Rating: 
Summary: A Nice Surprise
Review: I rented this expecting it to be totally mediocre, but at least worth a 3$ rental. I was pleasantly surprised to find this very watchable, thrilling, and something I'll probably rent again. Will Smith is great and easy on the eyes. All the acting was very good, though Jon Voight has popped up in so many movies lately I am starting to get tired of him. I didn't figure out how it was going to end, and the final showdown, plus how the main characters outwit the bad guys was great. Tom Sizemore I didn't recognize at first since he's put on so much weight, but he was fantastic. I give the writers extra points for not going for the cheap shot and having the bad guys kill Gene Hackman's kitty (if they had, I would have only given this movie one star, and probably not watched the rest). I thought that they did kind of beat you over the head with the "SURVEILLANCE IS BAD" message. After the first half hour it was like, ok, I get the idea guys. The various fictional super-sophisticated tracking devices were cool, and Tony and Ridley Scott always shoot their films beautifully. Oh, and the woman who played Will Smith's wife kicked a$$!
Rating: 
Summary: best performance by will smith to date
Review: as one of our honorable reviewers has mentioned, there are some technical discrepencies involved in this movie. like the '3d rotational' computer engine. and the lack of forensic evidence on the senator's body. and the magical ability of gene hackman's character to do just about anything he wants to electronics in the back seat of his el-camino. but i don't mind; if life has taught me anything, it's that screenwriters don't often have the firmest grasp on science.then again, oftentimes movies written with gaps in scientific understanding are the most enjoyable. if you get caught up in the diodes and antennas of the props, you miss the premise, which is, 'what if the gob'ment really WAS plotting against us?' - and on that premise, this movie does well. factual discrepencies aside, this was a good screenplay. it was gripping and engaging; we are presented with a real-life situation that follows it's cinimagraphic tangent to fruition. the actors give fantastic performances - especially the leads. it is shot in a manner that adds to the paranoid atmosphere of the film; presumably it's what Tony Scott and Jerry Bruckhimer had in mind. all those things sum to make a good movie. being an EECS geek from Gen-X, i particularly like the interaction between the younger characters in the film. Will Smith, as i say, has his first gig not playing himself, and he comes off well. anyway, i enjoyed this film enough to buy it (my disc does not have any defects, although my friend's first one did) and i think you will, too.
Rating: 
Summary: Slickly produced but laughably implausible --- 2 1/2 stars
Review: This is supposed to be a thriller. OK, whatever...the viewer obviously knows that Will Smith will emerge from this harrowing adventure more or less intact, so there really isn't any tension created by putting his character in peril. Therefore, the only tension & suspense the producers of this film can hope to create comes from playing on the audience's sense of paranoia. "Oh my god, what if the government really IS watching my every word & deed?" thinks the audience. Oh my god, this could actually be happening! All you have to do is read some of the reviews here and you will see that paranoia is a major factor in this film's appeal. All I could think of as I watched this film is, give me a break. One rogue NSA bureaucrat, supported by a handfull of computer geeks, and they are supposed to be able to conduct an operation this vast? Are you kidding me? Has anyone ever heard of information overload? I don't doubt that a good deal of this technology exists, but let's get real folks --- if the NSA was really conducting surveillance on this scale, the amount of raw data the agency would have to sift through simply boggles the mind. The NSA would have to employ half the population of the USA to spy on the other half. If the NSA's surveillance is this bush-league, most of us could commit all manner of security breaches and never get caught! Ironically, I found myself feeling more secure about not being scrutinized by the government after having seen this film. As to the film itself --- sure, all the chase scenes were gripping, the camera angles were great, blah blah blah. The production values in this movie are top-notch, but so what? Bruckheimer & Tony Scott can do movies like this in their sleep, so it's no big deal. The same can be said for Jon Voight & Gene Hackman, who pretty much phone it in with their roles. From a production standpoint, this movie is indistinguishable from the hundreds of other so-called thrillers that the Hollywood machine has churned out over the last few years. Ho hum. Overall, this just really was a thoroughly mediocre film.
Rating:
Summary: Fast pace... great actors ....worn out story
Review: Enemy of the State has fast pace and great actors (Will Smith, the great Gene Heckman and Lisa Bonnet in a too short appearance). The film also has lots of electronic gimmicks (satellite surveillance is the thing here with lots of satellite visuals and close ups...); there is also some clever action. All in all I have to admit it is quite interesting to watch and you do remain hooked to the screen. However, the plot is corny and banal and I cannot help but wonder - what about some new story line...? How many times can we see a movie that has the following tale: an innocent regular citizen (one who has some unique quality like being a computer genius, especially clever, etc.) gets caught in a corrupt scheme that originates from someplace high in power (be it some high government office, national security forces, etc.). Our innocent hero's life is shattered and he finds himself on the run fighting an unknown enemy equipped with all the modern electronic equipment. Our innocent hero has only himself to count on and sometimes some unexpected help. Step by step he starts to understand what happened and to uncover the big scheme...our hero succeeds after going through an ordeal (miraculously saving his life time and again) and returns to normal life. This is more or less the story line of "Enemy of the state" and can be also attributed to many other movies. "The Pelican Brief", "Bourne Identity", "the Net" "No way out" would be naming just a few.
