Cinema Review: The Hunter (From Penarth Times)

Cinema Review: The Hunter

EXPERT tracker LT Bonham (Tommy Lee Jones) has spent his working life training special ops killers for the US government.

He now resides in the snowy mountains living a quiet life in his log cabin.

But when one of his trainees begins to lose his mental stability and goes on a killing spree that includes decapitating two deer hunters, the government asks LT to come out of retirement and do what he does best - track down and bring in the fugitive dead or alive.

Benicio Del Toro plays Aaron Hallam, the renegade government agent who has been involved in one too many firefights, while Abby Durrell (Connie Nielson) is heading up the investigation for the FBI, and she is all too aware of how this situation is developing and the potential body count.

The Hunted in no way extends Tommy Lee Jones' acting ability as he has played the pursuer many times before and done it well. But for this movie he seems comfortable just to go along with his over-used role.

It does seem that director William Friedkin's lead is very much in the Rambo vein, the loner who has trouble grasping reality after his military service has finished, but Benicio Del Toro does well considering the character is very limited.

The film does hold up quite well. It is clear that the film makers have under-used all the actors, but it does not affect the overall experience.