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395 reviews in total

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123 out of 193 people found the following review useful:
A superb and touching action film..., 12 December 2002

Author: tlovey from Zagreb, Croatia

These are my first comments here on Imdb, although I've rated dozens of films. I usually don't do this, since I think there are much more competent people out there than myself. This is a rare exception, since this particular film depicts events which recently took place in my country and some neighboring ones. Furthermore, the majority of the cast is from several Slavic countries, mine included (Croatia).

All in all I liked the film very much. I gave it 8/10. The action sequences and visual effects are superb. The American cast is average, but good. However, it's the other cast that really excels. The 2 factions in the war-torn Bosnia are depicted superbly. Especially the "bad guys". To be able to appreciate this to the full extent, unfortunately, you'd have to live here for some time and get to know the mentality of the Balkan peoples. I've seen the DVD edition, which is excellent in itself and remember a director's commentary on their choice of cast. He said that they chose Slavic actors because they would never get the same character expression with American ones. That is perfectly true. Not because ones are better in acting than the others, but it's the question of the underlining mentality. It's very difficult for people brought up in countries which have known democratic societies for many generations to imagine how it is to be surrounded by such atrocities in a relatively small geographic area and all happening at the turn of the millennium. The mixture is very strange and produces some bizarre situations, saturated with dark humor. Like the scene where the American pilot asks Bosnian teenagers for some water, and they give him Coke instead. Or where children routinely cross over anti-personnel mines. Similar situations really did occur many times in such a surrounding.

My point is that the film does get superficial and even shallow sometimes, but in all the director and the crew did a terrific job seen from the point of view I'd just explained. Even the character lines (in perfect local dialect) are so real that my wife and I forgot it's an American film when we watched it... Indeed a rare combination of great action sequences and touching scenes in a local warfare.

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81 out of 120 people found the following review useful:
Absolute Garbage, 16 January 2004
Author: whatsupjay (whatsupjay@aol.com) from Colorado

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Possible "spoilers", if it's even possible to spoil a film like BEL. This is by far one of the worst war movies I have ever seen, especially in terms of realism. As a former Naval Flight Officer who was stationed on a carrier in the Adriatic in the early 90's, I can say with absolute certainty that this story, the dialogue and just about everything else was complete hogwash. It pains me to think that some hack writer actually got paid big bucks for this script, probably much more than I ever made in full year in the Navy. Anyway, I could obviously point out a million things wrong with this picture, but I'll limit to a few laughers:

First, I flew EA-6B's, not F-18's, but apparently nobody else did. Every EA-6B (and non-F-18) shown in the film was tied down to the flight deck. In fact, I don't recall any other jet being launched or recovered in this film from that carrier deck other than that 2-seat F-18. Back then, the Hornet squadrons on my boat (yes it's a "boat" not a "ship". Only blackshoes called it a ship. Even had a 'shoe Senior Chief "correct" me (a lieutenant) in that regard once. Get real.) only had one seat, one pilot and no navigators/rios. Only Marines flew those D-models. At least they could have used an F-14.

-Some Master Chief running around the boat chastizing an Admiral and telling him what to do/not do. Yeah, right.

-The bad guys are shooting SAM's at our "heroes" who survive quite a while before getting bagged. Only after getting safely on the ground with their big, bright, colorful (!) parachute canopies, do they decide to interrupt the Admiral's meal to tell him a jet's been engaged. Oh, I better get up and see what's going on! That boat would be at General Quarters the minute the first missile was in the air. And missiles, which normally travel at many times the speed of a Hornet in burners, would either hit or miss, not follow you all around the sky. And a search & rescue mission would be in place IMMEDIATELY regardless of what some pseudo-Italian knucklehead who thinks he's in charge says.

-Guys walking around the flight deck with no head/ear protection immediately before, during, and after flight ops? Uh, no. At not playing football either.

-Flight crew (officers) eating meals on the enlisted men's mess decks rather than the dirty-shirt wardroom? I suppose it's technically possible, but are they out of their minds?

-A Navigator/NFO threatening to leave the Navy to go fly for the airlines? Sorry, even if one had a civilian pilot's license (most do NOT) all those backseat hours in the Hornet count for squat in the eyes of the FAA. There are way too many military PILOTS that compete for commercial pilot jobs, that a navigator sure as heck wouldn't get one.

-A downed pilot sitting there in an open field in enemy territory not even making an attempt to hide/evade. The other guy just leaving him there to find higher ground? Didn't you guys learn anything in SERE school? Also, a single fighter going feet dry in potentially hostile territory with no other escort, support aircraft, or SARCAP? Hah!

you get the picture...

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49 out of 68 people found the following review useful:
In Hollywood There Are Some Lines You Should Never Cross..., 29 September 2005

Author: Isolated_Bastard

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I first saw this movie with a few buddies who had rented it on a Saturday night, and thought I'd join in. Now, if this had been a spoof of American War movies, it would've been great. Only problem is that it isn't a spoof; it's dead serious.

