While The General’s Daughter was released in 1999, I had no idea this movie existed until I randomly came across it while browsing one of the free streaming sites. This is a thriller starring John Travolta, and that was all I needed to hear to give it a watch. I watched the movie and really enjoyed it. I then looked online to learn more about it, and I was shocked to see that this was pretty savaged by critics when it was released.
Where to Watch The General’s Daughter
The General’s Daughter was released on June 18, 1999. You can stream the film from a digital platform such as Apple TV or Amazon Prime Video.
The Movie Review
I honestly have no idea why this was so badly reviewed as it was! I will say that the scene where our “murder”, that is the catalyst for this thriller, happens is brutal, like really, really graphically brutal. I wonder if this is what turned those professional reviewers off back in the day. I mean, it is really bad, but I would say that I have seen equally as bad in other movies.
If you do not have a weak stomach and enjoy grisly thrillers, I am sure you will be fine. A young and beautiful military officer called Elisabeth Campbell is brutally sexually assaulted, murdered, and then her body is left in a sick pose. Turns out that Elisabeth is the daughter of a high-ranking general called Joe Campbell, who is played by James Cromwell.
The General’s Daughter Plot Summary
Two military police officers in Paul Brenner and Sarah Sunhill, who are played by John Travolta and Madeline Stowe, are called in to investigate. Brenner and Sunhill do all that they can to get to the bottom of this horrific murder. The thing is, while they are called in and told to crack this case as quickly as possible, it is like everyone they talk to stands in their way and makes it more difficult.
Performances and Story Highlights
We find out that there are many people with ties to this murder, and that is why so many are trying to stop the investigation. It has some great twists and turns, and I found the ending scene to be pretty bone-chilling, due to John Travolta’s fantastic performance. I already mentioned a few of the actors, but this movie has such a great cast with the likes of James Woods, Clarence Williams II, and Timothy Hutton all doing great jobs bringing this brutal story to life.
Final Thoughts on The General’s Daughter
The General’s Daughter comes in at around just under two hours, and I found it to be a quick paced and very entertaining thriller. It has some great tense scenes, interesting and horrible characters, and even some cool action as well. The movie is brought together and to life with some fantastic performances. It has a little bit of everything, and I will say it again, I am still not sure why this did not review better when it was released!
It is always awesome when you stumble across a movie that you had no idea existed, and then you end up having a great time with it. While I am sure it will not hit as hard on a repeat viewing, if I ever see this on Blu-Ray out in the wild, I will 100 percent add this to my movie collection as I could see myself watching this again at some point.
