A top notch thriller that keeps you guessing at every turn, "Basic" is a welcome return to form for star Travolta and director McTiernan, both of whom haven't been actually burning up the box office lately.

The director of such action classics as "Die Hard," "The Hunt for Red October" and "Predator," McTiernan seemed to have screeched to a halt with the absolutely terrible remake of "Rollerball" last year. As a longtime admirer of his work, I'm glad to see that he has regained his touch behind the camera and has crafted an excellent "who dunnit" film that literally twists and turns until the final scene. And who hasn't been waiting for the reteaming of "Pulp Fiction" stars Travolta and Jackson? Their chemistry was quite evident then and it's still there today.

Following a military training exercise that goes horribly bad, unit commander Daly calls in his old friend, Travolta, to assist military investigator Nielsen in finding out what happened. In a nutshell, four soldiers and their instructor were sent into the jungle during a terrible storm. Only one of them has returned and it's up to Travolta, a former Ranger and current DEA agent, to find out why. Though his interrogation methods may not be exactly "by the book," it is obvious that he will have more success with the surviving soldier then the strict military code following Nielsen.

I found the film to be very similar to another excellent movie, the Denzel Washington/Meg Ryan starring "Courage Under Film." Like that film, "Basic" tells it's story through flashbacks as the various participants relate their tales. As each piece of the puzzle is filled in, you are taken on an is he? or isn't he? ride as Travolta works his way towards finding the answer.

An out and out thriller in every since of the word, "Basic" is definitely a movie worth investigating. On a scale of zero to four stars, I give "Basic"