The Hunted

Ghostboy · March 14, 2003, 02:33:32 AM

I just saw this and wanted to reccomend it for anyone looking for a good thriller this weekend. Best Friedkin film in...decades, I guess. Its exceptionally well directed and acted...the writing is a little sparse in some parts, but I'd always rather have less exposition than too much. Its the best chase film since The Fugitive, but refreshingly free of any overbearing twists and mechanics. It's very simple, fast, subtle and brutal. The editing is fantastic.

Also, its very pro-vegetarian and anti-animal cruelty, which is awesome.

Duck Sauce · March 14, 2003, 10:06:27 AM

It looks like another Fugitive/US Marshall, which I liked

Quote from: Ghostboy
Also, its very pro-vegetarian

Not cool.

MacGuffin · March 14, 2003, 10:37:24 AM

How is it different than

as the trailer makes it out to be?

Ghostboy · March 14, 2003, 10:45:28 AM

Um...okay, you got me. I haven't seen First Blood. I'll instead refer you to Harry Knowles' review, where he cateogrically explains why The Hunted is not Rambo.

Satcho9 · March 14, 2003, 12:09:14 PM

I want to see it becase of Benicio...always a good actor to watch. Takes his craft seriously. Kudos.

MacGuffin · March 16, 2003, 10:12:08 PM

AICN is right. This film isn't "First Blood". This film pales in comparasion. To even relate it to "The Fugitive" is an insult to that remarkable film. It's not that Del Toro's character is so cunning and clever to outsmart his captors, it's that they are so dumb that it's easy for him to get away. If the agents here would just watch enough movies, they could catch the cliches and find him quick. This makes the audience smarter than all of them and that leads to no thrills or suspense. The fight choreography looks like just that.

Oh, about the ending: *SPOILERS*

Jones' character is struck with a spike in the leg, yet he doesn't so much as hobble when walking on it. Then Del Toro puts more slices in him than a block of cheese at a deli, and he is still strong enough to fight despite just seeing him get winded from running and swimming to find his target.

Ghostboy · March 17, 2003, 01:11:24 AM

I recognize the implausibilites, but I thought fight choreography was great.

I really liked how the movie was so simplistic; for the most part, the characters were nothing more than archetypes, doing the hunter/hunted routine. It offered just enough to get you into the scenario, and then the chase(s) kick in, which I thought were exemplary.

I don't think its as good as The Fugitive, and I doubt it will ever really be topped in its genre; but I do think it's a great thriller, and one of the best in quite a long time.

MacGuffin · March 17, 2003, 02:00:36 AM

Quote from: GhostboyI don't think its as good as The Fugitive, and I doubt it will ever really be topped in its genre; but I do think it's a great thriller, and one of the best in quite a long time.

"Bourne Identity" was a far superior thriller, and that wasn't too long ago. In fact, it reinvented the genre. "Hunted" just isn't even worth seeking.

sphinx · March 17, 2003, 02:19:51 AM

i think the reason why the film failed was that we really only wanted to see jones' character succeed. surely some of us could sympathize with toro's views, but he ended being cold and unlikable, and since the story stayed with him for almost the majority of the film, it was hard to really root for him. there was no urgency or drive to his character, it was merely explained in a confusing battle sequence set up at the beginning of the film. i didn't feel any buildup either, it was just a string of chases with some dialogue stuck inbetween

:\

Ghostboy · March 17, 2003, 09:29:27 AM

I loved The Bourne Identity, too -- in fact, I thought about it a few times while watching The Hunted, because both films felt like a breath of fresh air (to me) after sitting through the tedium that is a lot of modern thrillers.

bonanzataz · March 17, 2003, 08:57:49 PM

Anybody who thought Bourne Identity sucked balls, say I.

"I."

Ghostboy · March 17, 2003, 11:34:15 PM

Why I liked The Bourne Identity: it was good old fashioned international intrigue. I'm really getting sick of thrillers that are full of predictable twists (The Recruit), overcooked morals (Tears Of The Sun), MTV editing (take your pick) and/ or CG, techno music, etcetera.

The Bourne Identity was cool because it just took a fairly simple story and didn't try to blow it out of proportion; Doug Liman kept it under control, and the resulting film was taught, involving and entertaining, and refreshingly un-'mind blowing.' It was almost like something that would have been made back in the sixties/seventies. It reminded me of 'Ronin' from a few years back, which had many of the same qualities.

I liked 'The Hunted' for many of the same reasons, implausibilities be damned.

GodDamnImDaMan · March 19, 2003, 09:03:15 PM

Tom lee Jones's ears are fucking huge!!!! Anyone else notice that? I cant see a movie with a man like that....

psshhh

Gold Trumpet · March 21, 2003, 05:24:29 PM

I liked The Hunted too based off why I liked The Bourne Identity for the most part. I actually loved the sparse story and little story there in really trying to build it up to something big. It was what it was and when it was finished, it just ended. The FBI weren't badly cliched at all in this movie, they were built up as people who just worked on a different level than Del Toro. The idea of giving Jones a cell phone that acted as a tracking device so the FBI knew where he was was clever. And also the scene where the FBI officer walks up to what is a dead body but believes it to be Del Toro, and then realizes it with the blood on the floor shows that he was smart, but Del Toro coming at him with a fighting technique to killing just caught him off guard because he didn't know how to defend himself against it. Also, the fighting between Jones and Del Toro was excellent to be be seen for what it is, regardless of any movie truths involved. I am glad that they didn't add any stunt men for the fights and kept it to just them.

~rougerum

sphinx · March 21, 2003, 05:33:55 PM

Quote from: The Gold TrumpetAnd also the scene where the FBI officer walks up to what is a dead body but believes it to be Del Toro, and then realizes it with the blood on the floor shows that he was smart, but Del Toro coming at him with a fighting technique to killing just caught him off guard because he didn't know how to defend himself against it.
~rougerum

eh? even if you were made of liquid steel, benicio del toro flying at you with a knife as you were sitting in a chair in front of your computer would probably catch you off guard