Basic
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) | Release Date: March 28, 2003
7.4
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 49 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
34
Mixed:
10
Negative:
5
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
3
BroyaxJan 10, 2017
Une bavure lors d'un entraînement militaire au Panama sous la houlette du méchant instructeur Jackson (qui s'amuse beaucoup), Travolta qui débarque comme un chien dans un jeu de quilles en improbable duo avec la capitaine Connie Nielsen : cesUne bavure lors d'un entraînement militaire au Panama sous la houlette du méchant instructeur Jackson (qui s'amuse beaucoup), Travolta qui débarque comme un chien dans un jeu de quilles en improbable duo avec la capitaine Connie Nielsen : ces deux-là mènent alors l'enquête avec et contre les témoins -et suspects- restants à la manière d'A l'épreuve du feu.

ça fonctionne plutôt bien pendant (presque) les deux tiers du film malgré le cabotinage regrettable de Travolta, puis c'est la foire aux rebondissements débiles et aux révélations sorties d'une pochette-surprise jusqu'à la fin qui se vautre dans le ridicule, pour ne pas dire dans le foutage de gueule.

J'aime beaucoup Connie, sa jolie silhouette et son visage hypnotique, ce qui me pousse à une indulgence certaine. La réalisation de McTiernan est correcte mais sans plus et assez loin de celle de Predator (putain, c'est loin Predator, ça ne nous rajeunit pas !) mais ce foutoir qui sert de scénario est une mauvaise farce qui n'en finit plus de se prendre les pieds dans le tapis.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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10
TimP.May 8, 2006
A clever thriller from start to finish - highly recommended for those who have a decent attention span. A nightmare for those who don't!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
DonnieB.Jul 27, 2006
It is amazing to see how the world is full of sub-intelligent moviewatchers and critics, who find it hard or impossible to understand a more complicated plot then the one of "Lassie". Such people feel insulted by their own weak ability to It is amazing to see how the world is full of sub-intelligent moviewatchers and critics, who find it hard or impossible to understand a more complicated plot then the one of "Lassie". Such people feel insulted by their own weak ability to comprehend anything more complicated than a wooden edge, so in frustration give a 0 for movies that make people think. What would you give for Revolver? A minus 5?? It's a surprisingly good movie, with an excellent script - if you like to think besides chewing popcorn, watch it!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
EmilyA.Jan 25, 2007
I really enjoyed this movie. John Travolta and Sam Jackson are two of my favorite actors. I thought the twist behind it was very creative. At the end I just had to laugh! All the way through the movie you think it is something very serious I really enjoyed this movie. John Travolta and Sam Jackson are two of my favorite actors. I thought the twist behind it was very creative. At the end I just had to laugh! All the way through the movie you think it is something very serious and then Boom!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
kangoAug 13, 2010
I am the kind of film viewer who has the knack of losing a plot. Very quickly. So when I came to the end of Basic for the first time, thoroughly confused and befuddled, I supposed it was just me and that I needed to get my brain in gear nextI am the kind of film viewer who has the knack of losing a plot. Very quickly. So when I came to the end of Basic for the first time, thoroughly confused and befuddled, I supposed it was just me and that I needed to get my brain in gear next time. But it wasn't just me and no amount of brain power seems to help sort fact from fiction in this foggy mystery. Travolta and Nielsen play ex-ranger Tom Hardy and Captain Osbourne who are thrown together to investigate the disappearance of Sgt. West (Jackson) in a training exercise. Cue a baffling maze of twists and turns in which some of the key players are there and then not; some are killed off and then not; one turns out to be another...or not? And so on... but you do have to admire Osbourne for sticking it out and unravelling it all at the end. If it was me overseeing this mess, a bottle of wine and a darkened room would be where I was headed. I enjoyed the dark jungle action sequences, Jackson getting mad and the sort of chemistry Travolta and Nielsen had in their roles, but a lot of this was lost in the fog that shrouded much of this film. If like me, you are attracted by the Jackson / Travolta combo, you may be disappointed to find they share about five minutes on screen. Just don't expect to care much about either of their characters by the time it happens.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
smiyamotMay 7, 2016
A good who-done-it with many twists and turns. Two military detectives try to figure out how 5 soldiers out of 7 were killed during a training exercise by interviewing the 2 survivors. If you've ever worked on a military base and heard whatA good who-done-it with many twists and turns. Two military detectives try to figure out how 5 soldiers out of 7 were killed during a training exercise by interviewing the 2 survivors. If you've ever worked on a military base and heard what really goes on "out there," you'll find this movie to be close to the truth.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
JohnTravolta321Jul 30, 2016
There is nothing basic about Basic. I thought this movie was superb; maybe I'm easier to please than a lot of the people who criticize the script because I found this to be one of the most intelligent, mesmerizing, blow-your-mind movies I'veThere is nothing basic about Basic. I thought this movie was superb; maybe I'm easier to please than a lot of the people who criticize the script because I found this to be one of the most intelligent, mesmerizing, blow-your-mind movies I've ever seen. It's a rare treat to find a movie that is not completely predictable these days, and Basic takes unpredictability and surprise to unheard of levels. There was one small aspect of the saga I successfully predicted early on, but the rest of the twists and turns this movie takes had me doing mental gymnastics. Every time you start to think you've seen at least a shadow of the light, this movie rips the rug back out from under you and plunges you into even darker depths of confusion and doubt. Best of all, this elaborate plot actually holds together, which is really just amazing. Basic is a movie that makes you think, and I have no problem admitting that I was often at a loss as to what was really going on; Basic did not insult my intelligence in any way shape or form; it challenged it constantly and delightfully humbled me in the process.
At the center of the story is a Special Forces training mission that goes horribly awry. Only two of six soldiers make it out of the Panamanian jungle, one of whom is injured and the other of whom isn't talking. The base commander Styles (Timothy Daly) calls in his old buddy Hardy (John Travolta) to interrogate the witness because he feels the job is over the head of Army investigator Osborne (Connie Nielsen). Before the feds get involved, Styles wants to know why the unit leader Sgt. West (Samuel L. Jackson) and four soldiers are lying dead somewhere out in the jungle. Hardy is a former Ranger who served under and hated West, but he is now an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency. Hardy gets the one soldier to tell his version of events, only to hear a much different story from the injured soldier when he wakes up in the hospital. So begins a quest for the truth that has Hardy and Osborne running back and forth between witnesses, discovering unexpected aspects of the case such as the existence of drug-smuggling operations being carried out inside the base and hospital, and discovering that the big fish they are striving so hard to reel in is one big whopper indeed.
Do things become confusing? That's affirmative, but I see this in a positive light. This movie makes you stop and think, turning over what you have heard in your own mind not so much to predict the future as to merely stay caught up with the twists and turns you have just seen revealed before your very eyes. In the final analysis, one or two little aspects of the presentation, which occur largely in the form of dream-like flashbacks, may have a weak leg to stand on but never come close to collapsing or falling over. Some will probably be tempted to just throw their hands up in the air and give up trying to understand everything, but those who love a challenge, especially one presented in such a theatrical and awe-inspiring way, will find themselves energized and inspired to a degree few movies can hope to duplicate. For my money, Basic is one of the most intelligent, suspenseful thrillers I've seen in a long time.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
Michal321Jul 30, 2016
When I saw this film I was expecting it to be, well, basic. However, in reality I received a pleasant surprise. Basic is one of the best films I have seen recently because it kept me entertained until the credits. Plot twists and changes keepWhen I saw this film I was expecting it to be, well, basic. However, in reality I received a pleasant surprise. Basic is one of the best films I have seen recently because it kept me entertained until the credits. Plot twists and changes keep the suspense throughout the film and the actors add to the experience. I thought the performances of Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta were incredible an the power of their parts was quite astounding. All of the actors displayed a connection with their characters which I have found to be very rare in films today.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
Travolta123Jul 30, 2016
When things go wrong in the armed forces, an investigative procedure often follows. In this film, when you think you've got it figured out, you're wrong... and the suspense just keeps culminating, and you end up on the edge of your sofaWhen things go wrong in the armed forces, an investigative procedure often follows. In this film, when you think you've got it figured out, you're wrong... and the suspense just keeps culminating, and you end up on the edge of your sofa trying to figure out what went wrong, and you just can't until the very end. You're literally gobsmacked.

