RSS 2.0Basic (2003)
This is why I love going to the Sneak Preview at my local cinema. Sometimes you get to see quite enjoyable movies that you’d otherwise probably ignore. Like this one.
When a team of six army rangers and their captain go out into the bush in Panama for a training mission and only two return, the local base commander has to figure out what happened. He teams up his rookie inhouse investigator Lt. Osborne (Connie Nielsen) with ex-ranger and DEA agent Hardy (John Travolta). Together they interrogate the two soldiers and try to solve the mystery.
Travolta is quite good in this one. He’s had his share of ups and downs, but playing a macho ex-military is right up his alley. He looks really fit too. And so does Connie Nielsen. As they put it in the movie, “Osborne is hot”. Sexy in a “Sharon Stone” kind of way. Event though on the surface they form the stereotypical rookie – experienced agent team, it’s actually Osborne who’s on top most of the time (excuse the pun). She figures out some of the most important clues and is Hardy’s equal in every way. Very nice to see an army woman who does not serve coffee.
And that’s only one thing that reminded me of “Courage under Fire”. Like in that movie, the witnesses have completely different recollections of what happened out there in the jungle, and it’s up to our heroes to find out who’s telling the truth. The script has quite a few surprises in store, and “Basic” quickly turns from a “who dunnit” into a “what-the-hell-is-going-on?”. It certainly kept me on the tip of my seat. But then, John McTiernan’s energetic style of directing seem to do that to me anyway.
This is a well-made mystery thriller. It raises no real issues or anything, it just keeps you intrigued and entertained for an hour and a half and still manages to surprise you in the end with a very bizarre twist. Go see this if you (like me) liked “Courage under Fire” and “High Crimes”. I’ll rate it ***1/3 (out of 5).
Roy (117 posts)Web designer and programmer, movie fanatic and devoted dad from Huizen, The Netherlands.
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***1/3 out of 5? Do we have anew rating system weefsel?
Comment by suzero — Mon July 21, 2003 @ 13:32Ahem, yeah, I meant to type ***1/2 there… it was 6 in the morning
As it turns out, this movie won’t be released for quite a while, so we have a “scoop” here at CoP
Comment by weefselkweekje — Mon July 21, 2003 @ 13:46It’s being released 21 August according to
http://www.imdb.com/Recent/Netherlands
Just wrote about it last night for the Aug issue of Shark and thought it looked quite good…
Comment by pip — Mon July 21, 2003 @ 19:47Travolta looks HUGE in that photo!
Comment by suzero — Mon July 21, 2003 @ 21:06It’s indeed going to be released on aug 21st.
I didn’t really think of this until now, but I guess they put Samuel Jackson on the poster to suggest a Pulp Fiction reunion. Jackson has a tiny part in this movie, Connie deserves to be on the poster imho…
Comment by weefselkweekje — Tue July 22, 2003 @ 8:12I haven’t seen the two other films you mentioned. I rarely see mystery thrillers, especially those involving any military aspects. But every time I see a good one, I’m very much entertained. Also nice to see someone like Travolta instead of Seagal in such a movie.
Comment by reisneus — Sat July 26, 2003 @ 18:22Hehe, Seagal couldn’t possibly pull this role off. It takes a lot more than “eyebrow-acting”, and actually very little fighting. As much respect as I have for any 7th Dan Aikido master, this would not have been a role for Mr. Seagal… (nor is any other acting part btw)
Comment by weefselkweekje — Sun July 27, 2003 @ 9:53I know I spawned a bad example. You’re right I shouldn’t mix the ‘make-an-action-movie-around-explosions-and-a-martial-arts-choreography’- genre with this movie. Yes I know that little about these genres.
Comment by reisneus — Sun July 27, 2003 @ 15:46