Enemy of the State
When the videotape of the murder of a congressman unknowingly ends up in the hands of labor lawyer and dedicated family man Robert Clayton Dean, he is framed for the murder. With the help of the mysterious Brill, Dean attempts to throw the NSA off his trail and prove his innocence.
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- Cast:
- Will Smith , Gene Hackman , Jon Voight , Regina King , Loren Dean , Jake Busey , Barry Pepper
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Reviews
Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
What an excellent exciting hi Tec Thriller this is!!! A 90s Classic that i watched so many times on video & absolutely love it. Will Smith gives a BRILLIANT performance here as Robert Clayton Dean a lawyer who's life gets turned up side down when he's targeted by the government!!! Gene Hackman the legendary actor is also fantastic as well as the BRILLIANT John voight this movie is full of great actors a really good cast & it introduced me to the BRILLIANT BARRY PEPPER & JACK BLACK!!! ENEMY OF THE STATE is a real exciting chase Thriller with tons of Action & great performances!!! One of Smith's best movies & one of the best Thrillers ever MADE!!!
I am unabashedly a Will Smith fan (After all, he is my Philly homeboy). This movie is one of his best, and if you don't believe Big Brother is watching your every move, then you have your head in the sand. Great commentary on government surveillance and its intrusion into our personal privacy.
I watched ENEMY OF THE STATE when it first came out at the cinema a couple of decades ago and remember really enjoying it. Seeing it today, the film has hardly dated at all and in fact feels more relevant than ever in a world dominated by surveillance technology. I think it's a criminally underrated movie that never gets talked about enough, possibly the highlight of Tony Scott's exciting career, and up there with THE BOURNE IDENTITY (which it feels like it inspired a lot) in terms of screen excitement.I love thrillers that are full of energy and ENEMY OF THE STATE is certainly that. There are some holes in the plot but it all moves so quickly and vibrantly that it doesn't matter at all. Will Smith plays the classic wronged man protagonist and, while he wouldn't be my first choice for the role, he's not too bad here, keeping the comedy aspects to a minimum. The supporting cast is even better, featuring a beautiful role for the excellent Gene Hackman which harks back to THE CONVERSATION, a good baddie in the shape of Jon Voight, and tons of familiar talent in the tech team: Seth Green, Jamie Kennedy, Jack Black, Jake Busey, Scott Caan, Ian Hart, Jason Lee, the list is endless.The film is expertly directed and still feels fresh; more importantly, it still looks good, unlike something like MAN ON FIRE which feels really dated these days. There's a ton of incident in the plot and some great paranoid scenes involving bugs everywhere. The physical action is very strong as well, with exciting chase scenes by foot and vehicle and great twists involving Hackman's character. The ending harks back to TRUE ROMANCE and feels a little blatant, but certainly ties up those loose ends nicely.
Overall: I understand 10 may seem like a stretch and I'm not doing it to boost the ranking but I think the movie was excellent.Good: Amazing tension and good action sequences which are in short supply. A whole roster of likable and unlikeable characters. Pretty decent effects which can hold up today. Great performances all around with some well placed humour to break it up.Bad: Numerous escapes are down to pure luck. The henchmen have ample opportunities to eliminate Will Smith but don't use them. The henchmen are morons overall.Best Part: The Hotel sequence were will escapes.10/10