic ¨Rashomon¨ (by Akira Kurosawa) and ¨The Outrage¨ (by Martin Ritt) , regarding deeds since various points of sight as people explain them . Every time the story of the bunker is retold , each person has a different partner . Interpretation by John Travolta is top-notch likeness to Connie Nielsen . Samuel L. Jackson's acting is limited , he has a secondary but excellent role . Direction by John McTiernan is outstanding and stunning . The picture will appeal to mystery enthusiasts and suspense lovers . Rating : 7/10 above average. Well worth watching.
  • Basic engages your attention pretty early on and keeps you guessing throughout with the twists and turns in the storyline and its refreshingly unexpected ending.

    As you would expect Travolta and Jackson are both superb, as is Connie Neilson. The characters build well, the writing is very solid, and the story is quite original.

    All in all 'Basic' is a good thriller that is a little complex and confusing for the casual movie fan.

    Definitely worth watching, but not a classic

    7/10
  • "Basic" takes a lot of plot twists through the steamy jungles of Panama. They are often impossible to follow. No, literally. Impossible. As in they literally do not piece together. You can try to analyze them, but when you do, you find out there is nothing really to be analyzed. But the film, by confusing and tricking the audience, makes it appear as if something is there, which is almost as good as if something really is there. Therefore, the movie, though frustratingly difficult to follow at times, is entertaining. Confused yet? Yeah, that's what the movie will make you feel like.

    The film opens up in a rain-drenched Panama jungle at night on an Army training mission headed by Sergeant West (Samuel L. Jackson). Most of the film--ALL of the film, for that matter--takes place at night, during a rainy hurricane, and adds to the nonexistant plot. What is so intriguing is that the plot isn't really there, but the writer tries to manifest one, and we feel as if we are staring at some nonexistant, material wad of words and flashbacks and images thrown together in a blender, the writer hoping for it to come out smelling of roses. But I already went over that, didn't I?

    Flash forward to the next day. An Army chopper picks up two men from the training mission, one injured and one very much alive. The injured man, Kendall (Giovanni Ribisi), is sent to a hospital, and the alive man, Dunbar (Brian Van Holt) is sent in for questioning by the very sexy and very Southern Osborne (Connie Nielsen). Dunbar refuses to speak to anyone except a Ranger. So in comes Ranger Tom Hardy (John Travolta) to piece together the events surrounding the death of Sgt. West and his team.

    The writer of "Basic," James Vanderbilt, has so many twists and turns that the film is impossible to keep up with. I like movies like these, where you see different characters telling their version of one event, but the mistake Vanderbilt makes is that he overuses the plot flashbacks in the middle of other events. It becomes hard to seperate present from past and what's real from what's not. So many revelations happen that I feel like I'm in the middle of the writer's mind, as he comes up with new ideas and tries to squeeze them in time after time after time. There is a limit to how many times you can use "surprise" revelation endings. Vanderbilt uses three of four in a row, piled on top of each other, time after time after time. Just as we think the plot twists are done, and we start to smile because we think we might finally understand the basis of the plot, something else happens, and we zoom in suspensefully on John Travolta's face as he, along with the audience, realizes something. Which leads me to something else.

    The end of the film leaves more open than concluded. So many plot holes are never ironed out. With the ending being the way it is, you can look back at certain events and think, "Why did that surprise (so-and-so)," and "Why did that event happen as it pays no relevancy to the plot?" The answer to all this? Simple: It's called audience manipulation, and James Vanderbilt uses it a lot. He throws the audience a bone to keep them happy, continues with something else, throws another bone, and when it's all done and over, we're choking on all these bones and he doesn't realize it. Interesting how he said he named his character Tom Hardy after the Hardy Boys. If I recall, the Hardy Boy novels, which I was an avid reader of at one time, usually revealed a lot at the end. "Basic" tries to, but does not.

    The film has an excellent director at its helm, John McTiernan. A man who chooses his projects carefully and wisely and, unfortunately, sometimes horribly ("Rollerball" was exceptionally bad). But "Die Hard" and "Predator" are two of my all-time favorite action films, "Predator" being my all-time favorite "alien" movie. Who wants McTiernan to return to his roots and film a "Predator 3"? It would be good, but don't count on it. Like I said, he chooses wisely, and if I assume correctly, he's the kind of director who doesn't like to return to old projects.