The huge number of goofs and mistakes aside, this movie offers little in the ways of storyline and character development. You really couldn't care less if Wilson's character lives or dies, and Hackman doesn't really get anything done until the end of the movie (which is ridiculous to say the least!).

Now, the thing that really breaks this movie, is the aforementioned goofs and mistakes. As I mentioned, if this movie had been a parody on American war/action movies I would've loved it, because all of the goofs actually make you think that it IS a parody! But considering the fact that it's a glorified, super-patriotic, default American war hero running around facing all kinds of problems, it all seems like a moral boost for the newly attacked America (my sympathies for all who were affected by 9/11 by the way...): The hero is a handsome, blond, all-American guy (they could've added that he was a star quarterback and we'd have the complete package) who faces irredeemably evil Serbs/Bosnians/Whatevers (we never really get to know...) and has to face the hazards of traversing unknown territories. It all seems the typical Hollywood action/war...

HOWEVER... *SPOILERS!!!!!*

The fact that the entire navy administration doesn't send in a rescue team until the very end is a bit silly. Also, scenes like the minefield where Wilson's character is chased by two soldiers and runs straight through the trip-mines (where he is unhurt by the explosions, one of the soldiers step on a mine that kills both him AND his buddy standing 10 feet away!), And the ending in which he's shot at by a HUGE amount of soldiers (including tanks...) and manages to get out unhurt (note also that three half-as*ed choppers take out a lot of that army without getting shot down...). And let's not forget when he runs up a hill while being shot at, and the bullets keep on following him while he's running down the other side!

*SPOILERS!!!!!*

So, all in all, as a war movie it's horrible Hollywood junk that falls flat on bad acting, terrible script and major goofs! As a parody on action/war movies though, this could go far! If they'd only put those weaknesses to good use...

Many will try to save the movie by claiming that "It's not supposed to be realistic!". I, however, feel that war is bad enough to be taken seriously, and not turned into a stupid glorification like this, where one man can beat an entire army (and considering how incompetent the Serbs/Bosnians/Whatevers are portrayed as in this movie, I'm surprised that no one took offense!). Just like "Titanic", it undermines the very issue at hand, and deserves to be forgotten for that.

1/10

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50 out of 73 people found the following review useful:
Big Mistake (SPOILER ALERT !), 1 December 2001

Author: gbnf from USA

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

SPOILER ALERT ! This was the sorriest movie I can ever remember seeing. I realize that everybody is still in shock from 9-11. I personally lost a family member because of it. But that doesn't mean I'm so starved for patriotism that I would blindly love this crap. A US Navy pilot and navigator disobey orders then get shot down. Suddenly he can dodge automatic fire from assaults rifles, 20mm cannons, and grenade launchers? He runs in the daytime, stops to transmit in open territory, and suddenly knows the area better then they people who are chasing him? His commanders are unwilling/unable to help him. The end is the worst, he's running around in between crossfire of his rescuers and his pursuers without ever getting hit? Grabs some disk of pictures that would have been transmitted automatically to base as soon as he took them anyway? Then runs and jumps off a cliff to someone hanging from a helicopter rather than having the stupid helicopter land for 3 seconds to pick him up. I realize that some people may need a boost of patriotism but we can do much better than this crap. See 'Saving Private Ryan' again if you're that desperate.

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36 out of 47 people found the following review useful:
Incomprehensibly bad, 2 July 2003

Author: imdb-583 from Peoria, IL

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I'm sure there have been worse movies made. I just haven't seen them. Even if you are not looking for an intelligent handling of international politics, and don't care about the horribly jingoistic attitudes portrayed, I think it is still difficult to fathom how this movie could be enjoyed. Action sequences are never resolved, they just **SPOILER WARNING** end with the main character miraculously transported to another location. It is unfortunate that the U.S. military can not extend the range of its transporters to actually get characters completely out of the battle zone, instead of a mere few hundred yards.

The rest of the world mocks America because of movies like this.

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27 out of 34 people found the following review useful:
Comically Idiotic filth..., 25 November 2002
Author: russianbear54 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is the sorriest waste of time and money that I have ever seen. I can't believe that Gene Hackman participated in this garbage. Is fame and stardom a bore for him? Does he yearn for oblivion? It seems that he's deliberately trying to end his career. Well anyway, this movie is about a NAVY pilot Chris Burnell (Owen Wilson) who is shot down over Bosnia and must get to the border to be rescued. <SPOILER> As soon as he parachutes to the ground he witnesses how his navigator is executed by a chain-smoking, Adidas-clad, unshaven Serb soldier of fortune. Not waiting any longer Burnett activates the GOD MODE cheat code and takes off running uphill while being shot at by assault rifles and large caliber machine guns, and as you might have guessed he escapes, for now. In fact the cheat code stays on for the rest of the film and is also used by Admiral Reigard (Gene Hackman) in the helicopter rescue scene at the end where the Serb platoon consisting of over 50 infantry men, tanks, and large caliber weapons, is eradicated by a two Hueuey helicopters. <END OF SPOILER> After watching this film I learned that 1). SAM's are very slow but have unlimited range and fuel 2.) Serb soldiers do not need food, water, nor sleep 3.)An American NAVY pilot can withstand tremendous G-forces 4.) Thin ice that cracks under a human can really support a tank. Holy crap, who wrote the script? He should be hanged. Can this movie get any lamer or dumber you ask? Yes it can! There's a part where Burnett is picked up by refugees and a kid (wearing an Ice Cube T-shirt) gives him a clean bottle of Coca-Cola (label to the camera) and after a sip Burnett says `good'. So basically the bad guys, including the Adidas wearing bounty hunter, smoke cigarettes and the good guys drink Coke. Oh my, my!!! Who's responsible for this? However, this movie does have some pluses such as props and camerawork, but it's all overweighed by lack of realism, exaggeration, political correctness, and Owen Wilson's crocked nose. BOTTOM LINE: Watch `Nick at Nite' instead.

