The plot was excellent, gene hackman and will smith were excellent but one thing that got me extremely aggravated was the innaccurate portrayal of the NSA and their agents, especially the agents, I mean who on earth is gonna believe seth green jack black and all those actors from gone in 60 seconds and saving private ryan are real nsa agents, their acting was so off and i could never for a second believe any of them had the intelligence nor the ability to work for any federal agency other than the post office. If you are gonna choose bad guys, choose bad guys that we can believe are truely bad not just dim-witted.

This film took a little time to take off in the beginning, but it was necessary to stage the action that would come later.

The movie opens with a powerful politician, played by John Voight, killing another politician who refuses to support a bill that would allow spying into people's lives to protect the country. That killing is caught on tape and the tape falls into the hands of a researcher who then slips the tape into a shopping bag carried by Will Smith's character.

From there the action takes off at a breathtaking pace. The parts are flawlessly acted - John Voight is the perfect embodiment of the stereotypical evil politician, Will Smith is the helpless victim, and Gene Hackman is the brilliant strategist who pulls the entire film together. I won't say more as I wouldn't want to spoil the suspense.

The thing about this movie is it seems so terrifyingly real. They show throughout the film, the tracking systems used (satellites and high end computer programs). I found myself thinking about this one for days after seeing it. It made me pause and wonder just how real the scenario could be and what it would mean to the general population.

Easily overlooked but is a very engaging movie. Will Smith is very good in this movie!

First off, the "Egg:" Watch closely when they flash Brill's info on the screen during the database search right after Dean's "phone call" so heavily alluded to in the previews. No joke, the dude's birthday is 9/11. I almost fell out of my chair.

If you haven't seen Enemy of the State yet, please do. It's a wonderfully done conspiracy/chase thriller with stellar acting from Hackman and Smith, a perfectly tuned score, and morose, paranoid overtones that enhance the work as a whole.

If you have seen it and you're just camping reviews to make sure nobody craps all over your fave flick, watch it again and pause when Brill's ID comes up on the screen.

Somebody please tell me I'm seeing things. Because the film's subject matter makes the coincidence a creepy one.

One of Will Smiths first feature roles. His acting in this one had its flaws. Now you can tell how much he has improved. Political statement movie about government wire-tapping and surveillance. Will comes into possession of something some one in the government wants and they bring the (illegal) force of the NSA against him to get it back. Mystery, intrigue in this movie. As well you riveted to find out what happens to Will and his family. Outstanding ending.

It has a great actor like Will Smith, if any one is suspicious of the goverment this will just add fuel to the fire.

This is an excellent thriller/drama movie with a very relevant plot for todays society. It may have been far fetched when it was made but it is more of a blue print for todays reality.

The audio and video transfers are excellent and definitely rate a tier 1 presence for Blu-Ray.

This movie has a good plot, good actors and overall is entertaining. The only thing in the form of a critique would be that the screenplay writers seemed to want the movie to run into tomorrow. It could have ended much sooner than it did by cutting out some of the scenes that contributed little-to-nothing to the movie. Because of that, when it gets close to the end, you might either already be bored, or on the other hand, happy that the movie is ending soon.
As I said, good plot, good acting, and screenwriters with an ego.

movie. You are almost tired by the time it is over. All actors were superb. Will Smith is perfect for these types of movies because of his wit and seriousness. He just brings this character to life and we are routing for him until the end.

Director Tony Scott's ENEMY OF THE STATE is an engaging thriller. This film covers territory frequently traversed by Alfred Hitchcock, namely that of "the wrong man" being placed in jeopardy without any plausible explanation. Brilliantly played, Will Smith is that man. This film runs at a breakneck pace as the NSA pursues Smith for something he unwittingly has been handed. Smith eventually becomes teamed with Gene Hackman who plays a former NSA operative on the lamb. Hackman's character here seems based on his character from Francis Ford Coppola's THE CONVERSATION. Gene Hackman is very good at what he does and he steals this film in the process. The pace is frenetic with the latest high tech surveillance devises including satellite GPS systems tracking Smith and Hackman's every move. The climax is riveting with NSA bad guy Jon Voight and mob boss Tom Sizemore bucking heads. Composer Trevor Rabin's contribution to the score is very effective. Gabriel Byrne has a brief but pivotal scene. This is a good one.

