Today’s quick review: Enemy of the State. Washington attorney Robert Dean (Will Smith) becomes the target of a far-reaching cover-up when he stumbles on a tape incriminating NSA official Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight) in the murder of a Congressman. Dean finds his privacy violated and his reputation tarnished in attempt to discredit him. To clear his name and reclaim his life, Dean will need help from an unlikely source (Gene Hackman).
Enemy of the State is an action thriller about an innocent man who finds himself on the wrong side of the surveillance state. Will Smith stars as Robert Dean, a lawyer whose life is turned upside-down when he accidentally crosses a corrupt NSA spook. Enemy of the State is a standard action thriller with solid execution. The movie sports the right mixture of plot, action, and justifiable paranoia to make for a satisfying watch.
Enemy of the State takes its premise to heart. The movie spends as much time on Robert’s frame job as it does on its action, driving home just how powerful Reynolds and his surveillance apparatus are. Making matters worse for Robert, he doesn’t even know he has the tape, only that someone wants him out of the picture. The extra setup pays off in a plot with plenty of moving pieces and a couple of good twists, all without slowing things down.
Beyond its focus on the issues surrounding government surveillance, Enemy of the State is a typical thriller with a high degree of craftsmanship. Will Smith, Jon Voight, and Gene Hackman are all well-suited to their roles, each with distinctive characters and clear flaws. The mechanics of the plot are fascinating to watch, the pacing is fast but not hurried, and there’s just enough action to make the threats tangible.
Watch Enemy of the State when you’re in the mood for a thriller with a good balance of plot and action. The movie doesn’t stray far from the formula for its genre, but it invests enough effort into its premise, plot, and characters to feel like its own story. Those looking for flashier action or a purely cerebral thriller may get less out of it. For an action thriller with a similar premise, try Shooter, The Fugitive, or Three Days of the Condor.
7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for an interesting plot and strong craftsmanship.