Behind Enemy Lines is an old-fashioned, heart-thumping rescue mission story with about 90-pulse-pounding minutes of non-stop nightmarish action. First-time feature director John Moore masters both the second-by-second intensity of the action sequences and the bleakness of the physical and political landscape. The parallels between the personal, the psychic, and the political are subtly intertwined, and the rousing, send-in-the-Marines finish is especially satisfying.

In the midst of the action, there are dozens of moments filled with quiet power. Hackman, as always, is a joy to watch, doing wonders with the subtle struggle of a by-the-books patriot whose loyalty and sense of honor makes him risk everything, knowing that his career is on the line. Wilson, in his first major dramatic role, does not show much range, but is a very likeable presence as a classic American hero – brave, resourceful, and a little cynical, but everything we would hope for when the time comes. Charles Malick Whitfield is the Marine we all want to rescue us, and David Keith contributes a fine performance as the Admiral's aide.