Review of G.I. Jane (1997) by Shannon P — 22 Jun 2011

Thanks to a Texas Senator's (Anne Bancroft) backroom deal with the Secretary of the Navy, Topographic Anaylist Lt. Jordan O'Neil (Demi Moore) is given the chance to become the first female Navy SEAL. To pass a course with a 60% drop out rate she'll have to put up with not only the brutal SEAL training but the disdain of her male comrades...and the same back room style of politics that brought her here may end her career whether she pass' the course or not.

Average flick. Demi Moore certainly does well, and is up there with Sigourney Weaver in the Aliens films as a can-do, tough-as-nails fighter. Bancroft plays the Senator well, most of the SEALS are forgettable except for Morris Chestnut by virtue of being the one black guy. Viggo Mortensen plays one of the SEAL instructors and as always is a memorable performance. Well the SEAL training is handled well enough (how close it resambles the real thing I don't know, I hear that SEAL training is one of the toughest programs in the world) some of the crap O'Neil takes form the others seems a bit forced, a result of the film trying to push a message ( that its time for a gender-neutral military), and well I enjoyed the politcal subplot it does make Jordan look at best naive, at worst stupid (your to be are test case for women in combat, report for Navy SEAL training. Really SEAL training? 60% drop out SEAL training? Why not Submarines, or Fighter pilot or a transfer to the Army and join the Infantry or drive Tanks? If the one woman in a group of men is one of the 60% to fail/dropout what does that mean in the larger scheme of things? Sweet fuck all, unless failure was the goal from the begging. That Jordan never questions this is odd). Finally there's an action seen at the end involving Libyan troops that is so poorly filmed I have a hard time believing this was directed by Ridley (Blade Runner/Gladiator/Black Hawk Down) Scott. Actually the scenes crammed in their like it was a late addition to the script, the camera shakes like someones nodding back and forth distacting from whats on screen (one of the worst uses of shaky cam ever) and it never feels like there's any danger, I mean this is it. Your finally set piece action scene of the movie, needs to push Jordan and her teammates (but particularly Jordan this IS her movie) to the limits, this should be her ultimate test that pushes her to the limit and finally earns her the respect she deserves from her peers and rivals. Jesus Ridley your brother Tony basically invented the damn template for this type of movie with "Top Gun", how'd the ball get dropped? Anyway like I said average, catch it on TV if you liked Top Gun or like Moore but I wouldn't go looking for this.