    "Basic" confused me, but after the film was over and my mind was in a knot trying to figure out all the different plot twists, I realized how much fun I had being duped by this film. I laughed to myself as I came to realize that this movie has a paper-thin plot, and the filmmakers all tricked us by taking so many twists and turns and throwing so many confusion bones at the audience and making us believe that the underlying plot of the film was something deep. I really enjoyed this movie, even if I still don't really understand it fully. Then again, I don't think you're really supposed to.

    3.5/5 stars -
  • Even though I had some doubts about this movie before watching it, I definitely wanted to give it a try. There were several reasons for that. One of those reasons is because Samuel L. Jackson plays an important role in it. That man on his own is already reason enough to watch a movie, but I also knew that it was directed by John McTiernan, who also made "The Hunt for Red October", "The 13th Warrior" and "Die Hard: With a Vengeance". Three movies that I've seen and liked very much. The only one that didn't really do it for me was "The Thomas Crown Affair", but with an average of three out of four, I could only hope for the best with this movie.

    "Basic" starts with showing us how army sergeant West takes six of his special troops on a training mission into the Colombian rain forest, from which only two return alive. When the rescue mission arrives, they see one soldier killing another and carrying a wounded comrade. As soon as they are back on the base, the interrogation of Dunbar - one of the two survivors - starts. But he refuses to talk to anyone else than another Ranger who he doesn't know yet. That's where former Ranger and current DEA agent Hardy comes in. He is able to get a confession out of Dunbar, but as he digs deeper, he only finds more and more prove of contradictions and illegal practices...

    This is one of those movies that you have to watch when you can keep your mind to it from the beginning until the end. If you think that you'll need to take a break in between, you better don't even start watching it because the entire story is so confusing and so many plot twists make it almost impossible to watch it, unless you can keep focused. But don't think that this means that this movie isn't any good. It's especially thanks to the many twists that I kept watching, because the interrogation scenes and the 'action scenes' on the base didn't always do it for me. What I also liked about this movie was Samuel L. Jackson's performance. He was really nice as the tough sergeant West. You could see that the man enjoyed playing this role. John Travolta wasn't bad either, but I've already seen him play better roles.

    Overall this isn't a bad movie. Thanks to the mysterious story and the many twists it is hard to keep track, but when you are able to do so, you'll have fun watching it. Still, not everything about this movie was that strong and that's why I give this movie a 6.5/10. It isn't the best movie in the genre, but could have been a lot worse than this.
  • For the most part of the movie I was thinking about rating it with an eight but towards the end it got way too confusing that I had to change my ratings. The end deserves a six so overall the average is a seven for me. It's one of those movies with plenty of action, but not the kind of easy entertainment, you really have to focus all the time as there are so many twists and turns it just becomes difficult to follow. I like twists and turns but too much isn't necessarily a good thing. The acting is what you expect when you see the big names in the cast, it was good for most of the time. All in all I had a fun time watching Basic, it's just the second part that brought the ratings a bit down. Maybe I'll watch it again in the future, maybe it won't be that confusing if I stay more focussed.
  • From the trailer it was hard to make out how intricate the movie actually was. I had earlier taken it to be an army movie that was sure to showcase some war-like situations. However I was proved wrong when I actually found the movie to be a sort of a thriller. The story retains a training program which turns out to be chaotic when all those rangers who had stepped down to train in the formidable forest area end up shooting each other except for two fellow rangers. The mystery was slowly revealed by two fellow Rangers as to what really happened in the woods while training, both leading the story to a different direction. They both were trying to complicate things by telling their part of the story which although seemed true but in fact wasn't. John Travolta was called on to interrogate the two rangers who had survived from a training facility region(which turned out to be a battleground as there were those who shared a grudge for Samuel Jackson while those who considered it inhumane to kill him) and ended up killing the rest in an accident as the story of those survived rangers suggested. Connie Nielsen however had the habit of snooping around and so figures out the rest of the mystery eventually which was an eye-opener. Find out for yourself what the actual mystery was as I was really surprised to find out the consequences eventually myself and would recommend everyone to watch the movie. I'd rate the movie 7 for the suspense as I kind of like watching movies that has something thrilling to offer.
  • Basic is a twisty and overwrought mystery thriller that makes the classy move of assuming the viewer can keep up with its plot. Well if you can, then good for you. I kind of grasped everything, but still had to go read the last few lines of the film's synopsis on Wikipedia.

