Film 'Basic' just that - basic

The gods of cinema have smiled, allowing John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson to finally return to the screen together in the new thriller "Basic." Sadly, this film is no "Pulp Fiction," the film that arguably gave birth to Jackson's fame and Travolta's resurgence. The story focuses on a group of Army Rangers running a training exercise in Panama. Though the Rangers are supposed to run a simple assignment, only two of the seven come back alive. With one of the survivors near death, the finger of blame points toward the other returning Ranger. While interrogating the survivor, the investigating officer (Connie Nielsen) can't get the Ranger to talk, so the aid of a former Ranger (Travolta) is sought. With just hours to interrogate the prisoner before he is hauled off to Washington, D.C., for a formal investigation, the two seek to unwind the mystery of why only two Rangers came back. This setup for the film is very intriguing because of several side stories that regrettably aren't explored. "Basic" turns out, ironically, to be just that - simple and unimpressive. The story is full of twists and turns, but it is clear the budget for the film was spent on the cast. With the likes of Jackson, Travolta and even Harry Connick Jr., audiences will observe several notable faces. But what suffers due to the distinguishable cast is the production of the film. Several action sequences are clearly underdone. Audiences will not likely be fooled into thinking the environments are legit when they're really performed within the confines of a comfy studio. The effect is not horrible, just akin to that of a made-for-TV movie and not a feature film. With that in mind, the cast does perform well and keep the unlikely plot engaging. Jackson and Travolta are simple but good. Nielsen, still young to the screen, is a weak link with her tired rendition of a Southern accent - something few actors can tackle without sounding fake. If the production deficiencies can be ignored, the plot cannot. The story leaves too many unanswered questions and should be stronger for actors of this caliber. Audiences will enjoy the film, but probably won't remember it past the next cheesy military thriller they see. Rating: Ehh... not worth the ticket. C-