G.I. Jane

Directed by Ridley Scott, G.I. Jane follows Demi Moore’s Jordan O’Neil as she agrees to participate in a program designed to integrate women into previously men-only branches of the armed forces – with the narrative detailing Jordan’s ongoing participation in a series of grueling tests alongside her male counterparts. Filmmaker Scott, armed with David Twohy and Danielle Alexandra’s screenplay, delivers an erratically-paced yet mostly rewarding endeavor that benefits from the strong work of its various stars, with, obviously, Moore’s completely convincing turn as the sympathetic protagonist remaining a consistent highlight and effectively perpetuating the movie’s predominantly watchable atmosphere – although it’s equally clear that the picture’s stacked supporting cast, which includes Viggo Mortensen and Anne Bancroft, plays a key role in keeping things relatively interesting throughout. There’s little doubt, however, that G.I. Jane‘s overall impact is hindered by an overlong running time and decidedly hit-and-miss midsection, as Scott loads this portion of the proceedings up with a succession of training sequences that become, perhaps inevitably, rather exhausting – which, when coupled with a decidedly anticlimactic finale half hour, ultimately cements the film’s place as a decent-enough drama that probably should’ve topped out at 105 minutes.

**1/2 out of ****

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