Not-so-great Scott!

At a key moment in "Body of Lies," Ridley Scott's Middle Eastern bid to rip off a Jason Bourne adventure, a Jordanian security chief lectures CIA agent Roger Ferris that life is not a Hollywood movie where the cavalry shows up to save the day at the last second.

So what happens? The cavalry shows up and saves the day - or at least Roger Ferris - at the last second.

You'd think given the pedigree of the filmmakers on "Body of Lies" ("Black Hawk Down" director Ridley Scott and "Kingdom of Heaven" screenwriter William Monahan) that this superbly photographed, well-acted, high-tech thriller would stretch beyond the usual limits of a conventional Hollywood action film.

Nope.

"Body of Lies" has plenty of bullets, bombs, tortures and chases to satisfy the most bloodthirsty action movie fans, but it has the feel of a contrived Hollywood movie, right down to its obligatory interethnic romantic subplot and literally torturous finale.

Leonardo DiCaprio, finally looking old enough and tough enough to be cast as Martin Scorsese's young hero in "Gangs of New York," plays Ferris, a smart CIA operative who speaks fluent Arabic and has a knack for surviving the worst situations.

His boss is Ed Hoffman, an out-of-shape bureaucrat back in the U.S., a role really phoned in by Russell Crowe, who packed on 50 extra pounds to give his character some extra character. Hoffman constantly conducts spy business via his cell phone, so he can carry out the responsibilities of being a parent and husband while still protecting the free world on his way to his daughter's school.

Hoffman is a proverbial political chess master who views the world as his board and the people upon it as expendable pawns. You can't be sure Hoffman wouldn't toss Ferris to the piranhas if that would benefit a bigger plan.

Ferris and Hoffman become convinced that a terrorist mastermind named Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul) is behind a series of deadly bombings. By eschewing high-tech equipment and weapons (a military concept proven effective by Ewoks in "Return of the Jedi"), Al-Saleem has never been caught. How can the U.S. draw him out?

Ferris concocts the outrageous idea to create a fake Middle East terrorist organization that would rival Al-Saleem's group for anti-Western support. Ferris thinks Al-Saleem's ego would bring him out of the shadows just long enough for the CIA to grab him.

Jordan's intelligence boss, Hani Salaam (an intensely charismatic Mark Strong), pledges his support for Ferris and his U.S. bosses, but he doesn't completely trust them.

"In this country, friendship matters!" Hani thunders. "It can save your life!"

Is Hani on the level about helping Ferris? Or just paying lip service to an infidel to keep an eye on his moves?

Following a vicious dog attack, Ferris goes for first aid and rabies shots at a local clinic where he meets an attractive nurse, Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani).

They embark on an affair of the halfhearted as Ferris takes Aisha out, and wherever they go, the local citizens give the mixed-race couple the judging once-over.

"Body of Lies" offers up plenty of super-neat spy satellite technology that gives the U.S. a godlike capacity to observe everything.

But the thinly drawn characters and formulaic plot are less of a Big Brother experience than an Oh, brother! one.

"Body of Lies"

2½ stars (out of four)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Other: A Warner Bros. Pictures release. Rated R for violence, language. 128 minutes.