An updated retreading of the "everyday person caught up in extraordinary circumstances" scenario found in films such as "North By Northwest," "Three Days of the Condor" and "Blow Out" (itself based on the similarly plotted "Blow Up"), this is a satisfying techo-conspiracy thriller.
Vastly more intelligent when compared with the testosterone-laced pedigree for which producer Jerry Bruckheimer and veteran director Tony Scott are famous (with films such as "Armageddon" and "Con Air" being produced by the former and "Crimson Tide" and "Top Gun" being directed by the latter), the film does contain a smattering of such revved up action.
For the most part, however, the filmmakers are apparently more concerned with delivering a thinking person's thriller than a mindless, "smash-bang" action flick, and in that respect, they've admirably succeeded. In that regard, the use of advanced technology for domestic spying is effectively used and comes off as fun and somewhat spooky (considering what may be possible now or in the near future).
As such, the film's coolest effect uses that frozen panning technique (popularized in the "swing" Gap commercial) to zip around Smith's paused character viewed on a surveillance videotape. Although it defies logical physics unless the lingerie shop has many surveillance cameras all trained on the exact same area, it's still a neat visual effect.
While the film did break Will Smith's recent string of box office mega-hits due to its R rating that limited the potential audience, it did manage to gross more than $100 million (still considerably less than the two to three hundred million grosses of his previous films) and that's due to its overall crowd pleasing structure.
This is despite the fact that at times the film feels as it isn't quite firing on all cylinders. While it does have some thrilling moments -- the first chase scene is well-executed and appropriately taut with suspense -- similar, but later scenes go through the same motions but don't quite burn with the same, and needed, intensity.
Will Smith ("Men In Black," "Independence Day") -- playing more of the straight man then he's done in his past films -- makes up for that occasional lack of intensity. Although he throws in a few quips here and other smart aleck remarks there, Smith appears to be striving for a transition into more "grown up" roles. More than adequately filling the conspiracy laden shoes of his highly acclaimed predecessors, Smith is quite good in the role of the bewildered lawyer who suddenly finds his world turned upside down.
In most conspiracy thrillers, part of the "fun" of watching them unfold is trying to figure out the central villain's identity while the protagonist does the same. Scott, working from a screenplay by David Marconi ("The Harvest"), opted to give the audience superior position over Dean, by allowing us to identify the head conspirator right from the start.
While this occasionally works in some films where the audience worries about the hero unknowingly putting himself in peril by crossing the villain's path, that tactic isn't used here. Instead, Scott and Marconi just get the ball rolling and allow the subordinate henchmen to supply the conflict for the protagonist. Although that works, it's not as effective as having the continuous sparring between the two "heavyweights."
As that main villain, Jon Voight ("The Rainmaker," "Mission: Impossible") is decent but not outstanding. Like many of his fellow former headlining actors, he's now pretty much relegated to playing the heavy, and while appropriately meanspirited and intense, his shallowly constructed character prevents him from really sinking his teeth into the role.
Faring better is Gene Hackman ("Crimson Tide," "Unforgiven") as the ex-covert operative and only possible salvation for our bewildered hero. One of the most reliable actors working today, Hackman -- decked out in his 1960's NASA style glasses and other appropriate garb -- delivers a performance different than one probably expects, but he's still quite good in the role.
Supporting performances are decent, including Lisa Bonet ("Angel Heart," TV's "The Cosby Show") as Dean's former girlfriend and current informant, but it's the bevy of actors -- such as Jake Busey, Jack Black and Jamie Kennedy -- playing the NSA covert operatives and "techies" who provide the film with substance.
Although the film occasionally feels as if it's running on autopilot and subsequently some of the suspense scenes in the middle don't have quite the "zip" they deserve, overall the movie works quite well and has a fun, well constructed, and audience pleasing ending. While it might not rank up there with the best conspiracy films, it's certainly a solid entry in the genre.
Regarding the disc's technical and supplemental merits, both the picture and audio are topnotch. The two, rather short production featurettes, however, leave a bit to be desired as far as decent accompanying material.
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