The General's Daughter

This moderately absorbing military whodunnit is let down by the lazy hamming of star John Travolta. He plays an army cop called in to investigate the horrific rape and murder of a woman officer (Leslie Stefanson) who also happens to be the daughter of top military man James Cromwell. However, as Travolta and colleague Madeleine Stowe start digging, they find some nasty skeletons in Stefanson's closet. Travolta aside, the performances are strong, with James Woods effortlessly stealing the show as one of the prime suspects. Con Air director Simon West demonstrates that there's more to him than just spectacular set pieces, yet the wayward script's derivative twists and turns weaken what should have been a hard-hitting drama.