    John McTiernan needs no introduction. He's a wizard when it comes to directing action movies and his skill shines through here, with many tense scenes and some good action scenes.

    The plot is good. Even if it is confusing and a little hard to follow, it's a good premise, and it is an entertaining mystery. The actors commit to it and make it work, and this is probably one of my favorite Travolta performances. Samuel L. Jackson is amazing once again, and his just too charismatic.

    This is described as an action film, which I guess is fair. All the action consists of battle scenes that take place in flashbacks, but they're violent, visceral, and entertaining. Don't expect loads of action, though.

    It's ultimately a good movie, and worth a watch. It's actually probably worth one or two extra viewings to fully realize the complexity of the plot. I recommend it.
  • Man, I can't believe I almost overlooked this because the major film critics panned it. Basic is seriously good and the kind of mystery/suspense story I don't see anywhere near enough of. I enjoyed every minute of this movie. I couldn't figure it out and was surprised at the end. For me, it doesn't get much better in the entertainment department than a movie like Basic. John Travolta does what John Travolta does best, playing a wise guy better than anyone, and Connie Nielsen delivers a great little performance and she's hot to boot. This movie has an amazing number of plot twists and the pacing is quick so try to keep up with it. I loved it!
  • This movie started out as 'The General's Daughter II, Electric Boogaloo' but as the plot thickened and the characters became more developed, I became more and more intrigued. The last 25 minutes of this movie had more twists than Marlon Brando's intestines. Great ending to save a mediocre movie!
  • Warning: Spoilers
    **spoilers** There is nothing basic about this movie. For a movie to be Basic doesn't it basically have to have a plot??? I have never seen a movie with so many pointless plot twists. This is just a huge amount of plot twists that boil down to absolutely nothing in the end. The entire movie is a huge waste. John travolta interrogates several people for no reason because in the end it turns out they're all in it together anyway so you've just wasted 90 minutes. If a movie is going to have that many plot twists it better actually have a conclusion.
  • now a days, you see a movie and in the middle of it, you already know the ending, so it's really refreshing to see that 'basic' defies that! i was really having a blast, was loving it, and when the end came i was blown away, but for only one second, because then the brain kicked in, and realize that the plot was wrong, didn't made sense! there were so many twists (and i love that in a movie) that even the editors got confused, if that ending was meant to be, than there were things that happened earlier on, that don't make sense, that are just wrong.

    despite all that i liked the movie, i enjoyed't when i was watching and even more when i came out of the theater room and debated with my friends, trying to make sense on why some scenes happened, i bought the DVD only to get to the sad conclusion that i was right and there's something wrong with the story. if only the story would have matched, it would be, one of my favorite action movies!
  • kevin_parks19 January 2005
    John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson star together in this drama/action/thriller. Sure, it's not quite as good as when they starred together in Pulp Fiction, but this still delivers. This story is basically about a platoon of armymen and their Sgt. (Jackson) on a training mission that goes wrong. People wind up dying or dead and the military calls in an expert to assist in the investigation (Travolta). The story takes a few unsuspecting turn of events leaving you wanting to watch more. Connie Neilson, Giovanni Ribisi, and Harry Connick Jr deliver good supporting roles. What makes this movie great though, is the ending.
  • Throw in a bunch of dark scenes, rain, noise, indistinguishable characters, constantly changing plot, a few snappy lines and you basically have a mess.

    Acting is ok in spite of the twisting illogical plot. Watchable but annoying.
  • Warning: Spoilers
    I saw this movie back in 2004 and I liked it (or so I thought).

    After a few years I had the opportunity to watch it again. The strange thing was, although I remembered how it ends, I couldn't find a logical path of what happens in the movie and what was true and what wasn't.

