Enemy of the State (1998)

Good but....

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. March 17, 2008

Cat & Mouse suspense ... all too possible in real life

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.
January 24, 2008

Intense Intelligence Thriller

Easily overlooked but is a very engaging movie. Will Smith is very good in this movie! January 18, 2008

Premonitive "Easter Egg" Makes This Great Flick Scarier Now Than Ever

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. October 14, 2007

Very Good Movie

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. September 17, 2007

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