There's enough evidence here to ruin the lives of everyone involved, including the General. John Travolta. Madeline Stowe. Did you play together?
Did you love her so much that you murdered her? The most anticipated thriller of the summer. You better stop thinking. about your career. You better start thinking about yours.
The General's daughter. Hey, this is Samantha once again. Welcome back to another video.
This is another paid request. This time from Mr. A. Thank you so much for that. And for those interested in requesting any topic or reaction, review, review, commentary, re-review, whatever it may be, feel free to send it either directly to my PayPal or join my Patreon.
Both links are down below in the info box. And this is for The General's Daughter from 1999, which I've seen before and always enjoyed. Always liked it as a bid-budget thriller, meaning it had the bid budget, so it had a great production quality to it.
It had this military base, helicopters, plenty of military personnel. It's based on... on a novel which I've never read.
It's directed by Simon West who did Con Air which is my favorite film of his. He did the first Lord Croft Tomb Raider which I do like. Lara.
Sorry, not Laura. Lara Croft. Not a fan of Dispensables 2, though, and not a fan of The Mechanic, which he did, but I do like Con Air, The First Tomb Raider, and this film. I would say those are my three favorite Simon West movies. Now, the cast makes this work very well.
John Travolta, some may say he's hamming it up with his southern accent. I found him very enjoyable and fun to watch. Maybe he's a bit over... over the top, but I still found him very entertaining to watch.
I really quite liked Travolta in this. He's an investigator that will work with the military. He's chief warrant officer. Other people in the film, you have Madeline Stow, who I remember from the film Stakeout, with Emilio Estevez, Richard Dreyfuss.
She's in there also as an investigator who teams up with Travolta on this case. The case is that on this military base, a woman's been found tied up, raped, murdered, and it happens to be the general's daughter. The general was played by James Cromwell, who's in the film Babe, among many other films.
You also have James Woods in the movie. You have... Timothy Hutton, who was in George Romero's The Dark Half, he's in the movie.
Clarence Williams III, who was in films like 52 Pickup, he's in the movie. So like I said, it has a really good, solid cast that helps the film quite a bit. And I thought that the lady who plays the general's daughter, we get to see her before she's dead.
She helps Travolta change his tire up. Even she did a good job. Like I said, I don't really think there's any, you know, some credits back to they said, oh, as a bad acting.
I don't know what movie they saw, but with a cast like this, it's not bad acting. I will say I wish James Woods, who plays his colonel, who knew the dead lady. He was really good. I'm a huge James Woods fan.
And the scenes between him and Travolta I think are the most intense. They're the best acted scenes. I wish James Woods was in the film a lot more. I think that's one of the few... The pips I have with the movie.
Is that James Woods is such a... great performer, and his character is interesting and intense, and his scenes with Travolta, again, that's a character that should have been in the film a lot more. I mean, if there was some way that he would help out with the investigation, or, I hate to say it, instead of Madeline Stowell, if James Woods decides to join in, and... Oh, you can't do this?
Listen, I'm accused of this crime. I didn't commit. You know, I want to help out. I knew this person. She was a friend of mine.
And maybe the first half is this standoff, and the second half, he joins Travolta in the investigation. You know, like, behind the scenes, or if I need to join, maybe I keep it hush-hush. I think that could have been cool.
I don't mind Madeline's style, but... She's fine, but in a way, you could easily... rewrite this and take her character out of the movie. I mean you really kind of can. I do not like her because I like her as an actress but I'm just saying you could easily rewrite this and take her out of the movie.
I do like a decent amount of the dialogue I think the the banter And I say with Madeline Stile, I don't mind the banter between her and Travolta. I think Travolta, he's very fast and loose with the dialogue Which he's asking, you know, why was she killed and Travolta goes through all the list of the common reasons people kill Or plain old homicidal Try to remember the exact term Was I homicidal mania? I... I don't know.