Travolta and L. Jackson are truly amazing in their performances in Basic, as they were in Pulp Fiction.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
ElvisPresley321Jul 30, 2016
Alright, yes this sort of film has been made before (Courage Under Fire) and yes it is a very military film. If you are one of those people who watch military films because of the guns and blood and guts then you won't enjoy this. That is notAlright, yes this sort of film has been made before (Courage Under Fire) and yes it is a very military film. If you are one of those people who watch military films because of the guns and blood and guts then you won't enjoy this. That is not because this doesn't have those things, it does, but this is a thriller not a shoot'em up.
On to the film; the film itself is very mysterious, you don't quite know whats happening some of the time. Don't worry, this is meant to happen and it only adds to the film. Certain reviewers slated this film, probably because they enjoy shoot'em ups. This film doesn't focus on the weapons used by the 75th Army Regiment (US Army Rangers), or their soldiering tactics. This focuses on soldiers going through tough training, you might relate it to Royal Marines training, psychological and muscular rather than just the latter. I won't give away the plot, but this is a great film, not what you might expect from either Travolta or Jackson.
If you liked Courage Under Fire, or simply like thrillers with twists (and primarily do know a little bit about the military, not just guns) then you will like this film.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
Batman321Jul 30, 2016
Really good film with strong, good actors. It is an action film with a twist. Probably enjoyable by most ages over 13.If you liked Fight Club,Sixth Sense,Memento,Identity & The General's Daughter then watch this.
Sent to investigate aReally good film with strong, good actors. It is an action film with a twist. Probably enjoyable by most ages over 13.If you liked Fight Club,Sixth Sense,Memento,Identity & The General's Daughter then watch this.
Sent to investigate a training mission that goes wrong,nothing is as it seems.John Travolta returns to form as a military man ( he is brilliant in General's Daughter) the very qunitessential Prince oF Cool & If you think that is good then the King of Cool Samuel L Jackson is also in it.
Highly recommend as a good crime thriller & great for Christmas time present… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
jonslowDec 8, 2018
John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson. Classic.
There are so many twists. I like it.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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