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Basic
R
Action/Thriller
Released: 04-05-2003
Director:John McTiernan
Cast: AJohn
Travolta, Connie Nielsen ,Samuel L. Jackson, Giovanni Ribisi,
Taye Diggs, Brian Van Holt, Roselyn Sanchez, Harry Connick Jr.
My rating:1 1/2
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By Mark Paas
¡@¡@This
film had me excited about the prospect of seeing a military
thriller with Samuel L. Jackson pitted against John Trvaolta,
and the action controlled by director McTiernan (Die Hard).
But as the plot twisted, ducked, dived, folded, and re-visited,
I got lost. Even experienced moviegoers will struggle to follow
and accept this movie¡¦s endless twists.
¡@¡@I
am a big fan of plot espionage and trickery, but it seems
this movie was just not meant to be understood. It needs to
be seen twice, but odds are you won't want to watch it again.
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¡@¡@Jackson
plays Sgt. Nathan West, a sadistic perfectionist roundly hated by
his unit. When various characters are killed during the confusion
of a storm, there is the feeling the deaths may not have been accidental,
may, indeed, have involved drug dealing. DEA agent Tom Hardy (Travolta)
is hauled back from alcoholism to join the investigation, teaming
with Lt. Julia Osborne (Connie Nielsen).
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¡@¡@The
movie is told through flashbacks, which are in themselves
untrustworthy. There are different versions from different
points of view.
¡@¡@The
point of movies of this type is usually to string you along
and make you believe you have figured it out, then offer up
a unique ending that leaves you thinking "well done,
you got me." But this movie just got me mad. We get teased,
but just when you feel you¡¦ve been given something solid
to go on, you get screwed again.
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¡@¡@If
you go to see this movie and you are already having a bad day, don't
be surprised if you emerge looking for dog to kick, or taxi driver
to scream at, because that is exactly how you will feel.
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