'The Hunted': Shameless chaser thriller

Photo courtesy of KRT

In "The Hunted," Tommy Lee Jones, left, plays a worn survivalist-tracker who is forced to hunt down a soldier, whom he trained to be a special forces assasin.

By Blaine Martin
Staff Writer

There have a handful of recent films that carry the hunter and the hunted theme. "The Hunted", directed by William Friedkin, draws shamelessly from the blueprint of chaser thrillers, most recently from movies like 1994's "The Fugitive" and 1998's "U.S. Marshals”.

Tommy Lee Jones, however brings a genuine feeling to his role as hunter that few can imitate. He plays a worn survivalist-tracker named L.T. Bonham who is forced to hunt down a soldier, Aaron Hallam ( Benecio Del Toro), whom he trained to be a special forces assassin. Jones adapts his role instinctively, and the movie seems designed just for him - including the harsh backgrounds and heated chase scenes.

Jones fulfills his part with a spine-chilling quality. His character exhibits the quiet confidence of an old professional that is sick of military life but still tracks and fights with precision. L.T. taught Aaron how to kill, which earned him a silver star in Special Forces. However, since then, he's turned up missing in action and in need of L.T.'s advice. L.T. ignores Aaron's letters pleading for help and soon after a killing spree ensues.

The film starts in Kosovo during the Bosnian war, where Serbians are murdering an entire village of unarmed civilians. Aaron is set loose on a vicious Serbian officer and pounces on him, killing him with remarkably efficiency delivering undeniable torment to his victim. Deer hunters are treated to a painful death as well.

L.T. jumps on the case and recognizes his student’s signature as well as he sees tracks in a field of grass or movements in a crowded street. L.T.'s and Hallam's chases are engaging and exciting, moving from bicycles to train cars and through a traffic jam. Backgrounds are excellent in the wilderness, linking brilliant forest colors with the impending threat waiting in hiding. L.T. and Hallam use the Kali style freely - a brutal, bloody dance of knife thrusts.

But "The Hunted" leaves much to be desired in terms of Hallam's character. The audience can't help but wonder why Hallam is so hell-bent on murdering deer hunters - he explains their methods of killing deer are cowardly, but there should be something more on this obsession of his - a particular event that triggered this maniacal behavior, perhaps.

Jones and Del Toro make a good action team duo, but the movie is in no way cerebral. The chase scenes and battle scenes are exciting, nonetheless. Pick another movie for a deeper story, but if battle and bloodshed is what you're into, this movie will give you a quick fix.

March 27, 2003 Issue