MovieFreak.com - Basic DVD Review

Starring: John Travolta, Connie Nielson, Samuel L. Jackson, Giovanni Ribisi, Brian Van Holt

A DEA officer (John Travolta) is recruited to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a famed U.S. Army drill instructor (Samuel L. Jackson) and a group of cadets on a routine military exercise in the jungles of Panama. But the journey to uncover the truth leads to some dangerous and unexpected places when two rescued survivors tell dramatically different versions of what occurred.

Basic wants to be many things, so anything but basic. To pun on the title is always fun, but here it’s just a little too easy and welcoming. The title really refers to the basic element in murder, meaning a murder is basic in any form (simplistic or otherwise). I think it’s fair to compare Basic, at this point, to some other films dealing with identical plot devices and techniques. Just like The Usual Suspects, John McTiernan’s film implores flashbacks to tell the story. Just like Rashomon, James Vanderbilt’s script implores different points of views of a specific event. Just like The General’s Daughter, John Travolta (Swordfish) returns to a similar environment (military base) and story (sans twists). With that said where does Basic stand on its own? On second thought, I don’t think guessing its position will do any good.

It borrows certain elements and techniques from films that have applied them much better and more convincingly. However, this does not mean Basic is unexciting. For all it’s worth, the film creates an intriguing backstory. Watching Travolta and Connie Nielson (The Hunted, Gladiator) race against time to investigate the mystery of that supposedly routine military exercise is exciting. Brian Van Holt (Confidence, Black Hawk Down) and Giovanni Ribisi (Heaven, The Gift) play the only two surviving soldiers and their stories couldn’t be more different.

John McTiernan’s direction is quite formidable. He creates a visually defining experience, incorporating all sorts of elements, such as darkness, rain, thunder, etc. Steve Mason’s cinematography is pretty good as is Klaus Badelt’s score. There are a few noticeable special effects, too, but they look just fine. On the acting front, John Travolta plays his character cool and sly. He’s having fun, no doubt about it. Connie Nielson appears to be a supporting character, but by the film’s end it turns out she’s most integral character of all (no, this is not a spoiler). Samuel L. Jackson (Changing Lanes, Unbreakable) plays drill instructor West with a lot of energy and viciousness, but that doesn’t necessarily make his performance worthy of praise. The co-stars in Basic are Van Holt, Ribisi, Taye Diggs (Equilibrium), Christian De La Fuente (Driven), Dash Mihok (Dark Blue), Tim Daly (Against the Ropes), Roselyn Sanchez (hardly recognizable; Rush Hour 2) and Harry Connick, Jr. (Hope Floats).

The further along Basic goes, the more twists appear. I’m not going to reveal any twists, but talk about twist overkill. I mean what the deuce? Either James Vanderbilt wants to follow the talent of screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) or come off as the only writer to reinvent the total number of possible twists and turns in a film (at 99 minutes). The latter appears to be the more reflective answer. After each new twist Basic falls apart more and more. Just when you think you’ve seen the last one, it turns out you’re wrong. Basically, after all is said and done, you probably won’t care. The situation and the complexity of the whole film becomes just too much to bear, not to mention to even give a rat’s ass. Trying to figure out the film requires at least three more viewings I’m guessing, but nobody is that crazy or committed anyway.

It’s a shame, though, because Basic starts off pretty well and promising. Some of it is also smart. Again, John McTiernan creates a visually defining film and most of the performances are pretty accurate (Travolta exhibits the most fun). All the twists and turns are just too much to stomach, putting Vanderbilt’s script in trouble. There are a few rewarding moments in Basic, but they’re not enough to hold everything together. As I said, it’s a shame. Just for fun, the French title for the film is Formation extrême.

Columbia Tristar presents Basic in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. This transfer looks fairly clean upon first inspection. When looking closer, however, I spotted a few scenes containing grain and dirt spots. Fortunately, I didn’t notice any compression artifacts. The color palette is not very extravagant as most of the colors are subdued, taking on a more military-like look (the blue and gray of all things). The color detail is pretty good, because the colors really stick. Most of the jungle scenes take place at night and the dark tones and black levels perform well and accordingly. Overall, this presentation of Basic looks pretty good, despite instances of grain and dirt.

Columbia Tristar presents Basic in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The sound effects are aplenty here (gunshots, rain, thunder, etc.) and it is the surround usage that alleviates their impact. Klaus Badelt’s score is very effective and engaging, making a nice statement in the soundfield. Dialog scenes are clear and easy to understand. Rear speakers are active, but most of the noise comes through the front. Overall, this audio presentation is effective and fitting.

Commentary by John McTiernan – He is quite soft spoken and at times not easy to understand (words that don’t come across clear enough). He tends to pause quite a bit throughout the track, causing a few long gaps. He offers some comments on the actors, characters, story, scenes, clues and shooting locations. As a whole this track is not very interesting as it appears McTiernan is watching the film instead of providing a commentary worth your time (his commentary for Die Hard and Die Hard with a Vengeance special editions are probably his best).

Basic: A Director’s Design (~22 mins) – This featurette runs a little longer than I expected and is not really EPK type of material, although it tends to go into that territory. The focus here is on the film itself, McTiernan’s vision and the involvement (and acting) by both Travolta and Jackson. Most of the comments are congratulatory, but they are what they are. The behind-the-scenes footage is more extensive than I expected, which saves this featurette from being (at times boring) interview snippets. This featurette is a nice addition to the special features, but overall pretty basic in itself. It’s not something you will necessarily watch again.

Basic Ingredients: A Writer’s Perspective (~17 mins) – Apparently Columbia knows most people don’t understand the film and the numerous twists that come with it. That’s why they have screenwriter James Vanderbilt here explaining events and twists in the film. A surprising thing about this featurette is the inclusion of a series of alternate/deleted scenes. On the other hand, this featurette is only worth your while if you care; the value included here depends if you like the film or not. I like Basic for what it is and therefore this featurette is valuable in terms of clarifying and recapping things from the film. I guess this conversation with Vanderbilt is a decent substitute for a commentary.

Rounding out the extras is the film’s Theatrical Trailer, plus bonus trailers for Tears of the Sun, Identity, xXx, Formula 51, Bad Boys II (teaser) and S.W.A.T. (teaser). Also included are Filmographies.

You can select to view the film with optional English subtitles. The DVD’s menus are interactive, but not animated. The 99-minute feature is organized into twenty-eight chapters.

Basic is not your mystery. For once, it contains too many twists and turns, most of which don’t really connect. In the end, Basic is somewhat of a mess, but I still like it for what it tries to be. The video and audio presentations are very decent, plus there is an informative featurette on the film’s twists and story elements; however, McTiernan’s commentary is unexciting. Basic is worth renting at the video store, nothing more, nothing less.

THE MOVIE	6
THE VIDEO	8
THE AUDIO	8
THE EXTRAS	5
OVERALL (not an average)	6