Review of Sneakers

Introduction

Tech Movies are few and far between. Two significant ones that I recall are of course, Wargames and the more recent Enemy of the State. The best "hacker" movie of the nineties is by far, Sneakers. Boasting an ensemble cast and an intelligent script, Sneakers is an enjoyable movie from beginning to end. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson of Field of Dreams fame and scripted by the same team that wrote Wargames.

Martin Bishop leads a motley band of fellow techies, who have set up a company that offers security services to larger corporations. They are hired to break into systems so no one else can break into the systems. However, Bishop`s world is turned upside down when two NSA agents appear wishing to hire Bishop for a less than legitimate purpose. They also happen to know of Bishop`s dubious past, when as student, Martin Brice, he and his friend Cosmo used to hack into corporations. Cosmo was caught and died in prison, while Brice escaped to Canada and became Bishop. Threatened with this blackmail, Bishop and his friends agree to steal a mysterious black box that a mathematician is working on. When they test the black box, they find a miracle chip that can decrypt any encrypted computer, allowing them to hack into and spy on any computer system. This is a device that any group or government would kill for, and they find themselves in over their heads. The next day when they make the hand off, they learn that the mathematician has been murdered. Implicated in the murder, and not knowing whom to trust, Bishop must retrieve the black box and deliver it to the appropriate authorities in an attempt to clear his name.

Video

The film is presented in a Widescreen anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer and by and large is adequate. The image is a little soft for my liking and there may be an instance or two of grain, but nothing distracting. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson the film is lush, with some great scenery to show off. One scene framed near the Golden Gate Bridge springs to mind.

Audio

Sound is presented in Dolby Surround, in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. The sound was originally stereo so it isn`t such a big deal. The music is a simply outstanding score by James Horner, featuring the musician, Branford Marsalis. The music is soothing and encompassing and really sets the mood of the film. It`s definitely one of my favourite soundtracks.

Features

There are a few extras here, Production notes, filmographies and a trailer are pretty much de rigueur for a DVD and this is what you get here.

Conclusion

This is an ensemble cast who are absolutely peerless. Robert Redford plays Bishop with style and aplomb. Sidney Poitier is the short fused ex CIA agent, Donald Crease. Dan Aykroyd plays the paranoid Mother, River Phoenix plays the serious Carl, David Strathairn is the blind Whistler, Mary McDonnell plays Bishop`s ex girlfriend, Liz and Ben Kingsley is Cosmo. This cast is perfect for the film and they all seem to relish the roles that they play. The actors spark off each other and the chemistry is tangible. Ben Kingsley`s accent is a little hard to place but that`s about it.

This is an outstanding movie. It`s hard to define it, part thriller, and part comedy with a little bit of action thrown in for good measure. Phil Alden Robinson resists temptation and doesn`t focus on the technology exclusively. In fact the universal codebreaker is a useful bit of fantasy that drives the story along. No, the director very much makes this a character piece. The interactions of the characters are what make this magic. I love the byplay between Mother and Crease as the ex CIA agent becomes increasingly infuriated by the formers wild conspiracy theories. Carl also excels as and adolescent who is very serious in an attempt to fit in with his peers while his elders act childishly most of the time. Redford`s role is understated but he is the glue that holds this cast together. This is a movie made up of magic moments. For instance, when Bishop gets caught by Rhyshkov in the Mathematicians laboratory and he must talk his way out, with the aid of his compatriots on the other end of a radio link, or the scene where Bishop and Liz try to solve the anagram while Whistler examines the black box, and of course when the blind Whistler has to drive the van. Proving that lightning does strike twice, Phil Laden Robinson repeats his success of Field of Dreams and brings a magical movie to the screen, simply riveting.