Synopsis
Firstly you need to know what a film is about, you're only going to watch it in the first place if the supposed content appeals to you. When you watch a film you either want to be scared, amazed, touched, excited, thriller or you just want a cure for the boredom. This movie is an amazing, exciting action war-thriller that features tense political and military situations pushed to the limited for a single man, and I think you're gonna like it.

"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."

The film flicks between 2.5 scenarios. Firstly you concentrate on following Burnett as he crosses rugged terrain and areas ravaged by war and mariculously surviving any attempts at his life and possible a few thousand bullets and shells fired from assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, mounted machine guns and tanks. Naturally you think to yourself that once again it's a hero-can't-die situation, you'd be exactly right. The .5 then being the Eastern soldiers, possibly Serbs following on his trail like the pack hunting the fox. Thirdly we are kept updated with the existence of the naval officers aboard the American Battleship Burnett and Stackhouse came from. Crucially switching between these three groups helps add to the tension which seeps in throughout, much like a gas chamber type scenario, resulting in a big explosion at the end.

Story
It's a pretty simple plot, Plane goes into hostile air-space and gets shot down, survivor runs from enemy for whole movie and is saved by american helicopter. There is political meanings involving the peace treaty and the like, but I wouldn't want to ruin the best part for you.

Action
Visually this movie is stunning, there is alot of aerial action at the start including probably one of the best sequences ever filmed, much like the ones in Top Gun. It had taken a while to get going up until then whilst the foundations were laid, but after that it was non-stop all the way, breathtaking at times with dramatic camera angles seemingly a director's favourite. It all comes to a point at the end... but to find out what happens, I suggest you watch it, and see for yourself.

The Verdict:

Action: 16/20
Scenery: 19/20
Plot: 18/20
US Patriotism: 20/20
Enemy likeness to Russians: 18/20

91%
"Well worth the Ł2.50"

Article Written By Jay
j666.16814.k00@ntlworld.com