This movie is the journalist's version of a Chuck Norris/Rambo action flick. Instead of wading through swamps and tossing hand grenades, the reporter characters stagger through bars and lob bon mots. When not getting bombed in some third world civil war they get bombed at the Hilton. The constant near-death adrenaline rush finally takes its toll however. The main character, a TV reporter played by Richard Gere, cracks under the pressure and apparently loses his mind while doing a live report on TV from yet another war torn hell hole. Admittedly everyone has that fantasy. You know the one. The bedraggled field reporter finally gets fed up with the stupid questions from the TV anchor. Then he tells the pompous studio monkey to go eat Dan Rather's toe-nail clippings.

To redeem himself the Gere character decides to track down a major Serbian war criminal hiding in present day Bosnia. He manages to convince his old camera-man buddy to go with him. So now we have a pretty good idea for a tense thriller. That is if you like watching some burn-outs bumbling their way through the violent underbelly of Europe. Sort of like Chevy Chase in a "Vacation" movie - only more clueless and dead broke. With no weapons other than their blackberrys and tape recorders will they be able to corner the ultra-violent leader of the Serbs on his home ground? Frankly they stand a better chance of finding George Bush's mind. (Hint: look in Karl Rove's favorite airport men's rooms).

Most idiotic Rambo movies have action heroes with superhuman powers. They can mow down an entire army with nothing more than a withering glance. The characters in this flick are realistically drawn with flaws and weaknesses. This means you are pretty sure they will be slaughtered at any moment. Much like the idiot teens in a typical horror crap-fest. That is until the lame ending. After a huge build-up the movie just sputters to a ridiculous anti-climax.

Those of you familiar with Richard Gere's early movies are probably thinking: Oh jeez, do I really want to see Dick's naughty bits again? During Gere's "American Gigolo" (1980) you would be sitting there peacefully munching your popcorn with the yellow rifle fluid on it. Then suddenly out pops Dick's trouser snake! Yikes! We just weren't used to that in a mainstream movie 27 years ago. Be assured that the only Gere nudity in this flick involves a simple mooning. OK there is an obscene message written on his butt.

Which raises the question: how would you like to be the makeup artist or Best Boy in charge of stenciling things on Richard Gere's derriere? Just how would you put that on your resume? How would you tell your mother?

This movie aims to make international action heroes out of ink stained wretches. It certainly is wretched.

--Dan_in_Cincinnati