Film
Movie theaters, reviews and showtimes in Chicago, plus articles, trailers and more
- Home
- Box Office
- Listings
- Trailers
- Features
Bookmark this page- Edition:
Basic (2003)
Director: John McTiernan
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Former army man Tom Hardy (Travolta) leads the inquiry into the bloodbath that occurred during a US Rangers training exercise in the Panamanian jungle. His subsequent career with the DEA may be clouded by bribery allegations, but he still carries a rep as the guy to call when you need answers. Hardy has his work cut out in this case, though. Interviewing the survivors brings first one version of the truth, then another. Did boiling resentment at the brutal methods of instructor Sgt West (Jackson) prompt the carnage? Was covert drugs activity behind it? What else remains untold? If we start out reasonably intrigued and keen to find out, it doesn't take long before goodwill is worn down into outright exasperation. Screenwriter James Vanderbilt's determination to whisk the carpet, underlay and floorboards from beneath our feet proves a fruitless display of self-serving clever-cleverness. The cast does its best to hang in there, yet neither Jackson's parade-ground martinet nor Nielsen's tough/vulnerable investigating lieutenant seem like news. Only Travolta's maverick charm keeps the movie just the right side of the pain barrier. Hard graft for scant reward.Author: TJ
Cast & crew
Director: John McTiernan
Producer: Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer, James Vanderbilt, Michael Tadross
Cast: John Travolta, Connie Nielsen, Samuel L Jackson, Giovanni Ribisi, Brian Van Holt, Taye Diggs, Cristián de la Fuente, Dash Mihok, Tim Daly, Roselyn Sanchez, Harry Connick Jr full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Duration: 98 mins
Features
Gray's anatomy
James Gray wants to push buttons—again.
The next big thing?
Gigantic Releasing tries to rethink indie distribution…without movie theaters.
Red Diva: Lyubov Orlova, First Lady of Soviet Cinema
So you think you can dance, comrade?
Puppet master
Coraline director Henry Selick takes stop-motion animation into 3-D.
Socratic method
Laurent Cantet's approach on the set matches the message of his film.
Wander woman
Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy puts a Bush-era spin on the road movie.
Oscars
Read our interviews with the nominees, our reviews of the nominated films and more.
What do you think?
Post your review now