Enemy of the State Rated: R (for profanity and violence) Reviewed by Fox Davidson
On the heels of the government conspiracy, Hollywood has been throwing out thrillers involving one character who knows too much and is one the run left and right. In 1995, Sandra Bullock was that character in The Net. 1997, Mel Gibson was the loon who published conspiracy newsletters in Conspiracy Theory. 1998, The X-Files hit the big screen with its depiction of alien life being hidden by evil an government group, The Sydnicate. Now, Will Smith and madman producer Jerry Bruckeimer bring their turn of the screw to theaters will Enemy of the State. I wish Hollywood would have stopped when the genre was still good. Of course, the only real reason this film was made was because Smith has had two huge hits in the past two years. But, oddly, both Independece Day and Men in Black were huge disappointments, Men in Black being no exception. Now, in State, Smith is again cast as the nice guy who saves the world, this time from a nasty government baddies instead of aliens. When a computer hacker discovers a video feed of a high power political figure assassinated, he is being tracked down by the same assassins. He flees his apartment, meets up with good guy lawyer Smith, slips the recorded image (a disk) into his shopping back, and is killed when mowed down by a truck. All that for nothing. Shame. So on, Smith is now on the run, with a former conspiractor (Gene Hackman) helping him out. Hackman, looking like a computer geek himself, saves this film from utter ungliness, which throws in every cliche known to man. And, it doesn't help that State doesn't contain one once of sustained suspense throughout the film's two hour time length. Incoherency does not replace thrills by placing the lead in many situations involving exploding buildings and roof-top chases. Since Enemy of the State is not available on DVD yet, I went and watched Conspiracy Theory on disc. I liked the film much better than State. I also rewatched The Net on disc. Yes, I found The Net much more intense than State, and Theory. Sandra Bullock's character is so likable, I feared for her life when in danger. That never happened in State.
Film: ** 1999
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