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.
It looks like another Fugitive/US Marshall, which I liked
Quote from: Ghostboy
Also, its very pro-vegetarian
Not cool.
How is it different than
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as the trailer makes it out to be?
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.
I want to see it becase of Benicio...always a good actor to watch. Takes his craft seriously. Kudos.
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.
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.
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.
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
:\
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.
Anybody who thought Bourne Identity sucked balls, say I.
"I."
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.
Tom lee Jones's ears are fucking huge!!!! Anyone else notice that? I cant see a movie with a man like that....
psshhh
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
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
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetThe 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.
Even though I'm a foot from you in distance, I'm not gonna put the gun to your temple, instead I'll point my gun at you, but just as I'm about to shoot, a bump from out of nowhere will make me shoot the driver, thus causing the truck to crash and let you get away.
I see you looking at the open window, but I'll shoot after you've already jumped out of it even though I know you have a knife behind you.
You're in a stolen car, and we have a whole force in cars behind you, but we'll jump out of our cars blocks behind, and walk the rest of the way up to you and let you drive your way out of there.
Whatever level that is.
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.
But how long did it take him to realize it was not Del Toro's body? He keep shouting at it/him. He deserved to die for his stupidity of not calling for back up and not knowing it was an obvious decoy. Also, it makes the horror cliche of "let's all split up so the killer can pick us off one by one."
OK Mac, let's take this one by one.
1.) That is an incidental (yes, movieland) accident that had nothing to do with the skills of the officer pointing the gun but everything with what a bump in the road makes someone doing in aiming.
2.) FBI officer needed reason to shoot and kill. Since Del Toro did nothing to show reason to kill the officer at the time, it was under their mandate to try to arrest him first. As I am remember, something distracted the officer (yes, again) that permitted him time to jump out.
3.) Ah it was in a traffic jam. No way they could get closer without risking the lives of people in the cars. They had to get out.
4.) We, as the audience, knew it was a decoy. Him, as an officer in a dark place with one sight on the image, did not know til closer inspectation that it was a decoy. The darkness impaired his vision. And, he did call for backup before dying.
~rougerum
1.) You missed my point. He was close enough that he didn't have to miss. Anyway, the agent next to Del Toro was too stupid to not see what was gonna happen with the chains, sitting so close and all.
2.) Didn't stop them from shooting at Del Toro as he was climbing the bridge without a weapon. Besides, this suspect killed 2 hunters and FBI agents. Jones' character also hints that the cutting up of the hunters sounded like cannibalism and pointed out what kind of weapon was used.
3.) Ah, I bet drawn weapons in that traffic jam was much safer; opposite sides of the cars, nice crossfire.
4.) And, he did call for backup before dying. No, "I got the suspect or suspect in sight" before approaching. Besides, it wasn't really that dark. He made out that it was a figure, and if it was that dark, more reason to have a partner/backup.
I don't mind some suspension of disbelief, but when the dis- outweighs the belief...
1.) But it was like a 2 second time difference of him pulling out the gun and the bump causing the crash. And also, given his knowledge for the capabilities of the Del Toro, he didn't want to automatically just shoot like a reflex. He may have, but within 2 seconds seems beyond likely.
2.) The reason for them shooting at Del Toro on the bridge because he was running from them. In the room, he was cornered and believed by the officer to be in a position to be arrested. The officer is still under duty to try to arrest because the man has not made any attempt to attack or flee at the time.
3.) They did draw their weapons, but only that. Doing that was a precuation if they were to be fired upon by Del Toro as he was running away and it saves them time if they catch up to him to already have the gun drawn instead of taking a second to draw it.
4.) He made it out to be a figure, but only that. He could have called for backup, but it was his decision. If he felt he could take the man on his own at the outset, then it was his decision. That's a judgement call. I still do think it was too dark for him to be certain of anything and besides, his view point on the man didn't really give any details to who he may have been or what.
I think the disbelief of the movie comes from Jones acting like he was nervous about flying helicopters but looking calm when shown in one and then him walking normal when getting sliced up pretty good in the lake. Those are of disbelief, but not too bad to take away from the film in anyway.
~rougerum