Action flick full of adrenaline and surfer-boy savvy

"Behind Enemy Lines" is a somewhat odd film to release at this particular juncture. Not only does it follow a mere week on the heels of the similarly themed "Spy Game," but its unabashedly pro-war themes will likely offend some viewers in wake of recent tragedies.\nCrooked-nosed comedic wonder Owen Wilson stars as Lt. Chris Burnett, a smart-alecky Naval jet navigator who wants nothing more than to fight in an actual war. Gene Hackman co-stars as his tough-as-nails superior officer, Admiral Leslie Reigart. \nThe men butt heads in a tenuous father-son dynamic. These conflicts spur a punitive Christmas day recon mission for Burnett. During which he flies off objective and happens upon a mass grave of people slaughtered by Serbian soldiers acting against a new-fangled peace accord. \nThe Serbs take none too kindly to the plane's presence and fire a series of surface-to-air missiles resulting in one of the film's most awe-inspiring action sequences. Burnett's aircraft is inevitably clipped and goes down deep in enemy territory where he's left to survive on his own devices.\nWilson, who normally co-stars in light comedies such as "Meet the Parents" and "Zoolander," makes an able transition into the role of the action hero. His laconic, surfer-dude persona and acerbic wit play quite nicely. He's nothing more than an "everyman" trapped in extraordinary circumstances, and this allows audience members to easily sympathize with his plight. Hackman isn't given nearly as much to do in the cookie-cutter role of Reigart, but him half-assing it is worlds better than many actors at full hilt. \nBut the real star of "Behind Enemy Lines" is director John Moore. The flick marks the Irishman's feature-length directorial debut following a series of commercial stints with Adidas and Guinness. He instills the same kinetic energy prevalent in television ads to "Behind Enemy Lines," and this visual flair makes for some of the coolest action sequences committed to celluloid this year.\n"Behind Enemy Lines" is often crass, ethnocentric, contrived and implausible, and I dug nearly every minute of it. Go expecting "Rambo" with half a brain as opposed to "Platoon," and in all likelihood you'll enjoy this adrenaline-fueled popcorn flick.