In my old age, it's hard for me to remember lines of dialogue more and more, whether I like them or not. But yeah, Travolta is a lot of fun. He's chewing the scenery, but you know what? It's pretty entertaining.
Unclench your asscheats, okay buddy? The scary part's over. Some of the people get mad that it throws in a couple action scenes I'm fine with that cuz I'm a sucker for reaction scenes and I think some West pulled them off fairly decently Because in this time of doing Con Air in this movie he knew how to handle that Because one of the things about John Travolta's territory, he's an undercover agent, and he was doing this other deal, and the guy tries to kill him at his home, so Travolta has to run and jump into the water and fight the guy in the water, and even kills the guy with his motorboat. I think the way that scene was lit, the production value of that area, I think made it much more of an interesting scene because of that.
A pretty decent brutal death on the bad guy as well. But of course as Travolta and Malin Stow investigate, they get further and deeper into what's really going on, who the General's daughter really was, what had happened to her, how far up the ladder this goes, there was a cover-up, things of that nature. And to talk about that, I have to go more into spoilers.
The whole thing with the women in trouble in the military, I think is handled effectively in this movie. Because sadly, yes, there are times that that has happened in the military. But at least it approaches that subject very seriously.
And not every damn guy is just an evil, tyrannical guy. Because you have Travolta, who's a good guy. At least we follow his character.
And it's one of those things where... You compare it to like Interceptor, the film I reviewed a few weeks ago starring Chris Hemsworth's wife. That was a film that tried to do that, but it was done so ham-fisted, so silly, so goofy, so inept, that it was more insulting than anything.
It was just more ridiculous and stupid than anything. This is how you handle that subject in a much better light. Much better light.
I say the lines of dialogue that get thrown out there are pretty entertaining. Like when Travolta's talking with James Woods, and James was like, oh, should I get an attorney, and blah, blah, blah, and Travolta goes, well, here's the thing. First off, there are no good ones.
Again the scenes between Travolta and Woods and James Woods is a possible suspect when they're sparring back-to-forth verbally in an office or Later on when Travolta is talking with James Woods in this prison cell in his jail cell should say So what happened okay was it this was this was a rape worse Well, what's worse than rape when you find out then you'll know everything won't you and he does this thing with the James? Woods does his name with the fingers on the bars. I might did this is the movie like this is more should be more of the movie Have it be like Travolta Faces of something's wrong Shane's words is about ready to get killed Travolta helps out James Woods helps out, they both escape.
He's doing the investigation and he's hiding James Woods. And they're both helping each other out. That would have been cool to see.
You still have that banter and intensity, but at the same time, you get more of James Woods'character. The score, I thought the score was pretty decent, pretty competent with his military feel to it. I like the production value with you shooting on this base and there's a point where a flashback is shown of an attack. And you have this battlefield because it's a training mission.
Nice landscape. The budget was used well to showcase. It didn't feel cheap at all. With the way it was lit and cinematography and some decent helicopter shots. And maybe the twists and turns won't be unique to people who've seen a lot of these type of films, but they were still as steep as some entertainment.
And yet I think the cast really helps propel that. Like for example, there's a bit where they're taught to this guy was being a prick. And the guy's like, well, did you love your dad?
And so Travolta goes, my dad was a drunk, a gambler, and a womanizer. I worshipped him. I thought that was really funny.
I thought the story was interesting. They get more into spoilers, starting now, where you find out that the daughter, back in the day, was in a training session. She sadly was raped.
And the father... James Cromwell's like I want justice for my daughter, but then he's told by people to keep it hush-hush So he tells his daughter keep it hush-hush and you see the light pretty much go out of her eyes That you just say even Travolta says that's when she truly died well when she You know I wonder what was worse than rape and now I know betrayal by you You told me to go get the son of a bitch. I never thought it would be you sir But Travolta I like John Travolta.
I should mention that before I've always liked John Travolta Some people always he gay. I don't care if he's gay straight bisexual by Focal I don't care I liked him in the film Grease. I love Broke the Arrow.