    Today (June of 2016), after I watched Connie Nielsen in another movie, I remembered the existence of "Basic" (and how she looked good with her short blond hair and the uniform) and I sought it to watch it, but again, although I remembered the last couple of scenes and the resolution of the film, I still couldn't remembered how the plot evolves.

    What I'm saying is that the movie is incoherent and the narrative is (purposely I guess, to give a sense of continuous twists) confusing. I also find it less satisfying in todays standards despite the obvious chemistry between John Travolta and Connie Nielsen.

    To realize how confusing the plot is, take a look at the contents in Wikipedia. Usually in a movie, there is a "Plot" section with a summary or a more detailed description of the plot. Here you have ...subsections of the plot as follows:

    1.1 Dunbar's story

    1.2 Kendall's story

    1.3 Dunbar's second story

    1.4 Kendall's second story

    1.5 Pike's final explanation

    1.6 Final twist and explanation

    I don't recall any other movie to have such a structure in its topic in Wikipedia!!

    The thing is you are trying to follow what is happening (especially in the first viewing) and you even might have a suspicion about who the actual bad guy is, but the convulsive script combined with John McTiernan's erratic direction, have as a result a movie that is ultimately confusing.

    If you see it superficially you will probably enjoy it. Travolta's character has an attitude of a "know-it-all" maverick investigator, Connie Nielsen looks really good, and the end is designed to think of it as rewarding and satisfying.

    But if you look more closely and give it a second thought you will see clearly that this movie is more like a disappointment.

    **P.S.: The atmosphere and the theme of the movie, plus the similar lead role of Travolta, but with Madeleine Stowe instead of Connie Nielsen, reminded me of The General's Daughter (1999). A better movie if you ask me.
  • kneiss118 September 2010
    I like movies where you as a watcher are groping in the dark, wondering what is actually going on most of the time. It keeps me interested and makes me think. I personally like that. I am sure that others will become quite angry with the movie. Because it's continually tricks you. The movie has a fun to watch plot, with lots of twists. Too bad that they overdid it a bit with the twists. (Even though, those twist are the charm of the movie.) The movie isn't stupid, but could have been a lot smarter. In the very end, the whole movie feels totally unrealistic and absurd.

    I also have to say, that I didn't like the main actors characters much. Their relationship was silly. And especially Travolta was way too cool for my taste. And usually I like Travolta being way too cool. Didn't work for me in this movie.
  • bbd29531 August 2003
    It was like a good TV movie. Yes it had too many twists and yes it made little sense but it worked in a weird way. Travolta, who I am not that fond of as an actor...still has a way of capturing your attention. Jackson just phoned it in sadly, but for some reason I liked it.
  • This is a very well put together film, and one that should keep anyone's interest. It's done via a plot with more twists and turns than a drunken snake. This is your basic murder mystery with several extra elements thrown in for good measure. Just when you think you've got something figured out, along comes another twist. It got me a couple of times! Look for pretty decent acting from the entire cast. As I said, the plot alone will keep you going! The photography is pretty good and the screenplay is excellent. I didn't see anything to complain about. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta and Connie Nielsen. This is a pretty good one, so go rent it today!
  • While performing a military training in Panama before the arrival of a hurricane, four soldiers and his sergeant West (Samuel L. Jackson) vanishes in the jungle. Only two survivors are found. In the investigation conducted by the former military and presently DEA agent Hardy (John Travolta) and commandant Osborne (Connie Nielsen), each one of the survivors tells a different version for the event. I liked this movie: the story, with many plot points, showing different versions for the same event, is a non-declared tribute to Rashômon. I intend to see this DVD again to verify if there are flaws in the complicated screenplay. It is necessary to pay attention in the name of each soldier to understand the plot. My vote is eight.

