Review of Enemy of the State (1998) by Nathan C — 29 Jun 2011

A thrill-a-minute-ride tinged by paranoia, modern world concerns, and Hitchcockian elements. Suspenseful at face value; horrifying when you think about it.

A D.C. attorney is living the good life. That is, until an old associate runs into him, slipping in evidence of a senator's murder into his pocket. Thus, he's being pursued by NSA agents and his life's being screwed over by the government. The worst part is that he doesn't know about it. How will the Fresh Prince get out of this one?

Will Smith manages to do well in his movies because he has a certain feel. That good-natured sense still works amidst the flourish to more dramatic roles. Gene Hackman does well, and is that Jack Black in one of his earlier roles? Those looking for action won't be disappointed, especially with those chases. The music, of course, delivers. It's pretty darn smart, too. The plot doesn't delve into implausibility, a plus. Editing and camerawork aren't herky-jerky, yay. Strangely, it somehow predicted the Patriot Act and other security measures taken post-9/11.

However, it feels a bit too long. At the one hour point, I thought it was almost over since it felt like an hour and a half. If you don't like shouting as a means of banter, you'll roll your eyes for 15 minutes. And the whole affair begins to feel sour afterwards. LOL, the movie resolved itself a little too easily with that shootout.

It does a very good job at eliciting the prerequisite thrills expected out of a Scott-Bruckheimer production (with very few explosions as well). It helps that it's not dumb and brash. One of Will Smith's better flicks.