By scaring you with all the ways the government can monitor the little citizen's behaviour (or supposedly monitor - it is hard to believe they can do all that is portrayed) the movie is also trying to make a statement about privacy. This is spoon fed to your mouth by having the privacy law as one of the political issues of the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Uncomfortably Timely
Review: Enemy of the State is a prescient look at the critical balance between national security and personal freedom. Released in 1998, the plot could be taken from today's headlines. In response to terrorist actions and threats, legislation is introduced allowing government extremely wide latitude in surveillance and curtailing personal privacy. Key members of the government itself, however, are sociopaths--totally amoral in the pursuit of their own ambitions. Sound familiar? It's a tale we've heard all too often. Director Tony Scott plays to the audience's distrust of authority rather than their fear of terrorism--perhaps if the movie were made today it would have a different slant. But government has seemingly gotten no purer, and officials are keen to grab exactly those rights that this movie is concerned with. As for the rest, Will Smith and Gene Hackman turn in terrific performances. The action is continuously thrilling, although excessive in the number and length of chase scenes. Although occasionally we have to suspend our disbelief, the climax of the movie provides a payoff so clever that we are happy to do so. The music, by former Yes guitarist Tevor Rabin and a collaborator, suits the action well but doesn't particularly stand out significantly. But it seems to me that all this is fairly moot; what really counts are the issues raised. They've become even timelier and more difficult.
Rating:
Summary: For what it is, perfect
Review: Enemy of the State is a breakneck thriller that genuinely keeps you on the edge of your seat and is a real nail-biter. It is incredibly well-constructed for what it is: slick, well-shot, gloriously pacey and even with a dash of interesting social question in there. Granted, often it is incredibly implausible, and his ability to sit back and be happy at the end despite all the carnage of what has happened, make it a little laughable, but the fact is, thats not the point with this kind of film - the point is it is truly thrilling, stylish and cool. You really get deep into it. Will Smith is startlingly good in his best performance since Six Degrees Of Seperation - if only he would turn in these great performances in credible, interesting films more often, and is well supported by a strong cast that includes Gene Hackman, Jamie Kennedy and Jack Black amongst others. This comes highly reccomended for an evening's entertainment and is truly exhilirating and packed with plot and intrigue that puts most regurgitated, lame excuses for a storyline to shame. Great stuff.
Rating:
Summary: An Eye-Opener To a Frightening New World.
Review: When I first saw "Enemy of the State", I immediately knew that this would be the first of many films to awaken people to the harsh reality of privacy in this era. Every dished-out fact spoken throughout the movie is a dead on biography in itself of government surveilance and national security. Gene Hackman portrays the perfect, grumpy ex-security agent who is trying to build his life around his days as a protector of America. Until however, he runs into labor lawyer Robert Dean played by Will Smith, who is suddenly caught up in a web of false accusations and conspiracy from the country's last line of defense. He and Hackman must now work together to save his life...and his good name, which is cleverly tarnished by the agency and a crooked politician. The casting really brings out the best in the movie, especially with Will Smith's sarcastic and rather indifferent and comic attitude at times. The high-tech gadget war keeps you interested as you wonder whose technology will prevail in the end. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat with non-stop action, flawless scripting and above all it's similarity to a highly advanced and often paranoid world we live in today.
Rating: 
Summary: Enemy of the State (1998)
Review: Director: Tony Scott
Cast: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Regina King, Loren Dean, Jake Busey, Barry Pepper.
Running Time: 127 minutes.
Rated R for violence and language. Another producer Jerry Bruckheimer/director Tony Scott thrill ride without substance, this time pitting family man lawyer Robert Clayton Dean (played by Will Smith in a ho-hum performance) against a technologically-driven government. Not knowing that the trivial meeting with an old friend would cause him so much trouble, Dean gets sucked into a conspiracy case involving a rogue National Security Agent (Jon Voight) who killed a United States congressman because he accidentally received a video tape with footage of the murder. With incredible surveillance techniques and technology, Voight is able to track all of the lawyer's moves and keep tabs on him. Our hero's life is turned upside down until he meets up with a stealthy former NSA active named Brill (played very well by Gene Hackman). With the assistance of Brill, Dean attacks the government head on and must learn the truth in order to save his life. Director Tony Scott brilliantly uses the camera to portray his views, jolting the characters through a series of incredible chase scenes, rip-roaring explosions, and intense firearm combat, but ultimately "Enemy of the State" focuses solely on the unbridled advances in special effects abilities that it keeps the audience from understanding the story and getting involved with the characters. Smith is only adequate in his first major "dramatic" role, while Hackman and Voight pick up some of the slack in their devilishly effective parts. A must-see if you are into big explosions and dynamite cinematography, but one to leave on the shelf if over-acting and a mediocre script are an annoyance.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I strongly recommend you buy or at least rent this fantastic film. It's got it all, suspense, action and even comedy for the lad-eez, as Will Smith might say. It's got excellent pacing and great suspense. The storyline is a little implausible, but it's hollywood so just chill out and expect it. Kick back and watch this rollercoaster ride of a film.
Great performance from Will Smith, his best to date in fact, suggesting there is more than just comedy and Bad Boyz to his routine. And Gene Hackman too - what more could you want?
If i was Roger Ebert, i'd give it two thumbs up!
The DVD is loaded with extrea special features too, and that makes the DVD in particular a must. Don't just buy this film, make sure you get it on DVD.
I give it 8/10, but cos i'm generous i'll round it up to 5 stars, including those great DVD features.
Rating:
Summary: very interesting
Review: This movie had it all. Twists, action, drama, comedy. Very good. Whole family can watch together. This is one of my favorite Will Smith Movies.
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