This was an excellent drama marred only by a little too much profanity and the normal Hollywood obsession of portraying the United States military as corrupt. (I have a news flash for filmmakers: there are some honest men in the military....really!!!) Feminism in the armed forces is another "agenda" item in this film.

There are many pluses, however, with this movie that should be noted. . The acting is excellent with a deep cast featuring John Travolta, James Cromwell, Madeline Stowe, Timothy Hutton, James Woods, Clarence Williams III, Leslie Stefanson and more.

I loved the dialog between Travola and Woods. It reminded me of the film noir films of the 1940s. The general's daughter, Stephanson, is a bit hard-edged in here but it's understandable when you find out why she acts the way she does. The characters the actors are all interesting and the story hooks you in right away. The cinematography is great. This looks stunning on DVD.

There are no lulls in this film and the action isn't overdone, either. Very entertaining.

THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER is an earnest mystery thriller set in a US army base. The whodunit aspect of the storyline brought to mind some of the Columbo episodes that had similar military themes although this is much more adult fare with some very dark subject matter. The film looks at the top of sexism in the army, taken to the extreme in the vicious gang rape and murder of a young woman by her peers.

It's certainly a hard-hitting topic and one we see in the headlines all too often, and thus THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER has a worthy feel to it. However, the main problem the film suffers from is the flashy '90s feel which gives it a dated vibe that you wouldn't find in a similar movie made in the '80s or even '90s. CON AIR director Simon West is a poor choice for director; they should have found someone who could make a more gritty and realistic movie. The shoehorned, Hollywood-style action feels ridiculous although Travolta is solid enough and the likes of James Woods and James Cromwell get to do their bit in the acting stakes.

"The General's Daughter" is sort of half-good, half-not. It has a good plot and all, but it probably would have been better had they cast someone a little less well known in the lead role (John Travolta's presence nearly turns the whole thing into a star-driven vehicle). And of course, there's lots of long speeches (often shouted) about the ramifications of the events portrayed. Other than that, it's a worthy look into cover-ups in the military - I suspect that what this movie portrays is moderate compared to reality.

So, if you can ignore John Travolta's overbearing presence, it's a movie worth seeing. Also starring Madeleine Stowe, James Cromwell, Timothy Hutton, James Woods, Clarence Williams III and even a cameo by John Frankenheimer.

I wonder whether or not they realized that they gave James Cromwell's character the same name as the famous mythologist.