    Title (Brazil): `Violação de Conduta' (`Violation of Behavior')
  • Warning: Spoilers
    John McTierman directs this sometime confusing, but intriguing military drama. Sergeant West(Samuel L. Jackson)is a reviled legendary Army Ranger that is "fragged" while commanding a Special Forces training mission in a hurricane-battered Panamanian rain forest. Two survivors(Giovanni Ribisi and Brian Van Holt)recall the mission...but the truth is not unfolding to the satisfaction of Brass. Former Ranger and current DEA agent Hardy(John Travolta)is summoned against the wishes of Army Investigator Osborne(Connie Nielsen) to sort out conflicting recall and find the truth of what actually happened on that ill-fated mission. Enough twists and turns to keep you hanging on. The ending may be somewhat a let down. Ranger protocol may be side stepped a bit...but still the mind is a fearsome weapon. Rounding out the cast are: Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Roselyn Sanchez and Harry Connick Jr.
  • dp40512 March 2003
    I saw Basic at a press screening last week and I must say it's damn AWFUL. Poorly written, poorly directed (Whatever happened to you, John?) and even poorly photographed (How can a Hollywood movie look so ugly?). The film is like "The General's Daughter", but with a bunch of unbelievable twists and turns attached to it. Nothing makes sense in this movie. The screenwriter builds the whole film around false flashbacks (like that's hard) and keeps pulling the rug from under your feet so many times that halfway through the movie you don't care anymore. He tries to make "The Usual Suspects" or "House of Games", but the writer is no Christopher McQuarrie or David Mamet. He cheats shamelessly (with the Point of View, with the Information you're given, with the character's motivations...). This is one of those movies that, when the final twist comes, you look back at the whole film and realize that nothing makes any sense.

    Even worse, you do not care about the characters (they are non-existent, just walking card-board figures), you do not care about the investigation (there are no true facts that you can hold to), you just want the movie to end. McTiernan has definitively lost his gift for action: everything is noisy and confusing. Spielberg can direct action (see Minority Report), making it dynamic and frantic, but clear at the same time. McTiernan cannot. It's all chop, chop, chop.

    Because the whole action takes place at night, under the rain, during a hurricane, the film is really ugly and LOUD. The wind keeps howling, the character keep yelling, the sound effects of the machine guns are deafening... I can assure you something: by the end of the film, you'll have a head-splitting headache.
  • Warning: Spoilers
    I've heard many people complain the Basic is too convoluted, and you can't tell what's going on. This is what makes Basic so good, you can't just sit in front of your television and mindlessly observe and expect to get it. You have to actively think about what's happening, and that's what people hate, they are only happy with stories they can be force fed, and not have to think about it.

    Sorry...started ranting, on with the movie analysis.

    ****I'll warn you now, the following may contain some spoilers****

    The key to understanding and liking Basic, is realizing, it's NOT a murder mystery, and what happened in the jungle is almost totally irrelevant. If you can do that, then you can enjoy the movie.

    I don't wanna give anything away, so i'll stop there, and go into the characters.

    Captain Osbourne : She is our guide through the web of lies that is this movie. I think this character was done nicely, but her 'revolving door of accents' got on my nerves a bit, southern, then Texan, then none, then southern again, MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

    Tom Hardy : Great character, dubious and mysterious, you get the feeling right off that he's not what he seems. Travolta was a great choice for this role, and i enjoyed watching him give such a great performance.

    Seargent West : All I can say is, This man scares the holy hell out of me! Sam Jackson is the perfect choice for this role, the man has such a presence, like when he walks into the bunker during the hurricane and rips the curtain down, I remember thinking "Did God just walk in? No, no that's Sam Jackson." There is no better choice for this role, Sam Jackson had the presence and the shouting voice to carry this character perfectly.

    I can't really talk about the other characters without giving things away, I want to so badly though.

    As for the story, I love a good mystery. Basic is NOT a murder mystery, it's a 'Who is working for Who' military mystery thriller. everyone *with the exception of Osbourne* is lying their asses off, and everyone is hiding something. Nothing and Nobody is what they seem *again with the exception of Osbourne* the real story is hidden under the lies, if you take this movie at face value, which is the mistake most viewers make, you WILL hate this movie.

    I have also heard many complaints that there are many plot holes that never get smoothed over, this is mainly in part because they made the director change the ending to make Travolta's character Hardy a good guy, and Major West not really dead. In the original ending, which in my opinion made more sense, Hardy was the true villain, not Colonal Styles. Styles was still leading the drug ring at the base, but he worked for Hardy, who was the mastermind, and the one who killed West. I got this information from the special features on the Basic DVD.