Director Tony Scott's ENEMY OF THE STATE is an engaging thriller. This film covers territory frequently traversed by Alfred Hitchcock, namely that of "the wrong man" being placed in jeopardy without any plausible explanation. Brilliantly played, Will Smith is that man. This film runs at a breakneck pace as the NSA pursues Smith for something he unwittingly has been handed. Smith eventually becomes teamed with Gene Hackman who plays former NSA operative on the lamb. Hackman's character here seems based on his character from Francis Ford Coppola's THE CONVERSATION. Gene Hackman is very good at what he does and he steals this film in the process. The pace is frenetic with the latest high tech surveillance devises including satellite GPS systems tracking Smith and Hackman's every move. The climax is riveting. This is a good one.

THIS IS THE TYPE OF MOVIE THAT FILLS IN THE GAPS OF WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN OUR GOVERNMENT. I HAD THE VHS AND I HAD TO HAVE THE DVD. THIS IS A CLASSIC MOVIE.

Makes you think, too. Maybe "they" aren't so far away from being able to do that...I no longer pick my nose, not even alone in the bathroom....they...might...be....watching...

ENEMY OF THE STATE is flashy, big budget, adrenalin-pumping cinema as only director Tony Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer can concoct. It's raucously entertaining and most certainly a strident rallying film for the conspiracy theorists. Now I don't know just how accurate the movie is in terms of the technology depicted (I'd say fairly accurate) or of the dubious lengths to which our government will stoop to achieve its ends, but, certainly, the sincere and bravura acting of the high powered cast lends this over the top film an element of plausibility.

Several SPOILERS here: When a nature photographer (Jason Lee) accidentally tapes the cold-blooded murder of a high profile congressman, it sets off a chain of events which horrifyingly affects and endangers Washington, D.C. attorney Robert Dean (Will Smith). When a corrupt, high ranking agent of the National Security Agency comes to believe that Dean has in his possession evidence which will incriminate him, he and his henchmen turn Dean's universe instantly topsy turvy; as a result of their manipulations, Robert Dean is summarily fired from his law firm, framed in the newspaper, accused of having an affair with an ex-flame and current informant, and stripped of his finances. Even his cell phone stops functioning. He is bugged six ways from Sunday and is reduced to running for his life clad in his undies. It's hard work evading these determined people as Dean is easily pinpointed by the NSA's use of aerial surveillance and sundry tracking devices. But Dean receives unexpected aid from an enigmatic ex-intelligence agent (Gene Hackman, again acting with ferocity) as he tries desperately to stay one step ahead of his powerful, omnipresent pursuers and somehow salvage the remnants of his life.

You have to hand it to Scott and Bruckheimer, when they get together (DEJA VU, CRIMSON TIDE, TOP GUN), their enthusiasm knows no bounds. This rapidly paced hi-tech thriller/chase film takes Hitchcock's innocent man on the run premise and inserts its own brand of polished action sequences and well-executed stunts/fx. There's no questioning it's slickness. It's also enhanced by the solid performances of everyman Will Smith, the surly Gene Hackman, and the villainous Jon Voight. Regina King, Jamie Kennedy, Jack Black, and Lisa Bonet (still sexy) all contribute nicely in supporting roles.

ENEMY OF THE STATE is a cautionary fable which raises the issue of national security and of our government's constant need to gather intel for our own protection, but juxtaposed against that is the violation incurred to our civil rights, and, how, depending on the man, certain moral lines are easier to cross in pursuit of the big picture. As someone said, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." This film would have us believe that, with the application of space satellite imagery, super dedicated cameras, various transmitters and taps, our government can now have access to our privacy at a moment's whim. The sobering thing here is that the frighteningly detailed surveillance technology shown in this film - which would make J. Edgar Hoover cream in his dress - is, no doubt, in existence and is probably in steady use - for our own good, of course. Sucks for us and the so-called American way of life. I'm sure, somewhere, George Orwell is saying, "See - I told you."

