“Top Gun: Maverick” has now grossed approximately $1.5 billion at the box office and demonstrates bombastic action cinema in its most vivid way. “In the Crosshairs – Alone Against All”, of which there are even two sequels, mentioned in passing, has a surprising number of parallels in store. The film, in which Owen Wilson, Gabriel Macht and Gene Hackmann authentically present their husbands, is asking for a streaming tip for that reason. The action movie is currently available as a Disney+ subscription.
That’s what “In the Crosshairs” is about
US Navy navigator Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) is shot down by Serb soldiers during a surveillance flight over Bosnia. Together with his pilot Lt. Jeremy Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht) lands behind enemy lines and must now find his own way until rescue arrives.
Meanwhile, Burnett’s superior, Admiral Reigart (Gene Hackman), does everything he can to get the lone men to safety. He must defend himself against his superior, Admiral Piquet (Joaquim de Almeida), who fears a diplomatic crisis and is about to call off the rescue operation. With Stackhouse being shot down in the meantime, Burnett must fend for himself as he navigates enemy territory.
On the trail of the “Top Gun” recipe for success
Huge aircraft carriers, attack helicopters and super fast jets adorn the first minutes. The hint that the following story is based on true events also makes you curious with a promise of authenticity. Then the protagonists appear. Gabriel Macht, whom most of you will know from “Suits”, and Owen Wilson take the stage – an atypical duo at first glance. But comedic star Wilson threw himself into the role, unknown to him. You can see the training, which also included stress testing for real pilots. Fun fact: Matthew McConaughey and Brad Pitt were the first to be considered for his role.
The other ingredients of the recipe for success are very classic and known from the example “Top Gun”!: Half of the military arsenal, donated by the US Department of Defense, but the background music is also impressive. Not to mention the isolated scenes I’ll get to later.
“In the Crosshairs” may be a bit over the top at one point. Nevertheless, there is a clear recommendation – because even if it is not at the level of “Top Gun”, it offers wonderful essentials for fans of the movies with Tom Cruise. The 2000 version cannot match the original in terms of grandiose effects, but makes up for it with one or the other surprise and many interesting subjects. When it comes to dramaturgy, but also to film ideology, a completely different approach is taken.
The war film with Owen Wilson is clearly more patriotic and at times more warlike. The enemies (the Serbs) are worse, rougher and dirtier in some scenes, for which an entire city has been built as a backdrop. This makes it almost feel like you’re in a caliber à la at some point “The Soldier James Ryan” landed. In these moments, “I’m crosshairs” is far from the “Top Gun”, which is mainly based on entertainment.
Explosive action outside the jets
In the middle section, “In the Crosshairs” has its strongest moments. A scene with a minefield then suddenly unfolds to an impressive effect. Surprisingly, a second half follows, which convinces with large-scale and half-bombed sets and makes you forget some of the weaker CGI effects of the first half.
While there are certainly some war movies that are better, I would recommend the underrated Crosshairs and especially all Top Gun fans to take a look.