Basic
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Movie Reviews of Basic
Movie Review: An awe-inspiring, intellectually challenging thriller
Summary: 5 Stars
There is nothing basic about Basic. I thought this movie was superb; maybe I'm easier to please than a lot of the people who criticize the script because I found this to be one of the most intelligent, mesmerizing, blow-your-mind movies I've ever seen. It's a rare treat to find a movie that is not completely predictable these days, and Basic takes unpredictability and surprise to unheard of levels. There was one small aspect of the saga I successfully predicted early on, but the rest of the twists and turns this movie takes had me doing mental gymnastics. Every time you start to think you've seen at least a shadow of the light, this movie rips the rug back out from under you and plunges you into even darker depths of confusion and doubt. Best of all, this elaborate plot actually holds together, which is really just amazing. Basic is a movie that makes you think, and I have no problem admitting that I was often at a loss as to what was really going on; Basic did not insult my intelligence in any way shape or form; it challenged it constantly and delightfully humbled me in the process.At the center of the story is a Special Forces training mission that goes horribly awry. Only two of six soldiers make it out of the Panamanian jungle, one of whom is injured and the other of whom isn't talking. The base commander Styles (Timothy Daly) calls in his old buddy Hardy (John Travolta) to interrogate the witness because he feels the job is over the head of Army investigator Osborne (Connie Nielsen). Before the feds get involved, Styles wants to know why the unit leader Sgt. West (Samuel L. Jackson) and four soldiers are lying dead somewhere out in the jungle. Hardy is a former Ranger who served under and hated West, but he is now an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency. Hardy gets the one soldier to tell his version of events, only to hear a much different story from the injured soldier when he wakes up in the hospital. So begins a quest for the truth that has Hardy and Osborne running back and forth between witnesses, discovering unexpected aspects of the case such as the existence of drug-smuggling operations being carried out inside the base and hospital, and discovering that the big fish they are striving so hard to reel in is one big whopper indeed.
Do things become confusing? That's affirmative, but I see this in a positive light. This movie makes you stop and think, turning over what you have heard in your own mind not so much to predict the future as to merely stay caught up with the twists and turns you have just seen revealed before your very eyes. In the final analysis, one or two little aspects of the presentation, which occur largely in the form of dream-like flashbacks, may have a weak leg to stand on but never come close to collapsing or falling over. Some will probably be tempted to just throw their hands up in the air and give up trying to understand everything, but those who love a challenge, especially one presented in such a theatrical and awe-inspiring way, will find themselves energized and inspired to a degree few movies can hope to duplicate. For my money, Basic is one of the most intelligent, suspenseful thrillers I've seen in a long time.
Movie Review: Great movie with plenty of twists and turns
Summary: 5 Stars
Basic is an excellent military thriller that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. After a Rangers training mission goes horribly wrong, an interrogator is brought in to try and find out why only two of seven soldiers came back from the mission. Joined by the Provost Marshal of the base, the interrogator, Tom Hardy, goes back and forth between the two survivors who both have their own stories of what happened in the Panama jungle. Much of the story is in flashback as we see what possibly happened during the failed mission. This story has so many twists and turns that you really need to watch this movie twice to fully appreciate it. Basic will have you asking yourself questions about why this happened or was that possible for days after watching the movie. The ending is perfect for the movie. I can almost guarantee that you will not see it coming.John Travolta gives an excellent performance as Tom Hardy, DEA agent and ex-Army interrogator brought in to find out what happened during the mission. You can tell just by looking that he enjoyed making this movie. Connie Nielsen plays Julie Osborne, Hardy's parnter during the investigation. She is very good as the story unfolds before us. Samuel L. Jackson is also good as Sergeant Nathan West, the sadistic leader of the Rangers on the mission. The movie also stars Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Brian Van Holt, and Harry Connick JR all who give very good performances. The DVD offers widescreen presentation, trailers from several movies including Basic, and two featurettes that shine some light on the twists and turns of the plot. This is a great military thriller that will keep you riveted throughout the movie. The ending has to be seen, so I will not tell anything about it. Check out Basic for a great ride of a movie!
Movie Review: One of the best mind benders EVER
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife and I saw this movie when it came out. We had no expectations and we were both fairly objective in our viewing. By the time the movie was over we were blown away. As with any film, there may be some things here and there that may not be perfect (such as look, items worn in the field, etc.,) but the storyline itself is a classic masterpiece, the filming is cool and the acting is just fine. Hitchcock would have probably gotten a big kick out of this story. There are so many twists and turns to this movie that it is a challenge in places to understand, but if you just memorize the names of the main characters at the beginning of the movie everything will go fairly smoothly in your viewing experience. Viewers should bear in mind, this is not the kind of movie that drops tons of clues all over the place so that everyone can solve the mystery before the movie ends. Rather, this move is more like a train ride down a long dark tunnel, trying to figure things out along side the characters in the movie, eventually breaking out into the light in the end. You can't trust everything everyone says in the movie, don't even trust all the names! This is one of the stories that can go in any direction and they could have gone on and on with its mind bending twists and turns. But the director wisely knew when to stop. BASIC is written for people who want to figure things out themselves and not have everything handed on a silver platter. I'm grateful for movies like this.Movie Review: Basic is anything but....
Summary: 5 Stars
I've seen this movie twice and I'm convinced that it is now my new favorite one. Don't go in expecting to be able to keep up or solve this impossible mystery. This film tries it's best to confuse you...and I loved every minute because of it. Not only is the narrative structure unique to this film, but the narration in the film is always changing. I didn't notice it the first time, but even after several character names and situations are sorted out...things keep changing. The film is out to confuse you. And that ending...I was literally tossing my hands up the first time I watched it because it was mind-blowing. I've never seen anything like it. This film switched genres and mood completely in literally the last two minutes. The final scene (with the re-mix of Black Betty playing behind it) is like a scene from a different movie. It was great. I tried explaining the plot of this film to friends, and it takes me forever and it's impossible to get it right. This film will have you head spinning and you will be thinking about it for days. I am a film major in Washington and I suggest at least checking this film out to everyone. I know many won't like it because it's so incoherrent at times, but I think it's Travolta at his best and Mctiernan at his second best, lest we forget Die Hard. Can't wait for the DVD...Movie Review: "It's all about telling the story right!"
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie is full of twists and turns, in fact just two minutes before the end there is another twist. This is the beauty of this film. While watching this movie, whenever you try to believe something, it turns out opposite and only to find later that it was not correct either. This one is definitely not the typical war movie. It's not the actions, but the script that keeps the audience riveted throughout the movie, and critics will have a hard time in pointing out for a moment that was boring in the entire run.
John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson were average. I mean their performance was as good as any of their other movies. However, the real credit in acting will go to Connie Nielsen. If you have liked the movie "A few Good Men", you will like this movie too. Highly recommended.