Old post but still...gotta say something. I think that watching Jones chase someone for the fourth time was maybe wrong casting.However,he was casted and does a way better job then in the one he got an Oscar for. Benicio is brilliant and gives Hallam dimensions the script won´t allow.It also felt fresh to see the bad guy for once be the one chased by huge army or gang,outmatched. Good guy vs.Not evil or bad but psychoguy was both good and bad since with no one to hate and want to see dead,some suspense was lost but it was cool with a baddie who wasn´t the devil.
I felt like L.T reading those letters at the end summed a few things up.The movie opens a door it never enters,it touches on a father/son theme but does nothing with it. L.T couldn´t apologize for ignoring Aaron?Exactly how guilty did he feel,not just for training him but for neglecting Hallam when he is telling him he needs his help.He´s been like a father to him...in fact,the whole situation could´ve been avoided.He can chase him,kill him but not communicate?He´s a talkophobe?No but Friedkin ignores all this,emotions and we have to make some stuff up for ourselves and speculate.
Even if he was a great trainer,there is no way in hell a way past-his-prime man who never has taken a life but teaches others how to,can kill a man with the experiences of taking many,many lives in hand-to-hand combat.The chase scene started out badass,then I realized L.T had been running non-stop for 15 minutes and for several miles.That was stretching it,especially catching up with Hallam.Jumping on top of the train...?
It also just touched on some interesting criticism against the U.S government. They recruit young men,train them to kill,get them to murder for the good of the nation and when they become inconvinient and screwed in the head...take them out,they´ve served their purpose.But it never said anything.
The traps in the bush were pretty silly and extreme.Both of them making their own knifes,with the veteran of course making a much smaller one.Benicio having ONE line of dialogue in the last 30 minutes in a 90 minute movie.The amount of blood both but especially L.T lost in the last fight was so over the top,he or Aaron would´ve been dead after 3 minutes....
BUT it was enjoyable,it was great choreography there in their fights.Deschanels camerawork and look of the film was cold,cool and "expensive." Del Toro is my all time favourite and even though this isn´t his finest hour and he has some weird facial expressions,I still think he was the man for the job.The film didn´t shy away from moments of gore.It didn´t pride itself on it,it wasn´t too much overall but pretty different for a"mainstream" actionflick and I dug that.The chase is mostly really good suspense with good editing.Nielsen is good support.The two leads had great chemistry and watching J.F.K the other day...the resemblance between T.L.J and Del Toro is uncanny,look like they could be related.
So the film sure has some qualities and I like that a guy like Ebert gave this one a 3 and a halv,pretty bold.Personally,guess I think about how this film could´ve been alot better with just a few lines of dialogue.But it is good entertainment 6.5. Thanks for your time buddy.
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