Bat*21

Based on true events, Bat*21 follows an Air Force navigator (Gene Hackman’s Iceal Hambleton) as he’s caught behind enemy lines after his American plane is shot down during the Vietnam conflict – with the character eventually receiving assistance and encouragement from a friendly pilot (Danny Glover’s Bartholomew Clark). Filmmaker Peter Markle, working from a script by William C. Anderson and George Gordon, delivers a familiar yet mostly engrossing war picture that benefits from the top-notch efforts of its stars, as both Hackman and Glover turn in compelling, commanding work that elevates the proceedings on a regular basis and is, as well, heightened by their characters’ palpable chemistry together. The perpetually watchable vibe is enhanced by an ongoing emphasis on scenes and interludes of a decidedly gripping nature (eg Iceal must remain completely quiet as an enemy platoon walks mere feet away from him), while the action-packed final third, which boasts an impressively enthralling rescue attempt that goes horribly wrong, ensures that Bat*21 concludes on a thoroughly positive (and memorable) note – with the final result an above-average endeavor that ranks above many of its similarly-themed brethren.

*** out of ****