Basic Movie Review 2003

Travolta, swallowing scenery and his fellow actors in one gulp, is DEA agent and ex-Army Ranger Tom Hardy, brought in to investigate how a training mission ended in all but two soldiers being killed. Over the objections of the base's top cop, Capt. Julia Osborne (Nielsen, sporting an inconsistent Southern accent), he interrogates both survivors and gets two completely differing accounts, "Rashomon" style. In flashback, it's learned that the platoon's commander, Sgt. West, was universally hated, and the men were killed by each other, and some kind of drug smuggling ring may have been involved. Convoluted and confusing are two words you could use for this script, but both are woefully inadequate to describe how it messes with your head, and not in that good, "Wow, that was clever" way. It seems that the actors are as confused as the audience, and decide to cover that with epidemic over-acting.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 95 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Military: Army, Homicide, DEA

Screenplay

James Vanderbilt

Cast

John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Connie Nielsen, Giovanni Ribisi, Brian Van Holt, Taye Diggs, Christian de la Fuente, Dash Mihok, Timothy Daly, Roselyn Sanchez, Harry Connick

Cinematography

Steve Mason

Director

John McTiernan

Music

Klaus Badelt

Other

Tom Nelson, George Folsey, Gary Kosko, Kate Harrington, Dennis Bradford

Producer

Michael Tadross, Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer, James Vanderbilt, Intermedia Films, Phoenix Pictures, Columbia Pictures