Review of Enemy of the State (1998) by Sapan P — 28 Jun 2009

I was watching the early morning Saturday childrenâ??s show "Live and Kicking" once and Will Smith was their guest that week. He was in to discuss his new movie "Enemy of the State" and kept mentioning how serious it was.

Coming off two massively successful blockbuster ("Independence Day" and "Men in Black"), Smith was riding high but wasnâ??t about to rest on his laurels. He wanted to be an actor whom people recognized as a craftsman, and someone who was respected in his field.

And while "Enemy of the State" is not his best performance, it is still an excellent example of the actor Will Smith, and not the brand. With Tony Scott in the directorâ??s chair the plot moves along at a great pace, and the script is punctuated with some great dialogue and some neat twists.

Nearly stealing the show is Gene Hackmanâ??s wiry, paranoid techno-expert who ends up saving Smithâ??s bacon and the rest of the cast is filled with great actors who do a great job. "Enemy of the State" is a great thriller that entertains, shocks, guffaws, and makes you think (but not that much).

It is at the end of the day all about the Fresh Prince though and for a man looking to make the step forward as a serious actor, he could have done a lot worse.