Behind Enemy Lines (Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: C     Film: C

 

 

One of the worst War/Action films to come out in the comeback cycle of War films is John Moore’s Behind Enemy Lines (2001) featuring comedian Owen Wilson as a solider (pushing credibility already) as a Navy flyer shot down and falling into the war zone of Bosnia.  The film was badly edited, choppy, dumb and pointless, even with Gene Hackman on board.  Many were rooting for the Bosnia’s to get Wilson.

 

The David Veloz/Zak Penn screenplay seems to have been a little better before the studio edited the film down, but when you finish watching, there is just really nothing more here than you might find in plenty of other films of its ilk.  This did not make Wilson any kind of action star, which seems to be part of the intent, and it is just a yawner overall.

 

The 2.35 X 1 1080p AVC @ 18 MBPS digital High Definition image was shot in Super 35mm by Nathan Crowley and has the typically over-blue cold-metal base look all these films have had for ten years.  It is like watching the Blu-ray of S.W.A.T. (reviewed elsewhere on this site) where degraded images get in the way of clear ones, but it is worse here when the battlefield tries to fain a natural, yet gritty look.

 

The DTS 6.1 ES HD Master Audio is good, but again nothing to write home about, except in action scenes.  The film is a bit older to get such treatment, but this is Fox’s way to assure viewers they are delivering the best possible sound.  Don Davis’ score is as flat as the film, but then what did he really have to score here?  The combination is good enough at times to justify being in this format, but will be eclipsed by better films in the genre (especially the Blu-ray of Black Hawk Down already available) so enjoy it while you can.  It even inspired a lame sequel, already not recommended elsewhere on this site.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo