RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Behind Enemy Lines
Behind Enemy Lines

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
36 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:127

Fresh:46

Rotten:81

Average Rating:4.7/10

Consensus: The plot for Behind Enemy Lines is more jingoistic than credible, and the overload of flashy visual tricks makes the action sequences resemble a video game.

Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: On a reconnaissance flight over eastern Europe, disillusioned naval pilot Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) and his partner, Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), photograph a scene they were not meant to see.... On a reconnaissance flight over eastern Europe, disillusioned naval pilot Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) and his partner, Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), photograph a scene they were not meant to see. When their plane is shot down and Stackhouse is quickly captured and executed, Burnett must struggle to survive in unfamiliar hostile territory with a cold-blooded assassin and hundreds of enemy troops on his heels. Meanwhile, on an American battleship in the Adriatic Sea, Burnett's commanding officer, Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman), attempts to negotiate his soldier's return amidst tense political and military maneuvers. Soon Burnett discovers exactly why he's being hunted, making his situation--and Reigert's actions--even more perilous. Benefiting from Wilson's straightforward performance and Hackman's typically engaging presence, BEHIND ENEMY LINES proves itself with a solid story (loosely based on real-life events) and excellent action sequences. Shot in a cold, icy light, John Moore's film features a nail-biting aerial chase, a tense race across a grenade-filled wasteland, and a stunningly explosive final battle. Wilson, typically cast in quirky comedic roles, is an unlikely action hero who turns out to be the movie's secret weapon. By avoiding excessive macho posturing, BEHIND ENEMY LINES is smarter, more exciting, and better looking than most Hollywood military thrillers. [More]

Starring: Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Gabriel Macht, Charles Malik Whitfield

Starring: Owen Wilson, Gene Hackman, Gabriel Macht, Charles Malik Whitfield, Joaquim de Almeida, David Keith, Olek Krupa, Vladimir Mashkov

Director: John Moore

Director: John Moore
Screenwriter: Zak Penn, David Veloz, John Thomas, James Thomas
Producer: John Davis
Composer: Don Davis
Studio: 20th Century Fox

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 12

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Behind Enemy Lines

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

It gives filmgoers a chance to cheer, but seems contrived to do just that.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
11/30/01
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Becomes just another ho-hum evade-the-enemy cliffhanger.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
11/30/01
Tor Thorsen
Tor Thorsen
Reel.com

[Wilson's] not 100 percent Dignan, but he's close enough that those who cherish the Dignan character will be enchanted.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
11/30/01
Kim Morgan
Kim Morgan
Oregonian

Has first-rate action and a lot of it.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
11/30/01
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday

A slickly entertaining war movie that's sometimes striking, sometimes silly -- but never, ever boring.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
11/30/01
Lou Lumenick
Lou Lumenick
New York Post

Improbable and manipulative as the story may be, the thrills keep coming, the action mounts and the tension builds, taking the viewer along for a wild ride.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
11/30/01
Louis B. Hobson
Louis B. Hobson
Jam! Movies

An example of the kind of crass Hollywood moviemaking that used to be accepted without question.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
11/30/01
Jim Slotek
Jim Slotek
Jam! Movies

Politics bad. Boom boom good.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
11/30/01
Eric Harrison
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle

A highly competent, if inflated, action flick that offers us war from every vantage.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
11/30/01
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

Wilson plays the role with a constant smirk and spends the majority of his time running through explosions and avoiding clichéd enemies.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
11/30/01
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This preposterous military thriller doesn't even make an effort to be believable.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
11/30/01
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

An involving and driving action-packed movie.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
11/30/01
Steven Rosen
Steven Rosen
Denver Post

Any thrills Behind Enemy Lines generates are hollow at best and are ultimately rendered meaningless by the movie's unabashed jingoism.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
11/30/01
Glenn Whipp
Glenn Whipp
Los Angeles Daily News

It's disappointing that the movie doesn't pack anything more potent than slow-motion, flag-waving montages to make its patriotic point.

Full Review Source: Citysearch | comment Comment
11/30/01
Dan Fazio
Dan Fazio
Citysearch

Its hero is so reckless and its villains so incompetent that it's a showdown between a man begging to be shot, and an enemy that can't hit the side of a Bos-nian barn.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
11/30/01
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It serves its purpose as an action-packed flag-waver.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
11/30/01
Tim Cogshell
Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine

It's no more than recruiting-poster deep.

comment Comment
11/30/01
Jay Carr
Jay Carr
Boston Globe

This is the right surreal movie at the right surreal time.

Full Review Source: MovieJuice! | comment Comment
11/30/01
Mark Ramsey
Mark Ramsey
MovieJuice!

A war movie, and a solid one at that.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
11/30/01
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Pure verve and energy and will make you want to run out and sign up tomorrow.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
11/30/01
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for Behind Enemy Lines

July 06, 2007: Warner Bros. Planning a Remake of "The Dirty Dozen"
At first I was completely annoyed when I read the news. Then I heard who was writing the remake, and I felt a little bit better. More...

May 22, 2006: An Evil Trio of "Omen" Clips
Breathlessly looking forward to June 6th so you can finally get a glimpse of the all-new Damien and his devilish ways? Then head on over to IGN FilmForce and get a gander at... More...

April 28, 2006: Thor, Hulk, Captain America ... and a Few More New Marvels
While the hiring of Jon Favreau as "Iron Man" director is pretty exciting movie-geek news, it seems that Marvel's Avi Arad has a whole bunch of new projects just... More...

January 27, 2006: Teaser Bulletin: Omen 666
In a year that promises a whole bunch of horror remakes (some welcome, some not) there's one that's sure to cause a bunch of tongue-wagging, and it's John Moore's redo of... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
67% 67% Public Enemies
75% 75% Julie & Julia
95% 95% The Cove
85% 85% World's Greatest Dad

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Peter Jackson Talks Hobbit, LotR Blu-ray Source: Collider.com
5
  • Woman Jailed for Filming New Moon Screening Source: Chicago Sun-Times
5
  • McG Has Plans for Fifth and Sixth Terminator Movies Source: Gizmodo
21
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
22
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
162
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
79
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
55
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
50
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
46
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
41
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
37
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
28
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and more!
24
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
30
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Behind Enemy Lines at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Behind Enemy Lines at IGN
  • Behind Enemy Lines at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.