vincentlynch-moonoi I think describing this as a comedy, which some do, in inaccurate...although the description I did like was a "lighthearted thriller". The makers of the film could have gone for a comedy...but that would have lost my interest almost immediately. And, they could have gone for a totally serious theme of a man going undercover to clear his own record (which, of course, has been done before). Instead, while it is (in my view) a drama, there were quite a few times I found myself smiling.The problem with this film can be summed up with one line about halfway through the movie -- "You won't know who to trust." And as you go through this film, you won't know who the good guys are or who the bad guys are...or who to trust. That makes it just a little confusing. And then, to make it all seem so high tech (which now, a decade later, doesn't seem so high tech at all), everything gets overly complicated...and all this high tech stuff is being done by actors who seem too old for all that stuff. Redford was 56 and Sidney Poitier was 65.However, this is a great cast! But, Robert Redford, playing a man who has been wanted for a federal crime most of his life, seems a bit too old for the plot, as does Sidney Poitier (who seems to have a lot of lines, but it hardly seems like acting...a shame considering what a fine actor he is. Ben Kingsley has a good role as the bad guy, but not a lot of screen time. David Strathairn has perhaps the most interesting and fun role as a high-techie who is blind...and has to drive a truck. Dan Aykroyd has a key -- but unmemorable -- role. Same for River Phoenix...thank goodness it was not the only role of his career. Mary McDonnell is fine as the woman drawn into the heist.To me, this is a very flawed film, but a watchable one with some fun. Recommended for one viewing.

Tweekums In 1969 Marty Brice and his Friend Cosmo use their university computer to access various organisations bank accounts and give some of their money away; they thought they couldn't be traced but they were wrong; while Marty was out getting pizza Cosmo was arrested and sent to prison. In 1992 Marty is now known as Martin Bishop and he runs a security firm; they get hired by organisations to break in to test their systems. Everything is going fine until one day he is approached by two men claiming to be from the NSA; they want him to acquire a 'black box' from a mathematician whose speciality is cryptography. At first he declines saying he doesn't work for the government but when it becomes apparent that they know who he really is he has no choice as he is still wanted for his little prank all those years ago. They manage to get the box without too much difficulty; that is only the start of their problems though; they discover that is contains a chip that will enable them to bypass any encryption system; it is the sort of device that people and governments would kill for. Knowing this they are quite keen to pass it on to the NSA and forget all about it but once they hand it over it becomes apparent that the people who hired them weren't NSA and now they want to get rid of Martin. If he and his team want to live and not go to gaol they will have to find where the box is now and steal it for a second time... this time it will be much more dangerous though!This is a good light hearted thriller; the story has enough twists and turns without getting overly complex and there are sufficient tense moments as well as a decent number of laughs. The gadget itself is pure science fiction of course but that doesn't matter; it is just something they must get there hands on... twice. The twists aren't the most unexpected; I doubt many people will be surprised when it turns out the people who hired Martin weren't really from the NSA nor will it surprise many people to discover who is behind it all. There is a solid cast led by Robert Redford and featuring the likes of Sidney Poitier, River Phoenix, Dan Aykroyd and Ben Kingsley. Redford is good as Martin and Aykroyd provides most of the laughs as the conspiracy nut known as 'Mother'. This might not by the hardest hitting of thrillers but it is great if you want a good story to pass the time.

Rick-34 I have seen this film several times, and it always entertains. It's got a well-placed plot, and the acting is tremendous. I look back at the supporting cast, and it really is top-notch. There isn't a weak link in the bunch: Redford, Poitier, River Phoenix, David Strathairn, Mary McConnell - even Akroyd is good here. (And that list doesn't even include the magnificent Ben Kingsley!) I saw the film when it first came out as a grad student in math, and yes, the math in the film is absurd. The idea of a key that could break any possible code is utterly absurd. But hey, it's fiction, so it's not worth complaining too much about it. I think it's reasonable for fiction to be occasionally unrealistic - esp. any thing that wants to make for interesting science fiction.From a mathematician's perspective, Sneakers is a breath of fresh in this respect: it doesn't depict mathematicians as crazy.

moviesleuth2 Movies that try to do a lot fail more often than they succeed. There's no doubt that "Sneakers" attempts to pull off a lot of things during its 126 minute running time. Just look at the genres its listed under on its page (and believe me, the film spends plenty of time in each of them). But while there are many films that suffer from being overly ambitious, "Sneakers" is not one of them. It's hard to imagine how this film could be any more perfect.Martin Bishop (Robert Redford) runs a business in testing security systems with an eccentric group of characters. However, they are hired by the NSA to steal a mysterious box from a scientist. Of course, not everything is what it seems.To say more would be a crime. "Sneakers" has enough twists and turns to keep the viewer guessing where it will go next. This is achieved by both Phil Alden Robinson's excellent direction, and a smart script where the heroes and villains are equally intelligent.The acting is terrific. Robert Redford is terrific as the low-key Bishop. Bishop has a dark past, but he's likable enough that we still root for him. His crew is made up of actors who turn in equally good performances: Sidney Poitier as the weary Creasy, Dan Aykroyd as the conspiracy freak known as Mother (the banter between Mother and Creasy is hilarious), the late River Phoenix as the teen-aged Carl, and David Stratharin is excellent as the blind, but excellent-hearing Whistler. And Mary McDonnell is delightful as Mary's ex-girlfriend Liz. The villains (I won't say who they are) ooze menace.Phil Alden Robinson made his debut with the hit "Field of Dreams," and he follows it up with "Sneakers." The tone is perfect. It's fun, easy-going, but it leaves room for legitimate tension. It's also oddly nostalgic. The result is a dreamy masterpiece.See "Sneakers." You won't be disappointed.