In the wilderness of British Columbia, two hunters are tracked and viciously murdered by Aaron Hallum. A former Special Operations instructor is approached and asked to apprehend Hallum—his former student—who has 'gone rogue' after suffering severe battle stress from his time in Kosovo.
This is schlock -- by-the-numbers action that ignores character development to the point where we find it hard to care whether L.T. catches Hallam or whether they end up running after each other until the world ends.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
16 Mar 2003
rotten:
By stripping an action thriller this close to the bone, director William Friedkin has removed too much meat.
– Kirk Honeycutt,
Hollywood Reporter,
17 Mar 2003
rotten:
Essentially a reheating of 1982's First Blood ... but the fallout this time is simultaneously more ruthless, less emotional, and duller.
– Michael Atkinson,
Village Voice,
18 Mar 2003
rotten:
There's too much talent on-screen and behind the camera for The Hunted to be dull, but it is predictable and disappointing, and we seem to be missing about a half-hour's worth of scenes that would have brought some depths to these characters.
– Richard Roeper,
Ebert & Roeper,
18 Mar 2003
rotten:
Ludicrous, plotless, ho-hum tale of lurid confrontation.