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From Amazon.co.uk
Basic is a military mystery that offers multi-layered deception as its dramatic raison d'etre, but with plenty of machismo attitude as befitting a semi-effective thriller from Die Hard director John McTiernan. John Travolta stars as an ex-Army Ranger-turned-DEA agent, recruited by an Army investigator (Connie Nielsen) to solve the fratricide of a reviled Sergeant (Samuel L Jackson) who was allegedly killed while commanding a Special Forces training mission in the hurricane-swept rainforests of Panama. Two survivors (Giovanni Ribisi in a showboat role and Brian Van Holt) recall the ill-fated mission as the truth unfolds, Rashomon-style, in a series of repetitive flashbacks. Tricky enough to hold one's attention as it grows increasingly irrelevant, Basic is so enamoured of its bogus ingenuity that its ultimate twist is a letdown. A second viewing might prove rewarding, if only to confirm that it all holds together. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
DVD Columbia, TriStar, Region 2 PAL 2003 99 mins
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
John Travolta as a top military interrogator may seem an unlikely role; and this film does nothing to dispel that view. However, the story of six Rangers in the Darien Perninsula led by a psycho NCO is sufficiently twisty to appeal to the Usual Suspects fan. The interrogations seemed to be forgotten as everyone suddenly coughed the clues (in one case literally) in the best Hercule Poirot fashion. You are unlikely to watch it twice.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Amanda Richards
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
Twist-wise this is a heckuvagreat movie. It's a steaming, down and dirty whodunnit-to-who under the guise of an army training exercise gone wrong. A Special Force team goes into the jungles of Panama, under the supervision of Samuel L. Jackson (West,) but they don't all come out. The onus of finding out what happened falls on Connie Nielsen (Osborne), but then Tim Daly (Styles) brings in John Travolta (Hardy) to take over the investigation.
It's not Travolta's best role, but he does a passable Hardy, the great inquisitor. Connie Nielsen steals most of the movie, even though her accent grates on the nerves sometimes, but otherwise she's got what it takes. Timothy Daly is good for most of the movie (until the end), and there just isn't enough Samuel L. Jackson to go around.
Poor Giovanni Ribisi - he must be really tired of being type-cast by now. He plays the same role, once again, for the umpteenth time.
My problem with the movie is that a lot of the scenes are shot out of focus and in the dark - so it's hard to figure out who's doing what to whom most of the time. (My copy didn't have sub-titles, and the close-captioning was pathetic, so that didn't help much)
Any attempt to summarize the plot would contain spoilers, so I won't. Spending a few hours on this 3.5 star movie, wouldn't be time wasted.
Amanda Richards
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an action packed movie with a few twists threw in to keep you on the edge of your seat. A classic performance by both Travolta and Jackson.. Well worth a watch.
By Laws
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Really good film with strong, good actors. It is an action film with a twist. Probably enjoyable by most ages over 13.
By V. Dixon
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Will not elude to the plot as other reviewers have mentioned there are plenty twists - don't want to spoil it! John Travolta is superb. If you are looking for a good thriller with the twists to keep you guessing, you will not be disappointed.
By Jules
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
A US Army base in Panama is the settting for Basic. As a a training mission for recruits who want to be US Rangers goes awry, with the death of some of them, including the feared & hated Sgt. West (Jackson). The surviving few who are interrogated by Capt. Osbourne (Nielson) wont talk, so the base commander Col. Styles (Daly) decides to turn to his old buddy Hardy (Travolta), an ex-Ranger & now DEA agent who specialises in interrogation. Can he get to the bottom of the situation & unravel the mystery ?
Overall this is a decent attempt from Die Hard director John McTiennan, it has plenty of twists to the story, but the constant CSI-esque flash backs as to each soliders version of events can be a bit confusing & grinding. John Travolta (Face/Off) was great as Hardy, with his usual air of cockyness combined with professionalism & clever tricks. Likewise, Sam Jackson (The Negotiator) gave a usual solid performance as the slightly scary, wide eyed, hard ass drill sargent. Connie Nielson (Boss) was good as the base interigator, in over her head, that had a good rapport with Travolta, playing second fiddle to his character Hardy, but she has enough about her to challange him none the less. The rest of the support cast were decent, with Tim Daly (Private Practice) & the soliders of note, Giovanni Ribisi (), Roselyn Sanchez (Rush Hour 2) & Brian Van Holt (Cougar Town).
In conclusion, Basic is a watchable military mystery thriller, strong performances by the leads make it so, combined with a twisting story. But in a way, the stories constant deceit is what tarnishes it a little, but by the end it left me with a smile on my face, as i was happy to have been strung along with it. Reccomended. Read more ›
Overall this is a decent attempt from Die Hard director John McTiennan, it has plenty of twists to the story, but the constant CSI-esque flash backs as to each soliders version of events can be a bit confusing & grinding. John Travolta (Face/Off) was great as Hardy, with his usual air of cockyness combined with professionalism & clever tricks. Likewise, Sam Jackson (The Negotiator) gave a usual solid performance as the slightly scary, wide eyed, hard ass drill sargent. Connie Nielson (Boss) was good as the base interigator, in over her head, that had a good rapport with Travolta, playing second fiddle to his character Hardy, but she has enough about her to challange him none the less. The rest of the support cast were decent, with Tim Daly (Private Practice) & the soliders of note, Giovanni Ribisi (), Roselyn Sanchez (Rush Hour 2) & Brian Van Holt (Cougar Town).
In conclusion, Basic is a watchable military mystery thriller, strong performances by the leads make it so, combined with a twisting story. But in a way, the stories constant deceit is what tarnishes it a little, but by the end it left me with a smile on my face, as i was happy to have been strung along with it. Reccomended. Read more ›
By Trouly
Format:DVD
Really good film. Start was a little slow and confusing but it soon picked up and a real twist at the end... very enjoyable.
10 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
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.
... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
No action
i wonder this film why its says non stop action on back dvd cover but its not its all about suspense this movie basic more like basic movie dont waste your money on this film its... Read more
Published 10 months ago by shabz
2.0 out of 5 stars
One big foggy mystery
I am the kind of film viewer who has the knack of losing a plot. Very quickly. So when I came to the end of Basic for the first time, thoroughly confused and befuddled, I supposed... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2010 by kango
2.0 out of 5 stars
Basic
It's secreative and fall of mystery's. It's a combination of a military cover up, fake your own death mystery and a detective film. Read more
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4.0 out of 5 stars
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A movie with a lot of twists and turns. Nobody seems to be who they really are. Very wicked! Very entertaining! Keeps you on your toes! Great entertainment!
Published on 23 Jun 2009 by Markus Nyffenegger
5.0 out of 5 stars
Briliantly Esoteric Moment by Moment
When things go wrong in the armed forces, an investigative procedure often follows. In this film, when you think you've got it figured out, you're wrong... Read more
Published on 19 April 2009 by Sonny D
5.0 out of 5 stars
There is no stopping of history
Panama after the Reagan's military intervention. The American armed forces are trying to keep the main passage of south American drug up north to the US under control. Read more
Published on 29 Sep 2008 by Jacques COULARDEAU
1.0 out of 5 stars
Such a waste of good talent?
I watched this film twice in the hope of understanding really what the purpose was of actually making it? Read more
Published on 27 Dec 2007 by Inmi Opinion
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