BASIC (2003)

Directed By: John McTiernan
Written By: James Vanderbilt
Cinematography By: Steve Mason
Editor: George Foley Jr.

CAST: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Roselyn Sanchez, Taye Diggs, Connie Nielsen, Tim Daly, Brian Van Holt, Giovanni Ribisi, Dash Mihok, Harry Connick Jr.


Depending on which way you look at it. This film is either a brilliant mind game or just stupid. A film that thinks holding back clues and information until the last minute that the film has outsmarted us and stupefied us with it’s mystery. Guess which party I fall into?

The premise of this film is a murder at a military training exercise. A Military investigator is called in rather then the police to investigate and get to the bottom of what actually happened. The rest of the film is told mostly in flashback from different cadets points of view (Like Rashamon). Intrestingly Each different version of the story has each memeber teamed up with a different mewmber from previous versions. The film has the stories go from bullying to drug running and gets sillier as the film goes along.

The film is entertaining as long as you don’t take any of it seriously. The film wants to be riveting. It just never really happens. It doesn’t help that again the film thinks it’s too smart for the audience. Which is where it fails. If it had made a effort and played by the rules leaving you a chance to figure it out if you were paying attention I could give it kudos but since it hides it’s hand it comes off as cheating and smug. For it’s so called smarts and twists there needs to be evidence to support it. Which the film doesn’t give so it just seems like a bunch of random ideas.

I applaud the thriller for trying something different, Even if it wasn’t successful
The film was also sold on the idea of reuniting Samuel L. Jackson and JohnTravolta last seen together in The Classic PULP FICTION but the advertising is false as they are only in one scene together in this film.

As long as you don’t go into this movie thinking too hard this movie is not bad and even likeable. It may actually surprise you but if you are a thinking viewer and looking for a non-popcorn film this isn’t for you.

A o.k. rental if nothing else is available

GRADE: C-