It only took me 8 years, but I was finally inspired (by Will Smith recently filming "I Am Legend" right in my neighborhood) to see Enemy of the State. And it was a good 2 hours and 10 minutes of time well spent.

Will Smith is on a roll...has been on a big screen roll ever since Bad Boys (1995). It seems that he always plays the same character: confident, smart talking, tough, funny. But the redundancy works...every time. It worked in Enemy of the State too.

Like a lot of other Will Smith movies ("Independence Day", "Men in Black", "I, Robot", "Hitch"), Enemy of the State is a thoroughly entertaining movie that keeps you in your seat. It's got a great story with some great actors.

And post 9/11, the subject of government surveillance is even more on topic. Can anyone say, "The Patriot Act"?

Enemy of the State is classified as a thriller. A thriller is supposed to be exciting, full of suspense, intrigue and mystery. Enemy of the State does not disappoint.

A worthy rental.

when i originally rented it i thought it would be okay to have on as background noise while i did other stuff around the house.

nope. sat down and was glued to the screen from start to finish. i liked seeing the technology. lol.. unfortunately my perception of this movie and what i got from it was -reasons NOT to have this kind of invasive technology- i think osama bin laden would've gotten further along and even faster if this stuff was really around. (just my humble opinion).

the two leading actors did fantastic. will smith's character, well i really liked him, and his attitude. and the same for gene hackman. i still pop it in once and a while and think.. i wonder if these "i only think of what i need and want to" people will ever realize how easily and swiftly we can lose our simplest rights. privacy is no big deal. until it's gone.

MOVIE: Enemy of The State is another one of Jerry Bruckheimer's mid 90's action extravaganzas. He reunites with Tony Scott to bring us this action flick about government coverups and how technology is used to basically track every aspect of your life. The movie is about a lawyer who is unwillingly thrown into a wild cat and mouse chase. A congressman is murdered near a reservoir where research is done on migratory geese. So, unknowingly, the whole thing is caught on tape and ends up in the hands of a nerdy and young Jason Lee. He realizes what he has in his possession and during a foot chase he bumps into his old friend played by Will Smith and secretly drops the tape in his bag. Now Will Smith's character is thrown into a world of espionage without knowing why he is being hunted. He meets up with Brill, played by Gene Hackman, an ex NSA agent who ends up helping him. Hackman basically plays a reincarnation of his character in Coppola's The Conversation. The movie is directed at a fast pace by Tony Scott, and it's an overall entertaining action flick. I felt the movie tried to be smarter than it actually was and that the characters were very plain and boring.

ACTING: I didn't like Hackman in this role, but Will Smith brought some life into the movie. For people who haven't seen the movie in awhile you should check it out to recognize some young faces including Jack Black, Jake Busey, Jaimie Kennedy, Seth Green, and the of course the previously mentioned Jason Lee.

VIDEO: The great thing about the recent releases of Con Air, Crimson Tide, and Enemy Of The State are the new anamorphic transfers of the films. They are greatly appreciated and are so much better than the old ones. The quality of the transfer has not improved greatly in terms of picture quality, but there is a noticeable difference.

AUDIO: As for sound we get a very dull Dolby 5.1 mix. All the dialogue is usually center heavy, and rarely does action actually envelope you from the surround speakers. The track is the same from the old release, so it's not the best. There are some scenes with helicopters and some big explosions that utilize the surround speakers well, but overall it's a very dull mix.

