Behind Enemy Lines *** (2001, Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Gabriel Macht) – Classic Movie Review 1667

Director John Moore’s 2001 action thriller stars Owen Wilson as Lieutenant Chris Burnett, the navigator of a US reconnaissance plane shot down by Serbs over Bosnia. He becomes stranded in enemy territory and goes on the run with hundreds of troops on his trail.

Gene Hackman is great as his commanding officer, Admiral Leslie Reigart, who contravenes orders in a bid to rescue him. Written by David Veloz and Zak Penn, who base their screenplay on a story by Jim Thomas and John Thomas, this is exciting, gung-ho action stuff, though Wilson’s a bit of an irritant and the way he keeps dodging the bullets becomes increasingly absurd.

Gabriel Macht and David Keith co-star.

There’s a memorable stunt that won the award for Best Aerial Work at the World Stunt Awards in 2002, in which a pilot runs away from gunfire as a helicopter lowers to the edge of the cliff. The stuntman jumps off cliff onto a rope dangling from the helicopter, he then climbs up into the aircraft as gunfire and explosions go off beneath him.

The movie is slickly directed by John Moore, the efficient film maker of Flight of the Phoenix (2004), The Omen (2006),  Max Payne (2008) and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1667

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