Enemy of the State (1998)
Genre: Action / Thriller
Duration: 132 minuten / 140 minuten (unrated director's cut)
Country:
United States
Directed by: Tony Scott
Stars: Will Smith, Gene Hackman and Jon Voight
IMDb score:
7,3 (277.674)
Releasedate: 20 November 1998
Enemy of the State plot
"It's not paranoia if they're really after you."
When successful lawyer Robert Clayton Dean runs into an old friend, he comes into possession of a disc. This disc contains recordings of a political assassination. The unsub soon learns that Dean has the disc, and decides to use National Security Agency resources to find it. However, Dean has no idea why he's being chased.
Actors and actresses
Robert Clayton Dean
Edward "Brill" Lyle
Thomas Brian Reynolds
Carla Dean
Hicks
Krug
David Pratt
Daniel Zavitz
Rachel F. Banks
Fiedler
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
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- 87737 messages
- 13162 votes
Nice.
The Conversation and Snowden, the two keywords of this film. The Conversation because with Hackman this almost seems like a direct sequel to that film, Snowden because as a wissle blower he showed that there is at least a grain of truth in this film.
Of course, nicely put together. The surveillance goes just a little too smoothly and it all goes a bit easier than it would be in real life, but Scott is actually one of the few who knows how to bring these kinds of films to a good end.
Smith is perfect for a role like this, Hackman also manages to cope well. Voight is also a strong bad guy, only the bit parts are sometimes a bit dubious. Jack Black, for example, is just a strange bird in this setup.
Lasts quite a while but never feels sluggish or boring. It's a shame Scott isn't around anymore, I'm sure he's had some nice movies in his hands. Unfortunately, he doesn't have much effect either, so it's just a matter of sparingly enjoying the film that I haven't seen yet.
3.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
IH88
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- 9891 messages
- 3205 votes
“I'm all you've got. And you're all I've got.”
Great action stunner that has a killer pace where you hardly get a chance to breathe easy. And that's certainly a compliment for this kind of movie because it doesn't give you time to think about some plot holes or improbabilities. And I'm not going to whine about that too much because the film has so much action, humor and fun actors that I simply enjoyed it.
The story is also interesting and even George Orwell would be scared to say the extent to which the government invades the privacy of its citizens in this film. Transmitters in your shoes, pants, jacket, phone that allow them to follow you everywhere… Will Smith can play the charming slicker again and he's excellent. He can combine his humor with serious work and he succeeds in doing so without any problems. Old-timers Hackman and Voight also have wonderful roles. Enemy of the State has a lot of banging, great one-liners, strong actors, an ingenious story and constant tension... What more could you want?
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
-
- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
It had been a long time since I last saw this Will Smith film. In fact, the film has very little to lose from what I remembered of it. The theme remains fantastic and is incredibly topical. The film makes you think about how far the invasion of privacy is justified. What is an individual willing to give up in exchange for optimal protection in the fight against terrorism, crime, fraud and corruption? What is the interest of a society in giving up basic rights and exposing interference in its private life? All interesting questions that are discussed in the background in this film. Of course everything is a bit of a haircut, but the theme sets the tone for an exciting discussion evening with friends (in a café). A film that encourages me to do that gets a high rating anyway.
The film grabs you by the throat from the start. There is very little breathing room and in fact this continues throughout the film. The film does not weaken and maintains its level and pace. Will Smith does a great job and the chase scenes are well put together. With the exception of maybe one or two scenes, the violence or action isn't excessive. Gene Hackman plays an interesting role and Voight as a bad guy is also not to be missed. Even the supporting roles of the other bad guys were excellent cast.
Obviously, the film leaves some gaps and plot holes, but I'd like to add these. I thought the ending was slow and rushed. The idea behind it ties into the beginning of the movie, but didn't take the movie to the next level. The tension was good and even the humor based on one-liners was not too bad. A narrow, but deserved 4.0*!
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