Enemy of the State

Overview

"Tony Scott's cyber-conspiracy thriller Enemy of the State comes to DVD with a widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio, and a few bonus features, including a ""making of"" featurette, a featurette on Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and the theatrical trailer. Though full-length commentaries from Scott, Gene Hackman, or Will Smith would have added to the disc's merits, Enemy of the State's nonstop action and humor still make the DVD worthwhile."

Product Details

Release Date:	06/15/1999
UPC:	0717951001634
Original Release:	1998
Rating:	R
Source:	Touchstone / Disney
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital, stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	2:12:00
Sales rank:	4,276

Special Features

Dolby Digital 5.1 audio; French-language track; Production featurette; Filmmakers' featurette; Theatrical trailer; Chapter search

Editorial Reviews

Mounted with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott's usual big budget flash, Enemy of the State (1998) is The Conversation (1974), action blockbuster-style. Updating 1970s paranoia for the late 1990s computer/short attention span age, Enemy of the State transforms a story about an innocent man caught in a web of government conspiracy into a prolonged high tech chase through Washington D.C., complete with an eclectic cast of up-and-comers, including Jack Black, Jamie Kennedy and Barry Pepper, as assorted amoral government operatives. With aerial shots and visuals mimicking sophisticated radar, Scott reveals unwitting victim Will Smith's plight with customary flair, eschewing psychological depth in favor of relentless action. While crotchety surveillance expert Brill could be an older version of The Conversation's Harry Caul (especially since they're both played by Gene Hackman), the intrinsic uncertainty permeating that film (as well as The Parallax View (1974) and Three Days of the Condor (1975)) is transformed into a more clear-cut case of evil bureaucrats vs. the wrong man. Still, anchored by Smith's and Hackman's assured performances, Enemy of the State managed to be a notch more thought provoking than the usual Bruckheimer fare and became a respectable holiday season hit.