Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Behind Enemy Lines Blu-ray Movie Review

Should you disobey orders and risk it all for a copy of 'Behind Enemy Lines' on Blu-ray?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 22, 2008

I'm not going to let that kid die out there while we sit around on this ship!

If there is one truism I've encountered over my years of watching movies, it's that if a movie has Gene Hackman (Crimson Tide) in it, there is reason to watch it. He's proven himself time and again to be one of the finest, most naturally-gifted actors of our time, and he once again earns my respect with his performance in Behind Enemy Lines, a generic and predictable yet tense and exciting action film from 2001. Also starring Owen Wilson (Drillbit Taylor), Behind Enemy Lines is a slick, fast-paced action extravaganza that is better than a movie like this deserves to be.

Admiral, you know I'd never pull a stunt like going behind enemy lines. Nope. Not me.

Owen Wilson portrays Lieutenant Chris Burnett, a naval aviator and the navigator on board a two-man F-18 Super Hornet fighter jet. He's decided to leave the Navy after seven years. He no longer wants to play a "cop," particularly after several meaningless jobs he was ordered to do during the Bosnian crisis. After a heated confrontation with his Admiral, Leslie Reigart (Hackman), Burnett and his pilot Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht, The Recruit) are assigned the Christmas Day photo reconnaissance mission. The duo intentionally veers off course and into restricted air space to capture better, more telling photographs, are subsequently shot down by a SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile), and find themselves behind enemy lines. Burnett leaves an injured Stackhouse for higher ground to better communicate with their ship, the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, and Stackhouse is executed by the enemy. Burnett's life hangs in the balance as he is hunted down by enemy forces and forced to traverse to a new rendezvous point that is dictated more by international politics and intrigue than it is by ease, convenience, and consideration for Burnett's life.

Behind Enemy Lines would be a perfect choice for that old TBS show, "Movies For Guys Who Like Movies." Featuring all of the things that any true-blue, red-blooded American male wants to see in an action extravaganza, including jet fighters, missiles, machine guns, aircraft carriers, helicopters, and tanks, Behind Enemy Lines is a nonstop barrage of all things military, with one man's struggle for survival amidst the chaos and confusion of a war-ravaged countryside as the central plot of the film. As a fan of movies filled to the brim with the latest in military hardware (with a few notable exceptions), I found myself pleasantly entertained by this movie that, by all accounts, should be far less enjoyable than it is. The basic premise of the film is grounded in plausible reality, but the filmmakers have embellished and stretched the boundary between reality and fantasy quite a bit. After all, who would buy a ticket to a movie that showed a pilot shot down, walking to the extraction point for 90 minutes with nary an exciting moment to be seen, followed by his rescue, and the rolling of the end credits? Not I. Perhaps that is why this movie works so well as a mindless Saturday afternoon action flick. All of my friends and I grew up playing war, influenced by the war and action movies we so loved to watch. Behind Enemy Lines is many a young boy's fantasy come true, that of a hero who is anything but larger-than-life, but his actions are. He is caught in the crossfire of a war-ravaged country, dependent on only his survival skills, military training, and cunning to escape with his life through cold, muddy, and deadly terrain.

While Behind Enemy Lines clearly has "Hollywood" written over it, it's a well-staged movie that maintains a level of tension throughout its rather predictable story arc. There is nothing new here, but director John Moore (Flight of the Phoenix) keeps the material feeling fresh and captivating nevertheless. This film is infinitely better crafted than some of the lesser of the recent loud and fast-paced action extravaganzas, like Stealth. Sure, there are a few laughably bad moments, such as the crescendoing hero music played as Burnett once again escapes the bad guys by donning the uniform of a dead solider and takes off his disguise only feet from the enemy. Owen Wilson is a fine actor, but Behind Enemy Lines proves he's better suited to stay away from the adrenaline-pumping action fare, sticking instead to the comedy roles that made him famous. Gene Hackman is once again likable and plays his role well. For those of you who enjoyed this movie, or find you like it after reading this review and watching the film, you may want to check out another Gene Hackman movie that is in a similar mold as this one, but is a decidedly superior film: Bat 21.

