Plot: What’s it about?
Tom Hardy (John Travolta) is a DEA agent, but he used to be an Army Ranger, so he knows how that unit operates. He has been recruited to investigate the disappearance of Sgt. Nathan West (Samuel L. Jackson) and a group of trainees. West is a notorious drill instructor, one feared and hated by most of those who know him. Col. Bill Styles (Timothy Daly) has called Hardy in on the case, but the officer in charge, Capt. Julia Osborne (Connie Neilsen) isn’t pleased with his presence. After all, he is on leave from the DEA under suspicion of taking bribes from drug kingpins, so she has some serious doubts. But Styles knows that Hardy is a great interrogator and in this case, that is what is needed more than anything else. West’s squad was on a routine training mission in Panama, though a hurricane was pounding the area at the same time. But when West never reported back, a rescue team was dispatched and only two survivors returned. The two survivors are Dunbar (Taye Diggs) and Kendall (Giovanni Ribisi), neither of whom will reveal to Osborne what happened in the training mission. Hardy also served under West, so in addition to his skills as an interrogator, he has inside perspective on the situation. What happened in the jungles of Panama, and what was West’s real reason for conducting the exercise?
As I mentioned in my review of Tears of the Sun, it seems like theaters are swarmed with war movies these days. In the case of Basic, I had minimal expectations and as it turns out, that was the proper approach. This movie isn’t bad by any means, but it simply isn’t that good either, just a way to burn a couple of hours. You won’t be talking about it afterwards, but you won’t be cursing the filmmakers either, Basic is simply a mediocre picture. As directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October), this movie could have been much worse, as the screenplay is weak and needed a lot of support. So don’t come in for a great storyline or innovative twists, as Basic’s best element is its performances. John Travolta is better than anticipated, with perhaps his best effort in a long while. That’s a shame in this case, as the movie itself isn’t worthy of such a performance, so Travolta’s work is pretty much wasted here. Connie Nielsen, Samuel L. Jackson, Giovanni Ribisi, and Tim Daly are among the supporting cast, which is quite deep. With a little polish in some places, Basic could have been a terrific movie, but as it stands, the poor writing keeps it down and ensures the good performances are wasted. I am able to recommend this release as a rental, but only to genre fans and those interested in the stars.
He has made more comebacks than Michael Jordan, but John Travolta never seems to give up on his career. His resurgence after Pulp Fiction has led to a number of mediocre roles, including the hilarious pet project of his, Battlefield Earth. His bank account has grown by leaps & bounds, but his profile remains mid-level and of course, he has never been able to match the accomplishments of his past efforts. Even when handed good material, he seems to sleepwalk at times and that harms not only himself, but the entire production. In Basic however, Travolta was given lackluster material and he managed to turn out a very impressive performance. I wasn’t counting on an excellent effort from him here, but he is able to deliver a smug, but not over the top turn. After his work on Broken Arrow, I was doubtful about his ability to handle this role, but he keeps things behind the line and never turns into a caricature. So perhaps this will lead him back to the right road, or maybe Travolta is doomed to be in only bad movies. Other films with Travolta include Saturday Night Fever, Swordfish, Urban Cowboy, Grease, Primary Colors, and The General’s Daughter. The cast also includes Connie Neilsen (One Hour Photo, The Devil’s Advocate), Samuel L. Jackson (Fresh, Unbreakable), and Timothy Daly (Storm of the Century, The Associate).
Video: How does it look?
Basic is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a solid all around effort from Columbia, but for such a new release, the image seems much softer than it should be. After a while, the visuals seem to be a little crisper, but on the whole, Basic is much softer than most major studio new releases. That’s where the complaints end however, as the rest of this treatment is quite good and offers no reason for concern. The print used is very clean and while the softness is obvious, it doesn’t lessen the visual experience much. The film uses mostly muted colors, but some scenes call for richer hues and in those instances, this transfer delivers. The softness does impact the contrast however, as black levels aren’t quite as refined as I’d like. Even so, Basic looks solid and should please most audiences.
Audio: How does it sound?
Now this is a cool, effective soundtrack, as the included Dolby Digital 5.1 option really kicks things into high gear. I was pleased with how natural the surround presence was, as a lot of movies opt for an explosive, but hollow presentation. I mean, loud and brash can be good, but make sure its all believable. In Basic’s soundtrack, the elements have that realistic texture and that enhances the experience more than a little. The surrounds are hit hard and hit often, with intense power elements and even excellent subtle presence. So buckle up and turn the volume up on this one, as this soundtrack rocks. The score sounds terrific also, while dialogue remains clear and crisp at all times, so no worries there. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As per usual, director John McTiernan’s audio commentary is rather dull, but better to have one than not. He has some stretches of insight, though the good information is rare in this, as well as his other commentary sessions. This disc also includes two decent behind the scenes featurettes, some talent files, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