Broke the Arrow is my favorite John Travolta film. I really like Paul Fitch in it. I like this movie. The Fanatic was bad, but you know what? It was pretty damn entertaining.
It was pretty damn entertaining. He's done bad stuff lately. Gotti was awful.
Speed Kills was awful. I wish he would take notes from Nicolas Cage But you worked with them and face off take some notes from Nicolas Cage and do I? Guess you know the the fanatic seems like a film that cage would have done But I mean if you see John Travolta in the film like Mandy or in willies Do you imagine John Travolta in a film like Willy's Wonderland? is acting like a If Deacon Frost, if, uh, not Deacon Frost. Blade, yeah.
What was his name in, uh, the character name in Broken Arrow? Is it Deacon? God. See, I'm totally bad with names. I take his character in Broken Arrow, but if it was a good guy, and him going up against, that'd be pretty fun to see.
There you go, Willy's Wonderland 2 with John Travolta. Well to me it'd be either with Dolph Lundgren or John Glover and Damn. There you go.
Willy's Wonderland 2 with John Glover and Damn. You know you'd see it. I would see it in a heartbeat. But here, going off track. I've always liked John Travolta.
And this is a time where, just a few years before, you had the coming back into prominence with Pulp Fiction. And then he got roles in Broken Arrow and other stuff, Face Off, and then led to this. And this was a box office hit when it came out.
I don't know if the film's on Blu-ray, but the film was successful when it came out. It did make its money. I think it made a decent amount of profit. But it got roasted by critics, and I don't think it deserved that.
I don't think it's nearly as bad as the critics make it out to be. I was talking about the story I liked that again this woman was betrayed and then she got into this kind of As she puts it mostly we fuck with people's minds I kind of revenge for her dad betraying her she decided to sleep with the male staff and almost a psychological warfare type of thing She got bored to S&M type stuff and then as the story goes on She had this plan. She got James Woods to help.
To tie her down. So that the father would see her and go, See, this is what they did to me. This is what it looks like. And this is what you covered up. And then James Cromwell did the piece of shit thing of walking away.
And then the person that killed her went up and killed her. Without James Cromwell and others knowing. Clintus Willings III, he has one good scene where He's covering up for James Cromwell and Cromwell doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.
I thought Clemens Williams III. Not only 52 picked up, he was in Tales from the Hood. The good shit.
He's not in the movie Prison. I don't know why I'm confused with another guy. There's another guy in the movie Prison. I said that in another review. He's not in the movie Prison with Vito Mortensen.
That's a different actor. So I got that right. This time. At the finale of the film, in super spoilers, you find out it's Timothy Hutton. Because he was one of the people that slept with the girl, and she made fun of him, and spat in his face and stuff.
And he lost it and choked her out. Some people may see that reveal coming. And that's when they balanced out...
I like her in the movie. She has some nice rapport with John Travolta. I mean, I'm just saying you could easily rewrite her out. She does have moments to shine, to be honest, to be fair.
She's able to get some info. So I shouldn't be that hard on. on her because her performance is fine.
I guess I also appreciate they don't go for the typical love story where they fall in love with each other during it because that could easily be something they fall into. They didn't go into that. I don't know if they tried and there was stuff cut out which I'll get to at the very end credits because the very end credits is a bit confusing to me, but I'm glad they didn't go that typical route of trying to force a love story in there.
Because not every movie needs a love story. So I appreciate that aspect as well. Now the ending where it's in Timothy Hunt buries some minds, as he called it, bouncing Betty.
Don't like the fact that Timmy Hunt just kills himself. I would like to have seen a fight Why they would be cool to see like a fistfight? Imagine the suspense like you're having a fistfight with someone but you're in the middle of a minefield So you don't so you have to be careful So you don't step on any of them. I Just think it would have been cool fistfight if Travolta like punches Tim V Hutton and he falls And he punches him onto a mine and he runs and covers Balin Stowell.
