SNEAKERS
A film review by Too FAT Guys
Copyright 1992 by Roger & Me
Roger: I love movies made by liberals!
Roger: Of course, this means round two of Dan vs. Hollywood. I'll be
watching C-SPAN for his review.
Roger: SNEAKERS, a techno-thriller, engages in some of the least subtle government bashing in recent memory. Martin Bishop (Robert Redford) runs a computer security company with "Mother" (Dan Aykroyd), "Whistler" (David Strathairn), Crease (Sidney Poitier), and Carl (River Phoenix). They are hired by NSA agents to steal a black box. After retrieving the device, they soon discover what it is: the ultimate code breaker.
Roger: And this is really the only portion of the movie whose technical accuracy can be questioned. Using the black box, they break into several services, such as the "National Power Grid". Aside from the improbability of such a service existing, the NPG seems to trust encryption enough to do away with authentication.
Roger: There were also several other technical inaccuracies, but I was willing to excuse them. Accuracy is an admirable goal, but it doesn't always make great cinema. At least they bothered to hire a technical advisor.
Roger: The director and co-writter, Phil Alden Robinson, is also a
techno-phile. As a matter of fact, he could well be reading this,
since he's a CompuServe subscriber (hi, Phil). Perhaps his
computer savvy explains the film's view of our information-based
world order.
Roger: Information plays so great a role, that the villain seems almost incidental. The real target of abuse is the government. Certainly, the film seems to be saying that the government is the greatest abuser of information. And who could fault anyone for criticizing the government?
Roger: Not I. I always enjoy a few rounds of government bashing. In
fact, I enjoyed most of the film. It was suspenseful and
well-paced. The plot was well thought out, believable, and held
together well. I give this film a thumbs up.
Roger: With little exception, the acting was fine. With a cast this
size, there's not much room for character depth. However, it's
hard to miss with this many Academy nominated actors. I give this
film a thumbs up as well.
Roger: So, that's two thumbs up for SNEAKERS. That's all for now -- the tty is closed. -- For the latest review by the Too FAT Guys, finger roger@icpsr.umich.edu.
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