A highly enjoyable hi-tech thriller.
Enemy of the State (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:8
Fresh:5
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Will Smith gives a charismatic performance in this fast-paced thriller.
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a labor lawyer who is unknowingly in possession of evidence related to a serious politically motivated crime. Government agents eager to hide their guilt believe that... Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a labor lawyer who is unknowingly in possession of evidence related to a serious politically motivated crime. Government agents eager to hide their guilt believe that Dean is on to them, and proceed to turn his life upside-down, ruin his reputation, and frame him for various incidents, thanks to the latest in high-tech government surveillance techniques. In an attempt to clear his name and reclaim his life, Dean teams up with the reclusive Brill (Gene Hackman), a former federal employee who has as much high-tech equipment and expertise as the government itself. Hackman's role is an extension of Harry Caul, the character he portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant 1974 film, THE CONVERSATION. Smith scores as a man who is desperate to reclaim his identity and prove his innocence. This intense technological thrill-ride from director Tony Scott questions how much access the government should have to the communications of private citizens, and leaves the viewer with the unsettling feeling that Big Brother is definitely watching. Watch for the uncredited appearances of Jason Robards, Seth Green, Tom Sizemore, and Philip Baker Hall. [More]
Starring: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Regina King
Starring: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Regina King, Lisa Bonet, Loren Dean, Jake Busey, Scott Caan, Jason Lee, Barry Pepper, Jack Black, Jamie Kennedy, Gabriel Byrne, Grant Heslov
Director: Tony Scott
Director: Tony Scott
Screenwriter: David Marconi
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Composer: Trevor Rabin, Harry Gregson-Williams
Reviews for Enemy of the State
Add Smith's lippy innocent and a host of subcontracted indie fresh faces, and you have the Bruckheimer formula: loud, lavish, seemingly efficient; over-large, over-long, over-plotted. Safe and sorry.
A truly substantial looker for the holidays, it's that rare Bruckheimer project in which style is matched by content.
Practically an elder statesman compared to the technobrats Bruckheimer usually employs, Scott also pays attention to the acting and it pays off.
It has a hurtling pace, nonstop intensity and a stylish, appealing performance by Will Smith!
It actually wears you out after a while. Just like Scott's other movies, this one plays more like a hugely conceived wind-sprint. Rest periods are few and far between.
The movie is fast-paced, centered around two big chase scenes, and ending in a clever double-cross that leads to a big shootout.
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