Hey folks, Harry here... A little over a year ago, I reviewed the screenplay for John McTiernan's BASIC, and now after the most recent test screening, it seems that the script that I praised has been properly adapted it seems. Roxy Hart, the lil darling that has been stealing our hearts with her recent writings has yet again come through for AICN. She dispenses with spoilers quite freely here, so I warn you to beware. This is a film that those of you that hate to know things, would hate to know things, if you get what I'm getting at. She praises the acting of the cast, one and all, and particularly seems to lavish a great deal of praise upon Samuel L Jackson, saying that "Sam Jackson reclaims his position as baddest, motherfuckin' actor around and if anyone says any different, he's liable to fuck you up." We've had praising of this film from an earlier screening as it seems that McTiernan has recovered wonderfully from the momentary illness that was ROLLERBALL. Thank goodness, it's great to be looking forward to a McTiernan film again! This one is hitting the U.S. on March 28th, I'm so glad that's a good thing! Beware of Spoilers....
Lil Roxy Hart giving you another review and all that jazz.
This time around I was invited to a semi-private screening of BASIC.
First and formost, sterling and I mean, sterling performances from the entire cast from top to bottom. John Travolta always seems at his best when his character is playing an additional character; two identities, so to speak(i.e. Saturday Night Fever's wannabe and stud, Grease shilling to his buddies and impressing Sandy, Face/Off, Swordfish). Travolta looks like he's relishing every second. Sam Jackson reclaims his position as baddest, motherfuckin' actor around and if anyone says any different, he's liable to fuck you up. Thankfully, Jackson hasn't given up roles that show off his male bravado and intellect. Keep it up, Sam. Tim Daly (Wings-TV Show) puts in a great performance---a bit low key, but exactly the right dosage for the character. Brian Van Holt (Confidence, Windtalkers, Black Hawk Down) is typecast again as a soldier, but puts in decent brooding performance that actually drives the story forward. Van Holt can next be seen in S.W.A.T. (another Sam Jackson vehicle) and hopefully this young actor can break out of the soldier/cop casting. Connie Nielsen (Gladiator, One Hour Photo, the Hunted) guides us through this movie. She's excellent, going toe-to-toe with veteran stalwart Travolta (yes, he can act at times). Rounding out the cast is Giovanni Ribisi playing a gay soldier and General's son (eccentric and good), Taye Diggs, Rosalyn Sanchez (Rush Hour 2), Christian de la Fuente (Driven), Nick Loren and Harry Connick, Jr.
The movie begins with Sgt. West (Jackson) leading his potential Army Rangers (Ribisi, Diggs, Sanchez, de la Fuente, Loren and another)in a secluded, training session alongside the jungles that reside along the Panama Canal. Immediately, we jump-cut to days later, where recruit Dunbar (Van Holt) carrying recruit Kendall (Ribisi) on his back and firing at and killing another recruit. Chief Warrant Officer and base commander Pete Wilmer (Daly) is hovering above in a helicopter. It turns out that Wilmer was notified that the base has lost contact with this training group for the last six days and has decided to go out with a chopper pilot to look for this group. He arrives just in time to see Dunbar apparently murder another recruit but is stymied as to why he was also rescuing Kendall. While Kendall is at the veteran hospital recuperating under the care of Dr. (Connick, Jr.), Dunbar goes under heavy scrutiny by Lt. Julia Osborne (Nielsen) but refuses to talk to anyone. Anyone, that is except another Army Ranger. Dunbar hopes that the ethic of "never leaving a fellow Ranger behind" will apply if he goes into military court with a fellow Ranger. Wilmer calls his old friend Agent Tom Hardy (Travolta) to help crack this case and discover where the other missing recruits have gone and if much maligned Sgt. West was killed in active training. Hardy has a deep backstory of formerly training under West, former Army Ranger, now suspended DEA Agent out in South America for allegations of taking bribes. Without going into immense detail Hardy gets Dunbar to talk, Julia Osborne and Hardy butt heads as to how the investigation should continue, they get Kendall to talk, but the stories conflict the number "8" and drugs coming into play at some point. Eventually, they unveil an enourmous scandal.
Sorry for the long prelude, but now the actual movie review. This movie is the Energizer bunny of mysteries. Everytime they seem to solve one mystery, another one materializes and another one and another one. Eventually, you just give up and let the story tell itself. Many times this method of storytelling has not worked (Raising Cain, anyone?), but in this case, it plays out magnificently. Writer James Vanderbilt (Darkness Falls) ravels and unravels this wonderful mystery. Under the watchful eye of director John McTiernan (Die Hard 1 & 3, Predator, the 13th Warrior, and especially The Thomas Crown Affair which he rechannels into this military drama), he puts into coherence this unwatchable story. The eventual answer to BASIC's mystery is satisfying. McTiernan also knows how to show chemistry between the loveless Travolta and Nielsen. Their characters don't immediately fall for each other but by movie's end, you wonder where there characters are headed. One physical! scene in particular showcases Nielsen beating Travolta, but ends up a strange tango. My one nitpik in the movie is that in one scene where Nielsen is vehemently trying to get Travolta to stay on the case when his character thinks it is closed, it appears Nielsen becomes terrified to unleash. What I mean is that her character should let Travolta's character really have it after realizing that his character is utterly brilliant, but is willing to forgo a minor clue that could unravel the mystery, yet again. Instead, Nielsen looks as though she's a deer caught in the headlights and gives an unconvincing performance to bring Travolta's character back into the mix. They should reshoot that one scene, but if it stays you won't be bothered that much. Connick, Jr. plays cocky to a T, Ribisi is playing good eccentrics again, and hopefully Tim Daly can get more substantial roles in features.
Ultimately, I would highly, highly endorse this military drama, especially if you went to see that horrible Ashley Judd-Morgan Freeman military dud. Fun, if anything, and don't let the fact that most of the story is told in flashbacks piss you off. The differing stories will keep you on your toes.
Until I shoot you another review, I am forever
Roxy Hart
