30 Second Bottom Line: In this movie the principal characters put down the guns & go man to man with skill & sometimes steel, as two great actors deliver on the action.

Story Line: Imagine being trained to be the best at one particular thing. No one is better. No one takes to it as quickly, it comes as naturally to no other person alive. There you are, & there is no one else. Now imagine being the person who trained that person. That's the stage set for "The Hunted."

Benicio del Torro plays Aaron Hallam, a man who was one of the best of the best in the Army at what he does. When what you do is kill people that comes with a pretty high price tag. In Hallam's case, it's no longer being able to tell the civilians from the targets. But when you are trained to kill¾not just to kill¾but to kill precisely & intensely, what do you expect?

Some time after coming back from a bloody mission in war-torn Kosovo & a subsequent medal ceremony, Hallam disappears, physically & then mentally. The next thing you know disemboweled bodies start showing up, slaughtered in the same fashion, with the same type of weapon. Of course, Bonham (Tommy Lee Jones) isn't interested when first approached to try & bring in the killer, but eventually he agrees.

Tell Me More About It: For those who are not familiar with my critiquing style, allow me to introduce it to you. I have no problem with the reality that there are few original ideas that make their way to a multiplex near you. I can live with that, as long as you WORK the formula CORRECTLY.

The Hunted is a chase movie, we've all seen chase movies: The Fugitive, & the sequel U.S. Marshall, Bruce Willis in The Jackal, & on another level, Rambo, to name a few, & we all know the formula. First you introduce the "bad guy," give a quick glimpse of what makes/made him "bad" (sometimes he's actually innocent, other times not). Second, show the guy whose job it is to bring him in & why he's "the only man for the job." Then there's the inevitable showdown, it's a formula that, when properly worked, can produce a highly entertaining movie. Personally, I think this movie accomplished just that.

Del Torro's Hallam has a mastery with a knife that just makes you cringe, & elicited a response from everyone at the screening I attended. The final showdown between Tommy Lee & Benicio is choreographed & acted out in a way that definitely gets the blood pressure rising. Tommy Lee is at his monotone, intense best & del Torro plays it so cool it gives you chills. It is all that they do well that makes this a 3 star movie, if not for a few omissions & some missed attentions to detail, this would be a 4 star movie.

I thought that it was so cool that these characters didn't cower by hiding behind a high powered rifle, shooting people from a hundred feet away. These two took searing steel to handle their business. You ever had a paper cut? Hurts like the dickens!!! Imagine, quick, fast, deep cuts from a steel blade…OUCH!!!

Tommy Lee Jones- "Men in Black II", "Space Cowboys", "Double Jeopardy"	Benicio Del Torro-"Traffic" "The Pledge" "Snatch"
Connie Nielsen- "Basic", "One Hour Photo" "Gladiator"	William Friedkin-"Rules of Engagement", "Jade", "Blue Chips

Tommy Lee Jones: L.T. Bonham	Benicio del Torro: Aaron Hallam
Connie Nielsen: Abby Durrell	William Friedkin - Director