G I Jane *** (1997, Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Anne Bancroft) – Classic Movie Review 1361

Director Ridley Scott’s 1997 movie stars Demi Moore in one of her key roles. Moore shaves her head and pumps up the muscles for her showy performance as a US intelligence officer, Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil.

Thanks to a woman Senator who succeeds in enrolling her, she becomes the first woman to join the Navy SEALs and to undergo their full combat training. The authorities try to make her fail the Combined Reconnaissance Team training course, but Moore proves she’s one tough cookie.

It’s a powerful, pulsating action movie, exciting but not appealing with not an iota of subtlety at all. Moore proves she’s as tough as any man – you’ve got to admire Moore’s guts here, and she’s ideally cast, if rather scary with her bald head and rippling body.

Viggo Mortensen has a chunky part as John James Urgayle, the Navy SEALs master chief who puts Moore through her paces and Anne Bancroft has quite a bit to do as the US senator, Lillian DeHaven.

It’s pounding stuff, flashily and confidently handled by director Scott. However, it must be said that David Twohy and Danielle Alexandra‘s script could do with a brain transplant.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1361

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