I think that would have been more exciting. That would have been more satisfying for a finale. But I guess not try to be that kind of movie. I'm thinking more of an action movie.
You know, like Hard Target. Or I guess in a way that happened. It wasn't a fight scene, but the guy got shot and landed on him. And Bad Boys 2. But I guess I would have preferred...
As if Timmy Hudson just kind of killed himself. That's when, eh. Now, I don't know just what about weapons, but I have a feeling the Bouncy Betty...
I would ask if Fabio if you ever see this, please let me know is the bouncy Betty if you ever see the movie It was that total bullshit The way that happens or is that real because I know a lot of times in movies They like the whole mind thing. You know how a lot of times in movies people step on a mine. They go don't move For why I understand that's bullshit when you step in the mind you're dead It's not you step on a mine.
Oh don't People have told me that when they do that, and then, oh, don't move, don't put your pressure off, people have told me that's total bullshit, that's not what really happens in real life. Touch you dead. Just something they put into the movies.
So I wondered if the bouncy bay the way this comes up and... It looks cool. Granted there's a bit of CGI addition that's not the best, doesn't hold up the best to be fair. But I mean just when it bounces up and it starts to explode and look cool.
The explosion itself and like the bit where Travolta's coming down. You tell that's CG enhanced. Like early 99 CG.
It's not the best looking shot. But there's some real explosive mixed in which I appreciate. Like when they, Travolta and Stiles characters go and there's their explosion.
Some of that's, a lot of that's practical. And I appreciate that mix in. If you don't have the CD, at least have a lot of the practical in there. It makes it seem much more easy to swallow. But yeah, The General's Daughter I've always liked.
I like the story, the cast really step up. I think Travolta, he tears the films on his shoulder. very well.
Again, it's a good... I think the production value works for the film. It didn't look cheap.
It's an hour and 50 minutes, but I didn't really feel bored at all. I was fairly entertained throughout the entire film. The end credits, the reason I said was a bit confusing is the movie ends, the credits start, Then goes to Travolta driving through in his car driving through the base then leaves the base and he drives over here then it weirdly cuts to Madeline Stile and her car where her car is compared to all this where she's looking compared to all this I don't know And then she drives off and then we're following her car and looks like she's going in a completely different area.
I guess now we're following her car and then it fades out. Which I thought was weird because... Your last shot is not following our lead character's car, it's following Madeline Stiles'car.
And I thought, okay, is she gonna maybe follow him? To try to talk to him? No, that doesn't seem like the case. If it was, I didn't get that gist.
It felt as if there was something more there and it was cut out and it was like weirdly edited. Maybe I'm the only person to think that but something about that left it made me kind of go well why is this even in here? Them in the car, one in the car driving off, and then there's Malin Steyer in her car looking. I don't even know what she's looking at.
I'm assuming she's looking at Travolta's car, but I don't see where her car is in vicinity to that, and then she drives off. But if you had a shot at the two cars, like one behind the other, that may be a disappointment where they stop and they start chatting. I don't know, just something about that was confusing.
Maybe I'm thinking about it too much. But yeah, I've enjoyed this film ever since I saw it back in the day on... Was it VHS?
I didn't see it in the theater. Might have been a few years later and I saw it on a DVD or something. I can't remember the first time I saw it. It might have been on DVD. I said, yeah, I like the trailer and I like Travolta.
So, gave it a shot and they said really liked it. I said, it's my third favorite Simon West film after Con Air and the first Tomb Raider. And, sadly, Simon West...
Has crapped out as a filmmaker. Because again, I don't like The Mechanic with Jason Statham. A lot of people like that film.
I do not. Do not like The Expendables 2. I think that was a humongously missed opportunity. And it makes me mad.
But you have Stallone vs. Van Damme. And you crapped out on it. In my opinion.
I'm not going to get into that. Because that would be a whole half hour just on that. But General's Daughter. I quite enjoyed it.
Thanks for watching. Take care. We'll see you guys later.
Bye-bye.