Somewhat based on parts of a true story, writer-director Richard Shepard's "The Hunting Party" is a film about a war criminal hiding out in Bosnia and the three would-be bounty hunters who want to snatch him.

With 50 million on his head, I know an infamous, 69 year-old-man who asked a mutual friend, who runs a C.I.A. desk, to arrange for him to go into Afghanistan and find bin Laden. This is what old tough guys think about doing – showing how it should be done, kicking ass, and letting others do the paperwork.

Simon Hunt (Richard Gere) was a network star war correspondent with his photographer sidekick Duck (Terence Howard). Pumped up and fueled on the danger of war and protected by that sign on the back of their jackets that says "TV," these two revel in the glamorous world of war correspondent: Hard living, fast women, and death all around. They are war junkies. As long as they don't have to carry a gun, and they are accessorized with a microphone and a film camera, they have implied license to run around covering bloodshed and mayhem. Its life in the fast lane with no road rules.

I'm not being glib. I recognize the danger these men and women face. Reporters Without Borders, in a report dated March 20, 2006, stated that at least 201 journalists and media assistants have been killed since the start of fighting in Iraq in March 2003, with two still missing and 14 kidnapped.

In 2003, the International Federation of Journalists reported that "Some 274 journalists have been killed in war zones around the globe since 1990. It is less common for foreign journalists to be killed in war zones. Most media casualties over the past 13 years were working in their country of origin. For example, many of the 62 journalists killed during the Bosnian conflict came from the former Yugoslav republic, while all of the 49 journalists killed in the war in Rwanda were Rwandan."

According to Hunt, covering a war is living life to the fullest. Duck's memories of their adventures together show smoking herb, sex parties, drinking, and running from explosions. With multiple awards, a network paycheck and a per diem, where's the downside?

However, when the carnage gets personal, Hunt loses it on live national TV. Instead of him becoming Anderson Cooper – whose outrage about the conditions in New Orleans after Katrina made him a huge CNN commodity – Hunt gets fired. Duck gets promoted and war coverage continues without them as a team. Hunt becomes a freelancer hard on his heels. However, he can still swagger around a shoot-out for Polish TV.

It's been five years since the war ended in Bosnia and newly arrived to cover the peace in the country is network anchor Franklin Harris (James Brolin). Along with Duck, who now has an executive job, a penthouse and a hot girlfriend, is recent Harvard graduate and son of a network executive, Benjamin (Jesse Eisenberg).

Duck meets up with Hunt, who mocks him for his fancy desk job. Hunt has a contact who knows the whereabouts of a notorious Serbian war criminal, nicknamed "The Fox" (Ljubomir Kerekes). Hunt tells Duck he just wants to get an exclusive interview with The Fox. He wants Duck to come along and film it. Duck, longing for another exciting adventure with the devil-may-care Hunt, finds the challenge too seductive to turn down. He's got 3 weeks vacation and his girlfriend, sunning herself on a yacht in Greece, can wait for him. Benjamin begs to go along as he needs to impress his father.

Stumbling loudly around rural villages and making big blunders – Hunt is that kind of journalist - The Fox is well aware of their presence. For Hunt, finding this guy is a personal vendetta, and there happens to be a 5 million dollar bounty on his head. At this point he informs Duck and Benjamin he wants to kidnap The Fox, not interview him.

Hunt's cavalier attitude is greatly enhanced by Gere's ability to ham it up and show off. (I still think one of Gere's best performances was opposite Olivier Martinez in "Unfaithful.") Howard is such an intelligent actor that you can see he knows exactly how to play opposite Gere – look amused and agree to go along. Eisenberg has a tougher role to play. After begging to go along, just shut up and see every dangerous encounter as a "For Daddy" ribbon. Instead, he's terrified every step of the way. It gets annoying.

What makes "The Hunting Party" enjoyable – though chasing war criminals should not be taken as comedy – is not Diane Kruger turning up – but that this middle-aged character is still preening as an adventurer, has a lust for life and revenge, and can talk his way out of anything.

(We at zboneman.com are excited to welcome the prolific and multi-talented writer Victoria Alexander to our staff. Critic for http://www.filmsinreview.com/ and pundit and humorist responsible for the candid and fearlessly funny "The Devil's Hammer," her column appears every Monday on http://fromthebalcony.com. Start off your week with a good hard laugh. It's a thrill to have her on board. Victoria Alexander answers every email and can be contacted directly at .)