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64 out of 108 people found the following review useful:
Unrealistic, but Fun, 21 November 2005

Author: nf_utvol from United States

Sure, this movie is unrealistic, slightly jingoistic, and not exactly Dr. Zhivago when it comes to a deep plot, but it's fun to watch. I'm a serious student of the military studies in a professional sense, and I fully realize that the technology (especially the missile chase) and doctrines are unrealistic, but I am also capable of suspending my critical eye when I just want to sit back and enjoy an action flick. I'll save the brain power for something that actually matters, not for a movie, which is just another form of escaping from real life for an hour or two. So yeah, this movie gets a thumbs up for a fun film to sit back and enjoy the surround sound and big screen TV while chomping on some popcorn and a Coke.

Don't a movie seriously that isn't supposed to be taken so seriously!

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60 out of 104 people found the following review useful:
Good, fun, action film (with a bad ending), 7 December 2004
Author: lizabeth666 from Brisbane, Australia

behind enemy lines, is a movie which shows the typical American hero, stuck in abnormal circumstances.

The film itself was good, it certainly delivered action, suspense, and for the most part, fun. The characters were solid, and director John Moore emphisised the war - torn cities of Bosnia quite well (which was one of the highlights of the film). Owen Wilson, did a good job at portraying a character way out of his comfort zone, and Vladimir Mashkov was chilling as a Serbian sniper.

I must admit,and agree with most people, the ending sucked. The whole Owen Wilson dodging bullets thing,(while running on a lake)was a bit far-fetched. I mean seriously, those Bosnian army guys would have be trained to shoot accurately in these situations. i mean its like 70 snipers against one man, even an army tank misses! you see all these Bosnians shooting and not one, not one hits him.

overall the film was good, but could have been better, it delivers thrills, and does keep you entertained. But like most peoples opinion the ending is a disappointment

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37 out of 60 people found the following review useful:
Not a spoiler, but the true awfulness of the film needs to be acknowledged, 5 March 2010

Author: geof_58 from United Kingdom

Having just watched this film (based on the participation of an actor I admire) I have to say that this film was can only be described as unintentionally funny throughout. Full of clichés (ie European general who doesn't care about the troops, gung ho Americans itching for action). Oh dear. The worst bit about this film is not the political idiocy of it, the emptiness of the plot, the disdain for life or the appalling editing (slow motion shots which are a reminder of the A Team) but the music. What does it say when a civil war in the former Yugoslavia is accompanied by rock music? Well, it says that this is essentially a movie for American teenagers who haven't a clue where Yugoslavia is (or was) but who do need to be made to sit still in the cinema. Result: with an action movie where random death happens to people they don't know about or care about but American lives are precious. Ultimately, this is a recruiting film for kids who think that they can be involved in foreign wars they know nothing about, get shot at, but come home safely. Dire.

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24 out of 36 people found the following review useful:
A movie with everything!, 7 February 2002

Author: tris_moseby from Melbourne, Victoria

From the very start of the epic cinematographical masterpiece I could tell that I was about to witness something truly special; I was not let down. That said, I would have been better able to review this film objectively had not been for my mesmerisation at the hands of the truly astonishing nose of the man himself, Owen Wilson. Many lines of quality dialogue flew right past me as I marvelled at the wonderous nostrils adorning the beautious face of this great man. This herculean facial feature was indeed the highlight of the movie for me.

Regathering my scattered senses, I was once again plunged into the gripping storyline as a group of evil Serbians vindictively shoot down the spyplane of two great and noble american airmen. After bailing out, good ol' Owen is shot at by a platoon of monobrowed soldiers, who seem to be carrying guns because it makes them look sexy rather than for putting them to any practical use. Honestly, I could have done better with half a brick.

I will continue no further as I do not wish to spoil the amazing and absolutely-not-predictable twist at the end. Will Owen escape the guerilla scum? Will you be able to hold onto your lunch (or meal of preference) after the director utilises his 30th high speed pan and his 10 billionth ultra-fast zoom to closeup? Will Brad get back with Janice now that she is carrying his baby? Do Village Cinemas do refunds? All this and more in one of the greatest movies of all time.

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