SPECIAL FEATURES: The "making of" featurette was actually more extensive than I was expecting. They talk more about the gadgets used in the film versus the actual movie, but overall I found it to be interesting. All the interviews were done back during the making of the movie and it was a pretty extensive behind the scenes for what the movie is. One thing I found extremely interesting was that they talked about a scene where Will Smith is chased by cars in an underground tunnel in his bathrobe. In reality, the cars didn't fit into the tunnel so they had do take the cars apart and weld them back together in the tunnel. The entire scene was maybe a minute long! I just found it interesting that all that work was done for maybe a blip of action. Anyway, the next featurette is basically some on set footage. Overall the two featurettes do justice for what this movie is.

BOTTOM LINE: I got confused whether this was indeed an "extended" cut of the film or not. The cover you see on places like Amazon is not the cover that you actually get. The cover of the film is actually labeled "Special Edition", but the menu does indeed say "Unrated Extended Edition". So, I am thoroughly confused. I didn't notice anything noticeably new, and the running times listed are identical between the old disc and the new one. Still, the upgrade is worth it.

The formula for any Will Smith movie is to have him say "Damn" every six line of his dialogue and give him really cute humor, no matter what the situation is. This movie was totally unbelievable, honestly. For instance, Big Willie Style running around Metro D.C. in the winter wearing only boxer shorts. Not to mention countless errors both in editing and directing. On to the plot, the entire American government is evil (it can happen), mind you are villains are Jon Voight, who I can swallow as a villain, but Jamie Kennedy, Jack Black, Barry Pepper, Jake Busey and Seth Green?! Is this an action movie or a poor man's Kids in the Hall? Gene Hackman is always good, but I don't even think Lex Luthor can help the Fresh Prince in this over price bucket of trash.

Hey we should all just get Jiggy with it!!

When compared to MAN ON FIRE and DOMINO you have to understand that this is one of those movies where an average joe's life gets flipped upside down when he intercepts very politically, and potientially deadly, threatening materials. The minute we find ourselves plugged into this man's world we are introduced to several people who are keeping tabs on him 24 hours a day. They wait outside in trucks, bugging him, tapping him, questioning him, even picking up satiliete images to pin-point his exact location. It gives an all new meaning to the words "overactive paranoia." But, in DOMINO, it related the most becuase DOMINO, as well, was about someone normal who evoked a change in her boring life. This is the story of a man who didn't ask for his life to be changed. Whihc makes him the perfect everyday hero, in my humble opinion.

Enjoy!

The acting in Enemy of the state is far beyond Ok as you see Will Smith set up the high tension and thrills perfectly. The movie starts out with a little confusement so already I liked it because unlike the movies today I wasn't able to predict a thing. Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer with a wife and family that loves a orginized and free of crime life. turned upside down after a chance meeting with a college buddy (Jason Lee) at a lingerie shop where he goes to pick up a gift for his wife. While waiting he's just been had a videotape sliped into his bag containing a congressman's assassination. Right on his back for this tape is a ruthless group of National Security Agents commanded by a hostile fed named Reynolds (Jon Voight). Using surveillance from satellites, bugs, and other sophisticated snooping devices, the NSA infiltrates every facet of Dean's existence, tracing each physical and digital footprint he leaves. Driven by acute paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a clandestine former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman), and Enemy of the State kicks into high-intensity hyperdrive. Privacy is never certain in this movie and it shows you that it's like that in real life. There's no sign of slowing down until the very end.

Will Smith is a lawyer who got mix up into some trouble when some old college buddy of his ran into Will at some women's underwear shop with out Will's knowledge he slip a videotape in Will's bag that tap had the murder of a congress man. People who want that tape are National Security Agents they are the one's who cause that murder and they want the evidence to clear so they chase after Will. This movie had some great acting, adverturous, drama, action, and it's not boring just because it's not a sci-fi special affects. It was a dissapointment cause their was no box office hit to it what a rip off.

I like will smith films i think they are gerat.
I like the bit when deans dog spray painted.
porshie the dog is funny .

