Surprising!

Rating: Null/10 (19 April 2004)

I might not be too original in my thinking here but here goes just the same...
I resisted (lord how I resisted) renting this movie. I had foolishly allowed my ignorance and pre-conceived ideas to cloud my judgement. Did I really want to see a "macho fembot" prove her superiority over a bunch of incompetent male stereotypes?
WAIT JUST A MINUTE THOUGH, IT ISN'T LIKE THAT; SCOUT'S HONOUR!
Last night I turned on the TV and there it was, large as life. I was about to dive for the remote when something stopped me midstream.
What I then sat through was a very acceptable (albeit slightly formulaic) movie. The plot has been excellently laid out for you by many previous reviewers, so I'll skip the needlessly mind-numbing repetition.
G.I. Jane is not bad. there are more than enough good performances.

Demi Moore is Lt. Jordan O'Neil. She gives a credible performance as both an actor and as a fine physical specimen. Her character, a lone woman in a man's world, seeks not to outdo the boys, but to be accepted as one of them.
Viggo Mortensen is simply masterful and often steals the limelight as Master Chief John James 'Jack' Urgayle.
"The Great" Anne Bancroft is fun too watch, but is, at times, a little over the top in her portrayal of Senator Lillian DeHaven.
The "mood" lighting is effective at times, but a bit distracting the rest of the way. (I found myself, , squinting in deep shadows and peering through the gloom far too often for my comfort.
(POSSIBLE TEASER AHEAD)
------------------------------------------------------------------ We are along for the ride as our heroine is put through an extremely gruelling & lengthly series of mental and physical endurance tests. These to me (a non-military chap) seemed quite realistically done. (A nasty fight scene, in particular, was quite well staged.)
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If you're either expecting "Private Benjamin" or a Shoot-em-up action-adventure, then this is probably not the one for you, but if not, and provided you can leave your skepticism and or pre-conceived ideas at the door, you might just, as I did, find yourself pleasantly entertained.

MY RATING - ****** Six Stars