Behind Enemy Lines Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Behind Enemy Lines flies onto Blu-ray in a very nice looking 1080p, 2.35:1 framed transfer. The detail here is remarkably real. Look at chapter two when the pilots are eating a meal in the ship's cafeteria. Their uniforms look so natural in both color reproduction and detail that they may as well be hanging on a hanger in front of my television. This same scene does exhibit some print anomalies, including black specs and a rather large white blotch that was visible for only a split-second. There are times in the movie where these splotches are rather heavy, but again, they only last for a second or two. The vast majority of the film is free of this debris. Flesh tones are fantastically accurate, as are black levels, which are a true inky black and never overly gray or bright. There is an ever-so-fine layer of film grain that is barely noticeable over the entirety of the movie. Softness is visible in several shots, especially in the cold, isolated, winter forests. Bare tree branches during medium-wide shots can appear somewhat undefined, but the vast majority of the film is focused and razor-sharp. When the movie shifts to the cold, dreary exteriors of enemy territory instead of the clean, well-lit interior of the carrier, the image quality never suffers. It dulls a bit, but that's more due to the overcast and cold conditions outside than anything else. It holds up well, and shows us exactly what is meant to be seen. Behind Enemy Lines offers a wonderfully cinematic transfer. It's not the best, but I've seen worse, both on Blu-ray and in theaters. While I enjoy the crispness and cleanliness of a title like Fox's recent release of I, Robot, I also enjoy movies that, like this one, aren't perfect but remind me of what movies looked like at the two-bit theaters I saw them at growing up.

Behind Enemy Lines Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Behind Enemy Lines rocks Blu-ray with a relentless DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. This disc offers a natural, engaging listen in both the quieter, dialogue-driven scenes and the numerous action extravaganzas scattered throughout the film. The football scene at the beginning of the movie features a surround presence that is so natural and flawless that I was 100% convinced that my sofa was on the deck of the Carl Vinson. Likewise, every time a jet takes off from the carrier, the listener is placed squarely on the flight deck. The effect is loud, powerful, and wonderful. If you ever wanted to experience being on the deck of an aircraft carrier, this film's soundtrack serves as a decent substitute to the real thing in a few scenes. When a fighter jet flies over an area in the movie, it flies over our shoulders at home. The jet screams from front to rear and side-to-side with wonderful clarity and definition. Surround presence throughout the movie is virtually nonstop: machine gun fire is often heard in the back, and when it isn't we often hear a stiff, cold breeze blowing through the back channels that sounds real enough to make you want to grab a sweater.

Here is a funny story. My next door neighbor has a very annoying dog that barks at anything and everything all day long. I often hear it barking outside while I watch movies for review, and in chapter 16 of this film, a dog is heard barking just over my right shoulder where I usually hear the real-life dog. It wasn't until the character on-screen turned to look for the dog that I realized it was Blu-ray, not reality. Of course, just after that comes one of the most intense, loudest, and exciting moments in the movie where a series of booby-traps explode, pounding the viewer into submission. Almost all of the action scenes are just as impressive as the rest, but if I had to give an edge to one, it would be that found in chapter 20. It's absolutely perfect in placing the listener squarely in the middle of the battle with screeching bullets and pounding explosions rocking your listening area, and the effect is a frightening and realistic one that might have you dodging and looking for cover. When all is said and done, Behind Enemy Lines is now one of my favorite soundtracks, and it is reference-grade material all the way. In the future, when I have company over and they want to know what Blu-ray is all about, this is one of the first discs I'll be grabbing off the shelf for audio demonstration purposes.

Behind Enemy Lines Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Behind Enemy Lines infiltrates Blu-ray with two commentary tracks and a few trailers, but nothing else. The first track features director John Moore and editor Paul Martin Smith. Despite both participants being hindered by a head cold, they waste no time in discussing edits, changes to the pictures, what worked, what didn't, and the like. Both prove fun to listen to, and this film's target audience will likely enjoy listening to this track. The second commentary track features producers John Davis and Wyck Godfrey. This track never feels superfluous. There is new information to be heard, and these producers add valuable insight into all aspects of the movie. In fact, I found myself more engaged by this track than I did the first. Rounding out the supplements is Fox's usual barrage of 1080p trailers, this go-round including Behind Enemy Lines, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Kiss of the Dragon, Fantastic Four, Speed, and Phone Booth.

Behind Enemy Lines Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I make no apologies for Behind Enemy Lines being one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies. It's far from the stuff of cinema legend, but it's an entertaining action extravaganza sure to please its target audience, of which I am unashamed to be a part of. Slick, silly action movies are, have been, and always will be right up my alley, and they serve as a wonderful departure from the likes of The English Patient, The Remains of the Day, and even more highbrow war films like The Thin Red Line. "The world needs ditch diggers, too," Judge Smails once said, and Behind Enemy Lines is just that, a working man's action movie that transports us to another world where male childhood fantasies come to life and the brain can be shut off for some mindless entertainment. Behind Enemy Lines is another first-rate release from Fox in the audio and video departments, offering up a solid picture and an explosive audio mix. Unfortunately, the studio continues to skimp on the extras, but the two commentary tracks available are both engaging and informative. Behind Enemy Lines is recommended for action movie lovers.