Surely somewhere in the backdrop of scenes in The Hunted lurks a Hannibal Lecter waiting to dine, as tons of blood and gore are served up in this somewhat beautifully photographed film. Problems arise in the first 15 minutes as the movie zigzags through moments with different people in different parts of the world and with no explanations. Like other members of the audience, I had no clue who or what the story might be about.

A plausible story line slowly transcends agitation as we learn Aaron (Benicio Del Toro) is a merciless combat soldier trained to kill anyone at any cost – children included. Awarded a Silver Star for his "bravery," Aaron is nowhere to be found when the story jumps many years forward to the present. A savage killer, however, is on the loose, attacking hunters who kill animals and gutting the men’s bodies to sever their organs.

Unable to get a handle on this nut case, the FBI draws retired agent L.T. Bonham (Tommy Lee Jones) back into the "hunt and find" game. L.T. soon discovers the murderer is Aaron, a man he trained in the art of killing and survival.

Academy award-winner Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) is excellent as Aaron. He has the ability to assume the look of a vicious wacko, yet only moments later become a docile and tender friend to a lovely young child. Too bad Del Toro’s role doesn’t overshadow the movie’s flaws. What could have been a good story ends up being poorly executed. Along with a confusing set-up, too many unbelievable contrivances make The Hunted less than satisfactory. Even the simplest minds will be forced into thinking "No way."

Good things about the film? Beautiful scenes unfold in Oregon’s lush wooded greens and in Canada where L.T. lives in rich snow banks among the wildlife. And it’s encouraging to see Tommy Lee Jones staying so fit. For this film, he had to be. Jones has as many chase scenes here as he did in The Fugitive.

See The Hunted, and you’ll be seeing red – blood red.

(Released by Paramount Pictures and rated: "R" for strong bloody violence and some language.)