This is an intense conspiracy thriller. Shadow operations, satellite intelligence and the whole works. Will Smith is Robert Dean, attourney at law, who's life is put in shambles after accidentally receiving something he has no idea about. Enemy of the State is one of my all time favorie movies. It was well shot and Will Smith gives a great performance. This is one of Tony Scott's best films. With a colorful cast like Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Jack Black, Jamie Kennedy, and more, this film is hard to miss. A must-see for any conspiracy theorists lovers. If you haven't seen it than you've missed out.

Despite the fact that we both like Gene Hackman and Will Smith, my wife and I put off seeing this movie for along time, thinking that it was probably going to be just another run-of-the mill Jerry Bruckheimer action flick, all of which get to be a bit overblown and "samey" after awhile (IMO Crimson Tide, and the spoof, ConAir, are his best films)...but what would otherwise just have been another pretty good action/suspense film, took on an eerie resonance in the post 9/11 era--the legislation that the Jon Voigt character was willing to kill to get passed had more than a faint aroma of "The Patriot Act"-- and I'm surprised that more reviewers haven't mentioned that.

As far as the "lack of substance" that some reviewers mention, that is entirely subjective, and I do not agree with it. As far as reviewers who talk about this not being as good as 1974's The Conversation, get a clue that elements of this movie are conscious homages to that earlier (and IMO, badly dated, and overrated) movie--one of the things that's fun about Bruckheimer's movies is that they are full of homages to earlier suspense/action flicks, esp. those that influenced him. Also, folks, get a clue to the fact that the Will Smith character's "dumbness" and naivety, is part of the point of this movie: his ignorance of technology, and his over-reliance on other people for information, put him at the mercy of the "heavies" in this movie, and left him wide open to the crisis in which he found himself embroiled. As an aside, along the lines of the eerie resonance of this movie in the wake of 9/11, it gave my wife and I a bit of a chill down our spines when Gene Hackman's character revealed by "hacking" into the NSA computer that the Jon Voigt character's birthday was "9/11"--an eerie coincidence three years before 9/11/01.

UPDATE [6-Dec-2007]

This review pertains only to the original DVD release, which delivered a non-anamorphic letterboxed transfer, and not the current Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray titles, which deliver anamorphic and high-definition transfers, respectively. To summarize, I highly recommend the film but advocate bypassing the older DVD release for either the Special Edition DVD or Blu-ray packages.

ORIGINAL REVIEW

The star rating system unfortunately doesn't allow reviewers to assign separate at-a-glance ratings for content versus technical presentation. My abysmal lone star reflects only criticism of this disc's technical merit and not its content.

From a content perspective, I'd assign four stars for an enjoyable, action packed ride that blends splendid actors with a compelling story and effectively married cinematography and CGI special effects.

From a technical perspective, this is an old DVD with a letterboxed non-anamorphic transfer. In 2004 this is unacceptable. It's particularly unforgiveable given this film's high-tech orientation and the fact that anamorphic transfers are no more expensive to produce than letterbox.

I recommend NOT purchasing this title unless and until Touchstone updates the transfer. By that time, a side benefit might be a Special Edition with the extras this film deserves. A DTS sound track would be a worthy bonus.

Director: Tony Scott
Cast: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Regina King, Loren Dean, Jake Busey, Barry Pepper.
Running Time: 127 minutes.
Rated R for violence and language.

Another producer Jerry Bruckheimer/director Tony Scott thrill ride without substance, this time pitting family man lawyer Robert Clayton Dean (played by Will Smith in a ho-hum performance) against a technologically-driven government. Not knowing that the trivial meeting with an old friend would cause him so much trouble, Dean gets sucked into a conspiracy case involving a rogue National Security Agent (Jon Voight) who killed a United States congressman because he accidentally received a video tape with footage of the murder. With incredible surveillance techniques and technology, Voight is able to track all of the lawyer's moves and keep tabs on him.

