Sneakers
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Starring: Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd
This was a good popcorn flick. My older brother recommended this movie to me when the NSA randomly came up in a conversation. He said that this was a really fun movie that anyone can enjoy. I agree.
The movie is about a group of hackers in the early 90's. They are hired by companies or banks to break into their systems to expose their weaknesses so they can tighten security. They end up tangled in a post Cold War espionage game involving encrypted codes and conspiracy. The movie really captures the period in recent history well. Even after the cold war, nobody trusted the Russians (hell, we still don't trust the Russians).
The movie has a great ensemble cast. Robert Redford stars and pays a great straight man/team leader. My favorite performances come from Dan Aykroyd (who is a wacko conspiracy theorist) and David Strathairn (who plays a smart ass blind hacker).
The movie entertains. It takes the best elements from crime/caper flicks like the Oceans movies and throws a little spy/computer fun in. It manages to weave conspiracy and twists without getting overly complex. It really does appeal to a wide audience.
Watching people hack into ancient 1992 computer systems is pretty great. A movie like this made today would be completely different. It would probably be too complicated... depends on if you're a Mac or a PC.
Fun with just enough brains without being alienating.
Lesson learned: Pay attention in math class.
Oh man, I love this movie. This is one of those ones that I never saw until the last few years, but I've already watched it a few times since the first. David Strathairn is one of my favorites.
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