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Behind Enemy Lines
20th Century Fox Film Corporation
FILM:
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for war violence and some language
Starring
Owen Wilson,
Gene Hackman,
Joaquim de Almeida,
David Keith,
Olek Krupa,
Eyal Podell,
and
Elizabeth P. Perry
A Navy pilot (Wilson) is shot down over enemy territory, and struggles to survive the relentless pursuit of a ruthless secret police enforcer, a deadly tracker, and countless hostile troops. With time running out, the injured pilot's commanding officer (Hackman) goes against orders to carry out a desperate rescue mission. (20th Century Fox)
| GENRE(S): |
Drama
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
David Veloz
Zak Penn
Jim Thomas (story)
John Thomas (story)
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
John Moore
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: April 23, 2002
Video: April 23, 2002
Theatrical: November 30, 2001
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
95 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
80
Washington Post
Michael O'Sullivan
Its real agenda is rip-roaring adventure, and that it delivers all wrapped up with a bow.
80
Washington Post
Rita Kempley
War is hellishly entertaining, especially in Behind Enemy Lines, a 21-gun salute to the commitment and preparedness of the U.S. military.
75
Philadelphia Inquirer
Steven Rea
Simplistic and jingoistic. But it's also explosively fun.
75
Baltimore Sun
Chris Kaltenbach
It's plenty thrilling, and it appeals to the flag-waving patriot in all of us.
70
Time
Richard Schickel
The journey is never boring, and it's morally satisfying too. O.K., the movie is what Hollywood likes to call "a ride." But it's one worth taking.
70
The New York Times
Stephen Holden
As intense an immersion in military ambience as a Hollywood movie could hope to provide in just over 90 minutes.
70
Wall Street Journal
Joe Morgenstern
A Hollywood production that appeals to our patriotism while respecting our intelligence.
67
Portland Oregonian
Kim Morgan
Although at times ridiculous, Behind Enemy Lines nevertheless thrills, inspires.
63
New York Post
Lou Lumenick
A slickly entertaining war movie that's sometimes striking, sometimes silly -- but never, ever boring.
63
Miami Herald
Charles Savage
The conflict (in Afghanistan) makes this updated Rambo-esque thriller seem at once dated and yet relevant in ways its creators could not have envisioned.
60
Variety
Robert Koehler
An unembarrassed, high-octane demonstration of the virtues of a U.S. military with a mission, the latest war pic from 20th Century Fox -- a studio with a proud tradition in this field -- couldn't be better timed to fit the popular mood.
60
Los Angeles Times
Kenneth Turan
As a director, Moore is like an energetic puppy who's all over you all at once. You admire his energy, and it's awfully hard to get angry at such high spirits, but you can't help but wish he'd calm down just a bit.
58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
William Arnold
The script's labored efforts to push the proceedings into a thought-provoking military drama -- and draw some clear moral issue -- are, at best, flimsy.
50
Austin Chronicle
Marc Savlov
You get the feeling the filmmakers didn't want to make anyone think too hard about what's going on here behind the scenes of the main storyline, and that's more than a little insulting.
50
Chicago Tribune
Michael Wilmington
A pumped-up, flag-waving, outrageously hokey and ridiculous -- but sometimes incredibly exciting -- war movie.
50
Salon.com
Stephanie Zacharek
Sometimes stylish flashiness can be fun, and the movie does have a terrific, bleached-out, ice-blue look. But anyone who cares about what actors do has a right to be distrustful of a director who puts more emphasis on the look of his movie than on the performances.
50
Village Voice
Jessica Winter
Though Wilson gives a customarily sympathetic, engaged, and unpredictable performance, his work is drowned out by pyrotechnics and orchestral paroxysms of patriotism.
50
USA Today
Mike Clark
There's nothing very rockin' about seeing Gene Hackman give a rare indifferent performance as a Navy admiral trying to effect a rescue for which his hands are tied.
50
New Times (L.A.)
Robert Wilonsky
The film desperately wants to play like "Three Kings," a war film with a guilty conscience, but it's too pat and familiar to earn its high-minded stripes.
50
New York Daily News
Jack Mathews
There aren't many better examples of how commercial intuition sabotages story integrity in today's Hollywood.
50
Boston Globe
Jay Carr
As it is, Behind Enemy Lines will satisfy only those in search of a rousingly, if simplistically, patriotic bloodbath.
42
Entertainment Weekly
Lisa Schwarzbaum
We, the people, are meant to cheer in response, but the spirit isn't willing. War is hell, but so is peace -- at least when it comes to movies in a no-man's-land like this one.
40
LA Weekly
Manohla Dargis
A slag heap of outrageous coincidence and shimmering be-all-that-you-can-be posturing, the film is for all intents and purposes another Top Gun retread, which is why its lies don't register as deeply or offensively as those put forth by films like "Mississippi Burning" -- it's too silly to take seriously.
40
TV Guide
Maitland McDonagh
The film's flashy visuals (apparently geared to engaging video game-impaired attention spans) are entertaining, but its cynicism is distasteful.
38
Charlotte Observer
Lawrence Toppman
A mediocrity at any time, because of its implausible script and bland characters.
38
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
This is not the story of a fugitive trying to sneak through enemy terrain and be rescued, but of a movie character magically transported from one photo opportunity to another.
30
Chicago Reader
Lisa Alspector
The end justifies the means as long as everything turns out OK for the not-too-obedient American soldier and everyone else who enjoys Coca-Cola.
25
San Francisco Chronicle
Mick LaSalle
Behind Enemy Lines has a wretched script and a director (first-timer John Moore) who either has no taste or doesn't know what he's doing.
20
Film Threat
Gareth Von Kallenbach
Sadly, it seems that the people behind this film saw a quick buck over quality and gave audiences a turkey.
 The average user rating for this movie is 6.6 (out of 10) based on 32 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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