Our hero's life is turned upside down until he meets up with a stealthy former NSA active named Brill (played very well by Gene Hackman). With the assistance of Brill, Dean attacks the government head on and must learn the truth in order to save his life. Director Tony Scott brilliantly uses the camera to portray his views, jolting the characters through a series of incredible chase scenes, rip-roaring explosions, and intense firearm combat, but ultimately "Enemy of the State" focuses solely on the unbridled advances in special effects abilities that it keeps the audience from understanding the story and getting involved with the characters. Smith is only adequate in his first major "dramatic" role, while Hackman and Voight pick up some of the slack in their devilishly effective parts. A must-see if you are into big explosions and dynamite cinematography, but one to leave on the shelf if over-acting and a mediocre script are an annoyance.

Enemy of the State is a breakneck thriller that genuinely keeps you on the edge of your seat and is a real nail-biter. It is incredibly well-constructed for what it is: slick, well-shot, gloriously pacey and even with a dash of interesting social question in there. Granted, often it is incredibly implausible, and his ability to sit back and be happy at the end despite all the carnage of what has happened, make it a little laughable, but the fact is, thats not the point with this kind of film - the point is it is truly thrilling, stylish and cool. You really get deep into it.

Will Smith is startlingly good in his best performance since Six Degrees Of Seperation - if only he would turn in these great performances in credible, interesting films more often, and is well supported by a strong cast that includes Gene Hackman, Jamie Kennedy and Jack Black amongst others. This comes highly reccomended for an evening's entertainment and is truly exhilirating and packed with plot and intrigue that puts most regurgitated, lame excuses for a storyline to shame. Great stuff.

This is supposed to be a thriller. OK, whatever...the viewer obviously knows that Will Smith will emerge from this harrowing adventure more or less intact, so there really isn't any tension created by putting his character in peril. Therefore, the only tension & suspense the producers of this film can hope to create comes from playing on the audience's sense of paranoia. "Oh my god, what if the government really IS watching my every word & deed?" thinks the audience. Oh my god, this could actually be happening! All you have to do is read some of the reviews here and you will see that paranoia is a major factor in this film's appeal.

All I could think of as I watched this film is, give me a break. One rogue NSA bureaucrat, supported by a handfull of computer geeks, and they are supposed to be able to conduct an operation this vast? Are you kidding me? Has anyone ever heard of information overload? I don't doubt that a good deal of this technology exists, but let's get real folks --- if the NSA was really conducting surveillance on this scale, the amount of raw data the agency would have to sift through simply boggles the mind. The NSA would have to employ half the population of the USA to spy on the other half. If the NSA's surveillance is this bush-league, most of us could commit all manner of security breaches and never get caught! Ironically, I found myself feeling more secure about not being scrutinized by the government after having seen this film.

As to the film itself --- sure, all the chase scenes were gripping, the camera angles were great, blah blah blah. The production values in this movie are top-notch, but so what? Bruckheimer & Tony Scott can do movies like this in their sleep, so it's no big deal. The same can be said for Jon Voight & Gene Hackman, who pretty much phone it in with their roles. From a production standpoint, this movie is indistinguishable from the hundreds of other so-called thrillers that the Hollywood machine has churned out over the last few years. Ho hum. Overall, this just really was a thoroughly mediocre film.

This movie had it all. Twists, action, drama, comedy. Very good. Whole family can watch together. This is one of my favorite Will Smith Movies.

Jason Lee(A Guy Thing) takes shots of Jon Voight(Midnight Cowboy) killing Jason Robards(Magnolia) and Lee before he gets runned over by a bus makes Will Smith(Bad Boys 1 and 2) and then Voight and his crew ggo after him and his family. Smith gets help from Gene Hackman(Scarcrow). other actors in the mix...Jack Black(Shallow Hal), Jamie Kennedy(Scream Trilogy), Lisa Bonet(High Fidelity), Scott Caan(Black and White), Ian Hart(Harry Potter and The Chamber Of Secrets), Tom Sizemore(Dreamcatcher), Loren Dean(Rosewood), Jake Busey(Identity), Barry Pepper(Battlefield Earth), Gabriel Bryne(Stigmata), Stuart Wilson(No Escape) and an unbilled cameo by Seth Green(Party Monster). dont miss the ride.

