The Hunted (Widescreen Edition) [DVD]

Knife fights are fun to watch

Benicio del Toro plays a government killer suffering from PTSD. He believes his bosses are now after him. Into this mix comes Tommy Lee Jones who taught him survival tactics and fighting skills. It becomes a classic mano a mano tale. Added to that is the fact that Del Toro looks up to Jones as a father figure. Del Toro specializes in characters with odd traits and he plays that type of person in The Hunted. Jones is a twitchy and private person which is unlike his usual roles. The movie features some close combat fighting using techniques I’d not seen before. There’s a great sequence at a water fall that looked very painful. All together it was pretty exciting.

It was so good I bought copies for my friends!

I worked as a surveyor in some of the Oregon/Washington scenes. Portrayal of tracking was very realistic. I've bow-hunted with former Special Forces types in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, back in the cold bogs and swapped stories with them. I was once hunted by a deranged older local, himself an expert tracker, that'd followed me into the woods. I never walk on trails and always backtrack before setting a hide or tree stand. In this case the guy walked past me and had a laxative moment when he heard the click as I cocked the hammer on my pistol. I'd met him in midday and he was talking weirdly then and just had the hunch he was a psychopath of some sort, so I'd carried my1911 .45 in addition to my compound that afternoon. I let him go as he lived by himself in the woods and wasn't likely to be a threat to gun hunters, he'd thought me an easy target, but was mistaken.My hunting mentor, who'd been a personal friend of the great Fred Bear and hunted with him many times in Alaska and Canada, used to call me "Killer", because he never saw the animals I'd killed when I based out of his lodge in the UP. I only hunted for meat - can't eat horns! His friends that bow-hunted there with me, usually in the Oct dark of the moon, were the best of the best, either West Virginian hill folk or former Special Forces guys.I've known former Mercenaries and Contractors that fit the description of the antagonist in this movie. There are more of them in our society than one might think. The movie was very realistic, even if the knife moves were slightly skewed. The military screws up a lot of especially men. One friend, a Nam Vet, slept with his Browning Hi-Power in his hand for the rest of his life. I'm usually always within reach of a weapon of some sort, but sleeping with Ma Browning might frighten my wife!

Most the movie is really good, there are however some major flaws that kinda take you out of it. I will try to keep it vague so it's not too bad. BUT! *SPOILERS*Retired trainer or former/current special ops dude, both are kinda old to be doing the stuff they are doing. It also seems to me that a retired trainer shouldn't be able to go toe to toe with a special forces person if they are currently still in the military. I'd figure they are in better shape. Even more so when his job seems to be an assassin...During the final chase, they both somehow stop to make knives. One chips a stone into knife shape, the other finds rusty steel and forges it with a fire he built. Never mind the fire getting hot enough to really do much to the steel, but how long would have taken? But somehow both figure that's a good use of their time. Why didn't the trainer guy go into it with a knife in the first place. Or a gun even? Naw, dude is gonna sit down and chip a stone into a knife. Completely logical!Other than those two issues the rest was more basic stuff. Plot armor not letting the bad guy be really hurt. But honestly for a dumb action movie, it's pretty good and worth a watch. I enjoyed it.

I like that it is 16:9. I will watch anything in that format. I consider it a bonus that it is also 5.1.Thanks for that, Prime. I like the action and violence. I like the pursuit scenes; there are plenty.I like the shooting; there is enough for me. I like the punching and kicking and use of knives.This one was first in the list of what Prime thinks I would like. I had no rejects to get to this.

