I've heard many people complain the Basic is too convoluted, and you can't tell what's going on. This is what makes Basic so good, you can't just sit in front of your television and mindlessly observe and expect to get it. You have to actively think about what's happening, and that's what people hate, they are only happy with stories they can be force fed, and not have to think about it.
Sorry...started ranting, on with the movie analysis.
****I'll warn you now, the following may contain some spoilers****
The key to understanding and liking Basic, is realizing, it's NOT a murder mystery, and what happened in the jungle is almost totally irrelevant. If you can do that, then you can enjoy the movie.
I don't wanna give anything away, so i'll stop there, and go into the characters.
Captain Osbourne : She is our guide through the web of lies that is this movie. I think this character was done nicely, but her 'revolving door of accents' got on my nerves a bit, southern, then Texan, then none, then southern again, MAKE UP YOUR MIND!
Tom Hardy : Great character, dubious and mysterious, you get the feeling right off that he's not what he seems. Travolta was a great choice for this role, and i enjoyed watching him give such a great performance.
Seargent West : All I can say is, This man scares the holy hell out of me! Sam Jackson is the perfect choice for this role, the man has such a presence, like when he walks into the bunker during the hurricane and rips the curtain down, I remember thinking "Did God just walk in? No, no that's Sam Jackson." There is no better choice for this role, Sam Jackson had the presence and the shouting voice to carry this character perfectly.
I can't really talk about the other characters without giving things away, I want to so badly though.
As for the story, I love a good mystery. Basic is NOT a murder mystery, it's a 'Who is working for Who' military mystery thriller. everyone *with the exception of Osbourne* is lying their asses off, and everyone is hiding something. Nothing and Nobody is what they seem *again with the exception of Osbourne* the real story is hidden under the lies, if you take this movie at face value, which is the mistake most viewers make, you WILL hate this movie.
I have also heard many complaints that there are many plot holes that never get smoothed over, this is mainly in part because they made the director change the ending to make Travolta's character Hardy a good guy, and Major West not really dead. In the original ending, which in my opinion made more sense, Hardy was the true villain, not Colonal Styles. Styles was still leading the drug ring at the base, but he worked for Hardy, who was the mastermind, and the one who killed West. I got this information from the special features on the Basic DVD.
Overall, I give basic 9/10
Sorry...started ranting, on with the movie analysis.
****I'll warn you now, the following may contain some spoilers****
The key to understanding and liking Basic, is realizing, it's NOT a murder mystery, and what happened in the jungle is almost totally irrelevant. If you can do that, then you can enjoy the movie.
I don't wanna give anything away, so i'll stop there, and go into the characters.
Captain Osbourne : She is our guide through the web of lies that is this movie. I think this character was done nicely, but her 'revolving door of accents' got on my nerves a bit, southern, then Texan, then none, then southern again, MAKE UP YOUR MIND!
Tom Hardy : Great character, dubious and mysterious, you get the feeling right off that he's not what he seems. Travolta was a great choice for this role, and i enjoyed watching him give such a great performance.
Seargent West : All I can say is, This man scares the holy hell out of me! Sam Jackson is the perfect choice for this role, the man has such a presence, like when he walks into the bunker during the hurricane and rips the curtain down, I remember thinking "Did God just walk in? No, no that's Sam Jackson." There is no better choice for this role, Sam Jackson had the presence and the shouting voice to carry this character perfectly.
I can't really talk about the other characters without giving things away, I want to so badly though.
As for the story, I love a good mystery. Basic is NOT a murder mystery, it's a 'Who is working for Who' military mystery thriller. everyone *with the exception of Osbourne* is lying their asses off, and everyone is hiding something. Nothing and Nobody is what they seem *again with the exception of Osbourne* the real story is hidden under the lies, if you take this movie at face value, which is the mistake most viewers make, you WILL hate this movie.
I have also heard many complaints that there are many plot holes that never get smoothed over, this is mainly in part because they made the director change the ending to make Travolta's character Hardy a good guy, and Major West not really dead. In the original ending, which in my opinion made more sense, Hardy was the true villain, not Colonal Styles. Styles was still leading the drug ring at the base, but he worked for Hardy, who was the mastermind, and the one who killed West. I got this information from the special features on the Basic DVD.
Overall, I give basic 9/10