Another greatly produced movie from Jerry Bruckheimer which showcases the talent which Will Smith has not only as a singer but as well as an actor.
With the addition of the legendery Gene Hackman,the cobination produces great specticale for the audience.With the ever evolving plot in this movie,it will be always interesing to watch time and time again.
However one minor disadvantage is that the munes of the DVD could have been improved.
Overall,a great movie to enjoy for evey end of the audience spectrum.

I just finished watching Enemy of the State and I have to tell you that I should have watched it sooner. I love thrillers and this movie hit the right spot. Some great chase scenes but with a good plot which leaves you hanging until the very end. Definitely worth to watch.

When WILL SMITH in this MOVIE who's confronted witch very much difficults problems of a STATE CONSPIRACY, he become a precedence of the elite which is composed of C.I.A. N.S.A. F.B.I. and many other stranges services illegitimates SPYS WHO ARE OBEYING of the orders of influent strange man who has killed his almost friend, and then, these CONSPIRATORS who are ables to kill anybody throught their road so as to ensure an uncovicing PROGRESS whitch consist to have any authority for transgress yhe all of the private life of any body in the AMERICA OR THE WORLD WITH CONSIDERABLES AVERAGES SUCH WHITCH ARE SATELITTES AND EMITTERS, THEN THE YOUNG MAN (WILL) WHO'S JUST A SPARE FOR GOVERNMENT AND A SIMPLE ADVOCATE WHO BEGAIN STRONG WITH A ITALIAN MAFIOSO Who has difficulty whith THE LAW, and after that when he is deprived of his credit cards and many other things , when he is forced in a jift to take away his alls garments with a curious intelligent old man for him but he is very much contented to know the identity suddenly of an ancient efficient best of the bests SPYS whou's BOUND TO SHATTER HIS CONFIDENTIALITY EVER SINCE LONGTIME (GENE HACKMAN) THEY WILL SURPISE EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD OF THESE STRANGES MEN WITH ABILITY TO ASSASSINATION RHEY FORMS STILL AGAIN BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME TWO IN PICTURES HISTORY AND EVERY INGREDIENTS ARE GOODS IN THIS SPLENDID D.V.D.MOVIE NOT DEAD TIME WITH THESE ALL ACTORS WILL SMITH AND GENE HACKMAN ARE VERY GOODS ACTORS

I love the cast in this film. Hackman and Smith have done some really excellent work. While I generally enjoyed this film for what it was, it could have been much more. I am somehow reminded of "Conspiracy Theory" in that it was a disappointment considering the possibilities it offered. Mostly, the problem is in the basic premise of the story. Any one of thousands of conflicts could have been played out, but instead, we see a personal crime in Voigt's character taken out on an unsuspecting citizen. This may sound minor, but we could have seen a glimpse of some big-brother massacre, and the minor hero who overcomes it. Some of what is offered here makes you wonder (in worried fascination) what is possible, but generally I can say this is NOT a must-see movie. If you saw Conspiracy Theory, don't bother with this one. I give it 3 stars in case you didn't catch Conspiracy Theory, otherwise, 2 stars.

This movie reminded me of why I don't watch slick, big budget, big star hollywood movies. Slick is the operative word here. Far too slick. The camera work was disractingly slick. There were far too many convenient coincidences to make it believable. As the movie went on, it steadily diverged more and more from reality. If all of these high tech spy tools exist (call me naive, but I doubt it) I doubt they would all have been brought to bear to such a degree on one hapless guy. The NSA geeks sure had hard time catching Smith. That's because, despite all their whiz-bang gizmos, they were mostly a bunch of incompetent oafs. Lots of gratuitous chases were thrown in to wow the audiance. It was hard to get up the mental stamina to follow the plot, since I didn't really care about the fate of the good guys. This just isn't how you pace a movie to artfully develop real suspense. It was quite a disappointment for me.