Rent Basic for FREE
+70,000 other titles and counting
- NO late fees or long term contracts - cancel anytime
- FREE first class post for DVD, Blu-ray & Games rental
- 1000's of films to stream instantly to your PC, TV or PS3TM at no extra cost

John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson team up in BASIC, an action-packed military thriller from director John McTiernan (DIE HARD). Jackson plays Sergeant Nathan West, propagator of a harsh military training programme that appears to have pushed a group of young recruits too far, when an exercise winds up with them attempting to .. Read more
| Starring | John Travolta, Connie Nielsen, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Van Holt |
|---|---|
| Director | John McTiernan |
| Genres | Thriller |
loading...
John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson team up in BASIC, an action-packed military thriller from director John McTiernan (DIE HARD). Jackson plays Sergeant Nathan West, propagator of a harsh military training programme that appears to have pushed a group of young recruits too far, when an exercise winds up with them attempting to kill each other. Only two soldiers emerge alive from the slaughter, and Jackson isn't among them. Rogue DEA agent Tom Hardy (Travolta) is called in to question the survivors, teaming up with Lieutenant Julia Osbourne (Connie Nielsen), in an attempt to solve the puzzle.
The two remaining soldiers (played by Giovanni Ribisi and Brian Van Holt) tell their conflicting tales, with director McTiernan utilising flashbacks to illustrate what may have happened in the Panama jungle. It quickly transpires that Jackson and Travolta's characters are old army acquaintances, both with a penchant for unorthodox techniques; and when it transpires that corrupt doctor Bill Styles (Harry Connick Jr.) has been selling the recruits illegal drugs, it also appears he has a romantic history with Nielsen's character. The subsequent plot twists come thick and fast, resulting in a white-knuckle ride to the finale, in which nothing can be taken for granted.
| Starring | John Travolta, Connie Nielsen, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Van Holt, Timothy Daly |
|---|---|
| Director | John McTiernan |
| Studio | ICON HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 38 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 2003 To Rent: DVD: 16 Jan 2004 |
A rumble in the jungle I can thoroughly recommend.
- 36
- 0
'Who dunnit' military thriller with some excellent performances
Expecting a mediocre military action film i was pleasantly surprised to find the film has a gripping plot filled with twists and turns that left me guessing ... read more »
- 0
- 0
Good twist at the end
Solid performances all round although better editing would have made a clearer story. Rain sodden hut looked like the one filmed in GI Jane. The helicopter at ... read more »
- 0
- 0
pretty rubbish
really poor acting from just about everybody coupled with a muddled , mediocre story this is mess of a movie .Connie Neilsen in particular is terrible in this ... read more »
- 0
- 1
Very very Enjoyable
Not seen such a good film for sometime now. I really did enjoy this film a lot. very good acting - great stuff!
Action director John McTiernan will direct a new thriller based in the gambling capital of Las Vegas, it emerged today. Entitled High Stakes, the movie has not yet been cast but is to revolve around two friends who come to realise they are the living deposit for a big-money bet, the Hollywood Reporter explained. It is set to begin filming in the autumn - but until then, eager fans may want to catch up on McTiernan's action-packed back catalogue, including the classic movie Die Hard. He also... Read more