Wolff rating: FAIR
Plot summary: Terrorists are attacking New York, and unless one FBI agent hunts down the bad guys, the U.S. Army will become an army of occupation.
Biased, pithy comments: Is this a preachy civics lesson, or a terrorist action movie? Both, apparently. Although the heavy-handed message of the film is hard to miss (we need to respect the Bill of Rights or become just as lawless as, say, the Middle East), I was still looking for the logic of the plot. It just didn't make any sense---how do they know this is the last cell? What in heck was the Army trying to do to that building? Is this even the least bit legal? No, murky to the last, we're only left with some good acting, good direction (every manipulative emotional moment they could steal with such a goofy script they successfully stole), and fine production values. Skip this film.
Other Notes: You know, Tony Shalhoub is great. The thesis of this film, that the CIA is responsible for terrorism training abroad, is a little suspect---come on, it was Presidents and Congress who decided foreign policy, not the agents in the field. Who is really to blame? The democratically-elected constitutional leader, of course. Just food for thought.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub, Sami Bouajila.
Directed by: Edward Zwick