    Overall, I give basic 9/10
  • This is a really good, classic, enjoyable movie. That's it. I thoroughly liked the plot, the twists, the acting - great way to spend shy of 2 hours. Don't expect to reminisce about the ending years afterwards, just strap in and enjoy the ride. Travolta and Jackson deliver performance as delightful as expected.
  • red443 July 2003
    Warning: Spoilers
    *Spoilers Herein...

    Well, all I can say is that the studio had a barefaced cheek to release this rancid monstrosity of film-making on a paying public. The ridiculous number of plot twist scenarios became tiresome very quickly and I got to the stage where I thought I must have been having a bad dream because there is no way I could actually be sitting in a cinema watching this convoluted dogs dinner of a movie. James Vanderbilt, the screenwriter, must have bamboozled himself dizzy writing this guff. And don't think the rest of you are getting off that lightly either - I'm pointing my finger at everyone involved here - McTiernan, Travolta, Jackson et al. Experienced filmmakers all cocking up big style, and it's all up there on the big silver screen for you to see, if, like me, you're foolish enough to pay to see it. Oh, and let us not forget the smug ending - we're so clever - no, you're not! Maybe my brain was scrambled (with rage) by that point but I believe the ending even hinted at some potential action adventure sequel based around the antics of the elite 'section 8' team. Now, if the filmmakers really did have a sequel in mind then maybe they should all be sectioned themselves because they must be mad! Scrambled brain anyone?
  • Infamously cruel Sergeant West takes his unit into the Panama jungle on a training exercise. Two days later two of his men return and report the rest dead. When the base investigator makes no process, the base commander calls in shamed DEA agent Hardy. The investigation continues well with both of the two men telling their stories, however Hardy finds that the stories contradict themselves and that the truth is much, much more complex than first appeared.

    For the majority of this film everything goes the way you expect it to, but yet it all still works reasonably well. The plot twists in several ways as each contradiction brings out a bit more truth in the overall tale. It is filled with dramatic interrogation scenes which, although clichéd, do still serve to be reasonably gripping. However at some point, and I can't say exactly when it happens, the sheer volume of twists and the leaps we are expected to make simply become too much for the quality of the material and it more or less collapses in on itself.

    It isn't that the twists are too much of a stretch, it's that they are too much of a stretch for this film. Usual Suspects has massive twists that bewilder and require big jumps, but that had the acting and script to back it up. Here the same isn't true, the script doesn't do a good enough job of gradually revealing a story to us just to twist it; instead it just seems to be constantly changing the foundations to the point that I felt I was on quick sand rather than a base where the walls kept moving (if you get my meaning). What I'm saying is that the story didn't set itself up well enough to provide killer twists, instead it was constantly pulling small then bigger twist after twist - to the point where I was expecting the next one before it arrived. Not to unfairly compare, but Usual Suspects gradually added layers rather than twists as it builds to a climax. Basic just keeps twisting but eventually gets to the point where it overstretches itself and the twists lose their impact.

    The dramatic tone suffers for this reason and, after a good start it all too quickly loses it's impact. Travolta tries hard and for the most part he does OK, but his slick character loses it towards the end, and his final `winks' are not easy to understand. I got the feeling that he didn't understand his character anymore that I did. Jackson gives a better performance in flashback although his character is pretty much a basic sergeant-major cliché, until the ending goes and ruins a fair amount of what he had done up till that point. Nielsen is pretty good but gives a masculine performance in a masculine film. The support cast is actually pretty good although Ribisi damaged his reputation with me by doing some sort of weak effeminate spoof character. Diggs, Holt, Daly and Sanchez all do pretty well and their solid flashback sequences help the interrogation to be more dramatic.

    Overall this film is too twisty and some of them really demand jumps that are just not made possible by a script that doesn't do enough to help the audience out. It still manages to be pretty dramatic and enjoyable for at least the first half, but the final third demands too much and twists too much for the material to cope with. Not as awful as other reviews lead me to expect but it collapses alarmingly fast towards the end.
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