Will Smith, Gene Hackman and the Tony Scott movie ‘Enemy of the State’

Looking for an action-packed movie with a sharp storyline with a star-studded cast led by director Tony Scott? The movie Enemy of the State (1998) offers much for you in these regards, plus is as much a Christmas movie as the movie Die Hard (1988) will ever be.

(From left, Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean and Gene Hackman as Edward Lyle in the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

Robert Clayton Dean and Edward Lyle, as portrayed by Will Smith and Gene Hackman respectively, are reluctantly pulled together in a bizarre string of events in Enemy of the State. The individual stories underpinning this pairing begins in advance of their awareness of one another when the ambition of Thomas Brian Reynolds, as portrayed by Jon Voight, sets something much bigger in motion.

(From left, Regina King as Carla Dean and Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean in the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

The familial life of Robert Clayton Dean is introduced with an introduction to Eric and Carla Dean, portrayed by Jascha Washington and Regina King, respectively. This occurs after learning that Robert is a lawyer in the crosshairs of Mob Boss Paulie Pintero, as portrayed by Tom Sizemore, and has been threatened.

(From left, Lisa Bonet as Rachel F. Banks and Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean in the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

When actions initiated by Thomas Bryan Reynolds get out of hand, Robert Clayton Dean is sucked into the suspense and action along with former college love interest Rachel F. Banks, as portrayed by Lisa Bonet. Neither were seeking a spotlight to their relationship, and the well written storyline ties together the backstory of these with an emotional punch.

(Prominently from left – Jon Voight as Thomas Brian Reynolds, Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean and Tom Sizemore as Mob Boss Paulie Pintero in the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

With keeping much of the David Marconi screenplay details held back for you to focus on watching the movie, let me be clear that the movie moves quickly and is an opportunity for clear action and suspenseful punch. The movie is consistent in storyline and built from a premise that, admittedly far-fetched in certain aspects, is based in motivations that are spot on and real life.

(From left, director Tony Scott and actor Will Smith on set of the Tony Scott movie Enemy of the State).

This reviewer for one enjoyed the experience of Enemy of the State. The initial premise is offered right off the bat. The action moves quickly and the pace of the movie is even, smart and kept me in my seat for the duration. For these reasons, I give Enemy of the State as directed by Tony Scott 4.00-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, March 13, 2021

Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Annette O’Toole and the television mini-series ‘Stephen King’s It’

With the movies It Chapter One (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019) landing in movie theatres over the last couple of years in support of the 1986 Stephen King novel named It: A Novel, it felt proper to go back to the 1990 American Broadcasting Company network television mini-series adapted from the same novel, now called Stephen King’s It (1990).

(Tim Curry as Pennywise in Stephen King’s It, as originally seen on ABC in the USA).

The network television adaptation received a film rating of PG, in comparison to the film rating of R for the adaptations that landed in the movies. The mini-series and the films both told the story of It: A Novel in two installments, with the television series not having a break of more than a year in-between the installments. Both captured the conflict between the children, the children as adults, and ultimately the adults as kids and grown against Pennywise the clown.

(From left, Tony Dakota as Georgie Denbrough and Jarred Blancard as Henry Bowers in Stephen King’s It, as originally seen on ABC in the USA).

The central group in conflict with Pennywise, the mostly humanoid form able to take the form of the psychological fears of the Lucky Seven, or the Losers Club as well as others, have their own real life trauma’s independent of those conflict with Pennywise. Bill Denbrough, played alternatively by Jonathan Brandis and Richard Thomas, suffers from stuttering as well as the loss of his brother at the hands of Pennywise, as played by Tim Curry. Tony Dakota played Georgie Denbrough. Richie Tozier, as played by Seth Green and Harry Anderson, had difficulties with Henry Bowers, as portrayed by Jarred Blancard.

(From left, John Ritter as Ben Hanscom, Tim Reid as Mike Hanlon, Richard Masur as Stanley Uris, Annette O’Toole as Beverly Marsh, Harry Anderson as Richie Tozier, Tim Curry as Pennywise, Richard Thomas as Bill Denbrough and Dennis Christopher as Eddie Kaspbrak in Stephen King’s It, as originally seen on ABC in the USA).

Characters we learn of in childhood and as adults included Adam Faraizl and Dennis Christopher as Eddie Kasbrak, Marlon Taylor and Tim Reid as Mike Hanlon, Emily Perkins and Annette O’Toole as Beverly Marsh, Ben Haller and Richard Masur as Stanley Uris and Brandon Crane and John Ritter as Ben Hanscom. The interpersonal relationships in mini-series get into the difficult nature of some of the relationships, whereas there is more specificity in the movies regarding the precise cruelty faced by the characters. The illustration of the chauvinism aimed at Beverly was a bit more shocking in the mini-series owing to the details left out between her father and her as a child, for example. The setting for when the story was set, for example, was 1960 and 1990 in the mini-series, too. The cumulative means of telling the stories in Stephen King’s It is effective, nuanced, and appreciated.

(From left, Adam Faraizl as Eddie Kaspbrak, Jonathan Brandis as Bill Denbrough, Seth Green as Richie Tozier, Marlon Taylor as Mike Hanlon, Ben Heller as Stanley Uris, Emily Perkins as Beverly Marsh and Brandon Crane as Ben Hanscom in Stephen King’s It, as originally seen on ABC in the USA).

Having watched the television adaptation of Stephen King’s It again with the lenses of having aged 30-years since my initial viewing, plus with the benefit of having watched the movie versions of It: The Novel, I can see that the cinematic quality of the movies do not help the mini-series. The television adaptation is tamer. The sensibility of the broadcast holds onto some eighties sensibilities, including on points of race, gender, body image, bullying, parental protectiveness and other subjects. Perhaps the portrayal of Pennywise stands out as most resonant from the mini-series for me; accomplishing this with the tamer PG rating is an achievement. Overall, I rate Stephen King’s It at 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, October 31, 2020