very well done

The Hunted is the story of a loyal U.S. Military Special Forces team member sent on amission to assassinate one of the Serbian rebels.The action is great and the story is great, but the message is that our own Government betraysit's own military and really does leave them behind.I know cause I come form a Military Family and I know others in special forces and U.S. Navy SEALSthat were highly decorated Silver star recipients and Purple Heart winners.We need to support our men and women and give them special assignments after being exposed tothe truths about "War".The female FBI agent was a total "fiction" and nothing like real agents. I know quite a few.Procedures and other techniqueswere way off the scale and not done(It's only a movie right)The character "LT" played by Tommy :Lee Jones was not as developed as is really used in training combat soldiers.The Character trained soldiers for CQC type drills with a knife. The training is good, but without actual "experience", it isuseless for the field, unless you have a martial arts background.The knife used or made was interesting, but many experts have debunked it as a throwing knife and just a partially well made survival knife.All in all, it was a fun ride, but not very accurate but that is because the message was in another direction.I also worked for the U.S. Secret Service, so I had to be a "counter-sniper" and "Counter-Terrorism Expert."I also recommend a movie with Peter Coyote called "Le Grande Arte"(1991) which has some really cool knife fights and real fighting techniques. Enjoy !!

I was nearly put off completely by the Boy's Own war porn that the film opens with - the expenditure of so much explosive/mass killings etc. that seemed to glory more in its cinematic potential than to accurately convey the horrors of war that trigger the main plot. Still, solid acting and action direction go on to save the day and even impress. Top acting pros TLJ (as "L.T.") and Del Toro also appear to do a great many of their own stunts. Check out a high line tree walk in among the deleted scenes included as DVD extras for further proof - seen from above and behind, you doubt it can be Tommy Lee himself and then he turns…Truly, he immersed himself in this role. The level to which the star actors are trained is hugely impressive and helps to make their characters much more believable (the characterisation not slight, as other reviewers allege, for being largely non-verbal).Add in yet another great and original hi-adrenaline car chase from Friedkin, plus many others on foot, water, scaling heights and plunging depths, amid beautifully observed contrasting urban/forest wilderness scenes, and you have a richly rewarding filmic experience. I'm surprised to have heard so little about this film, as compared to, say, The Fugitive.

Tommy Lee Jones is guilty of a little overacting, although he does spend most of the runtime poking, touching and staring at his surroundings for clues – so I guess he’s making up for that. Del Toro does his tried and tested stone cold killer routine, but with such dialogue-light characters neither feels properly developed. The underlying issue being that you should really be giving guys of this caliber deeper, more rounded characters to play with.The film’s cut well for the action scenes, with a few standout heavy-handed, bloody fights – however there are a few moments where Del Toro feels more like a bogeyman than a human. The film’s full of good locations, good story, good leads – but it somehow fails to fully engage or grip you. Biggest flaw is the lack of mood music, when it appears it’s very low volume, and makes the film feel flat, and vacuous. Director William Friedkin could have got away with spending less on big stars for empty roles, and more for big music over flat scenes.The Hunted starts off with a bang, but loses focus and audience by about the half-way mark, relying on big, macho action to keep interest up.Score: 5/10 - from ParagraphFilmReviews dot com

As a brain in neutral thriller the Hunted offers much. A great cast, big stunts and pacy runtime mean its a lean chase movie.That's it, nothing more just a series of chase and escape scenes joined by a thin plot of trained killer gone rougue tracked by world weary mentor.It's not over deep or sentimental, but efficient, like its lead characters.As many have stated this is very much First Blood meets the Fugitive, but stands on its own with two great lead actors, realistic stunts and a knowing wink of craziness (the Johnny Cash songs on the soundtrack are a nice touch).A great mix of action and thrills.

Benicio Del Toro plays a Special Forces veteran who becomes a serial killer. He is pursued by the ever excellent, but aging, Tommy Lee Jones who had trained him in the army in self defence, survival, the effective use of the knife, and turned him out a ruthless killer; A task his student excels in. The bottom line is knowing when to switch off. This the young man is incapable of and has become a virtual robot.This is a fast moving, well choreographed film, with no plot to speak of and host of faces I did not recognise. The scenery, however, is breathtaking.A watchable film if there is nothing better around at the time.

Harsh and brutal, but great actors and a great watch.