G.I. Jane A Film Review By Michael Redman Copyright 1997 Michael Redman
*1/2 (out of ****)
Demi Moore does her best to be husband Bruce Willis in a "guy film" disguised as a feminist movie. Beat-up, bruised and bloody but buffed-out, she triumphs over overwhelming odds: "Die Hard 15: This Time It's A Babe".
In a political trade-off for confirmation of the new head of the Navy, the military powers that be agree to a few trial cases for women in combat. Lt. Jordan O'Neil (Moore) is assigned to SEAL training. The brass is sure that she will wash out within a week; after all, 60% of the __men__ fail the intense course. We know better from the beginning.
O'Neil sticks it out despite resentment from her fellow sailors and harassment from drill instructor Master Chief John Urgayle (played with a wonderful depravity by Viggo Mortensen). After she endures weeks of physical and mental torture, the big boys start to get worried - she might make it. They begin to put political pressure on Senator Lillian DeHaven (Anne Bancroft), the woman that forced them into the situation in the first place.
The film is supposed to have a Message, but it is nothing new. Some women can do as well as some men in physically demanding situations. Now there's a revelation. Women in the military poses some problems. Another news flash. Perhaps these are new thoughts to some. After all, the audience I saw the film with thought that "If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you" was a hilarious line.
The movie beats you over the head with the obvious. A black team member tells the story of a relative in WWII who was denied combat duty because it was well known that people of his race had bad night vision. "You're the new nigger on the block," he tells O'Neil. The not-too-subtle undercurrent in the statement is that sexual integration of the military is inevitable. A bit more refined statement comes from one of her superiors "She's not the problem. We are."
The extended shots of training get old fast. If you've seen a five minute segment of people crawling through the mud and barbed wire while being shot at, you've seen 'em all. There doesn't need to be a dozen of them. The film looses the ability to keep your attention early on.
There are some plot devices that don't work and others that don't make sense. The top Navy staff never figures out that the officer they have assigned to keep track of O'Neil is her boyfriend. There couldn't be a more vivid illustration of the old joke about the oxymoronic aspect of military intelligence.
The tired twist of a training exercise turning into real combat is no more of a surprise than anything else is. It could have been redeemed if those action scenes had been exceptional, but we've seen it all before...and usually better.
I would have expected better from director Ridley Scott ("Aliens", "Blade Runner", "Thelma And Louise"), but his films have been on the downhill slide for a few years. As he drifts into brother Tony's ("Top Gun") simplistic but popular territory, he's losing something valuable. This movie has the dynamic look of previous Scott efforts, but none of the soul.
It's not all horrible. Cheering for the underdog is always an audience-pleaser and it's easy to do here. Much of the film looks good visually. But these aren't enough to make up for a one-trick plot and hackneyed script.
The one bright spot is that Moore does a credible job with what little she is given to work with. Admittedly the role isn't exactly challenging, but with the atrocious "Striptease" behind her, this is certainly a step forward. Upon first glance, the films couldn't be more different, but on closer examination the two characters could be the same woman. Feisty and determined hot honey makes good in a man's world.
Of course no Demi Moore film would be complete without some gratuitous footage of her assets. Clad only in a thin tank-top and tiny shorts and covered with sweat she demonstrates that she is really not one of the guys even as she's doing one-armed push-ups.
Becoming a man seems to be O'Neil's goal. Not content to just be treated equal to the others, she becomes a hit with the men when she strongly suggests that the Master Chief "suck my [anatomical component that we would be surprised if she actually possessed]."
Perhaps someday Scott will release a director's cut with the better scenes in this film and find a story worth watching to go with them. Someone give me a call if that happens.
(Michael Redman has written this column for over 21 years and is continually amazed at what passes for entertainment at times. Email to mredman@bvoice.com is your direct link for fan mail.)
[This appeared in the 8/27/97 "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be reached at mredman@bvoice.com ] -- mailto:mredman@bvoice.com
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