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Features: DVD, English, Spanish, Subtitled, Sensormatic
Fighter navigator Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) is a top naval aviator who is frustrated that fragile geo-politics have kept him from what he knows best: flying F/A-18 Superhornet jets into combat. "We're watching, not fighting," he tells Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman), who thinks Burnett hasn't really learned what it means to be a soldier. During a routine reconnaissance mission, Burnett photographs something no one else was meant to see--and is shot down. Trapped Behind Enemy Lines, Burnett struggles to survive the relentless pursuit of a ruthless secret police enforcer, a deadly tracker, and countless hostile groups. With time running out, Reigart makes the wrenching decision to set aside the rules of the tightly-controlled world in which he operates and risks his career to launch a renegade rescue mission to save the life of one soldier.
"A resounding hit!" Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
"One great movie!" Larry King, CNN
"A solid victory!" Richard Shickel, Time Magazine
"...a 21-gun salute to the commitment and preparedness of the U.S. military." Rita Kempley, Washington Post
"An adrenaline-pumping action ride!" Steven Rea, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Editor's Note
On a reconnaissance flight over eastern Europe, disillusioned naval pilot Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) and his partner, Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), photograph a scene they were not meant to see. When their plane is shot down and Stackhouse is quickly captured and executed, Burnett must struggle to survive in unfamiliar hostile territory with a cold-blooded assassin and hundreds of enemy troops on his heels. Meanwhile, on an American battleship in the Adriatic Sea, Burnett's commanding officer, Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman), attempts to negotiate his soldier's return amidst tense political and military maneuvers. Soon Burnett discovers exactly why he's being hunted, making his situation--and Reigert's actions--even more perilous.Benefiting from Wilson's straightforward performance and Hackman's typically engaging presence, BEHIND ENEMY LINES proves itself with a solid story (loosely based on real-life events) and excellent action sequences. Shot in a cold, icy light, John Moore's film features a nail-biting aerial chase, a tense race across a grenade-filled wasteland, and a stunningly explosive final battle. Wilson, typically cast in quirky comedic roles, is an unlikely action hero who turns out to be the movie's secret weapon. By avoiding excessive macho posturing, BEHIND ENEMY LINES is smarter, more exciting, and better looking than most Hollywood military thrillers.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital Stereo | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 1/30/2007 |
| Running Time: 105 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2001 | | Catalog ID: 2003804 | | UPC: 00024543038047 | | Number of Discs: 2 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew | David Keith | | Gabriel Macht | | Gene Hackman | | Owen Wilson | | Brendan Galvin - Cinematographer | | David Veloz - Screenplay | | Don Davis - Original Music By | | Jim Thomas - Based On Story By | | John Davis - Producer | | John Moore - Director | | John Thomas - Based On Story By | | Nathan Crowley - Production Designer | | Paul Martin Smith - Editor | | Stephanie Austin - Executive Producer | | Zak Penn - Screenplay |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
"...Wilson is, as always, an endearing performer....He charms with a stoner's laconic calm..." 12/07/2001 p.66-7New York Times
"...A taut wartime rescue thriller that sustains a relentless buzzing energy..." 11/30/2001 p.E19 Variety
"...Moore captures the pure chaos of urban warfare as effectively as anything since Stanley Kubrick's FULL METAL JACKET..." 11/26/2001 p.25-30 Box Office
"...An action-packed flag-waver..." 02/01/2002 p.62 ReelViews 8 of 10
"Behind Enemy Lines might just as well be called Run Owen Run, because roughly 50% of the film features Owen Wilson running towards a goal or away from his enemies. This thriller, which is constructed on the foundation of a time-honored formula, succeeds purely on its ability to generate an adrenaline rush. It also boasts the kind of ending that encourages an ovation from an enthusiastic audience. It's not great art, but it is effectively manipulative filmmaking, and offers a fairly uncomplicated portrait of individual heroism...Even though this is only his debut, Moore has a clear sense of what works in this sort of motion picture. The premise is familiar and the storyline formulaic, yet the execution is effective enough that it keeps us involved for the running length." - James Berardinelli
Reel.com 6 of 10
"Cleverly cast against type, Texan space-case Owen Wilson is ""Longhorn"" Burnett, a hotshot Navy air navigator thoroughly bored with his post on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson. Almost every day he suits up with his pilot, Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), and warms up his jet for a reconnaissance mission over Bosnia. Almost every day he's told to stand down at the last minute, since nine times out of 10, it's just a case of Vinson's commander, Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman), running the crew through his strict drilling regimen...If Hollywood wants to make a movie about modern war, why not take an actual event that had American soldiers come under fire on a dubious mission cooked up by clueless politicians? Oh wait, they did - it's called Black Hawk Down." - Tor Thorsen
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