Enemy of the State stars Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean, Gene Hackman as Brill, Jon Voight as Thomas Brian Reynolds, Lisa Bonet as Rachel Banks, and Regina King as Carla Dean.
Enemy of the State is a mediocre film about an individual in the NSA, Thomas Brian Reynolds, willing to do anything to get a bill passed allowing electronic access to communications by government agencies. In his way is a powerful congressman, who he has murdered. Only one thing went wrong, a video camera in a blind, near the lake where the murder took place, video taped the entire incident. The camera was intended to view the habits of migrating water fowl. The murder was perfect until both the unknowing conservationist and an agent for Reynolds realize that the tape exists. This sets the plot of the movie in motion. Under the guise of a training excercise Reynolds, goes after the tape with all of the agency's resources to help. They track the tape to the apartment of the conservationist and in the nick of time a copy is made as agents appear at the door. A foot chase through stores, alleys, and streets end when a fire truck kills the conservationist in a chase down a busy expressway.
During the flight through on of the stores, he encounters Robert Clayton Dean, an old College acquaintance. He slips the copied video in his shopping bag and escapes out the back. Reynolds has his agents retrieve surveillance tapes from the store. Here the encounter with Robert Clayton Dean is viewed. They are not certain that he has the video, but as a precaution they set electronic surveillance on all of his telephones, bank records, credit cards, and with trucks, helicopters, and sattelites they have visual surveillance as well. Robert Clayton Dean, of course, doesn't realize he has the tape. He believes the Mafia boss that he had Rachel Banks, and old love, get an incriminating video tape, is seeking revenge. He wants Rachel Banks to contact Brill the unknown investigator who got the tape, to help him stop the harassment. He contacts Brill and finds out what really is going on.
Other than the plot of Big Brother is always watching, this film does nothing to differentiate itself from far better films like Three days of the Condor or The conversation. Will Smith is too much of a one dimensional actor to be believable and to have billing over Gene Hackman. Everyone except Will Smith carries this film, but it's not enough. Except for a good fireball and car chase, this film does not contribute anything to the invasion of privacy horror it is to protray.
I give it 2 out of 5 smoke detectors: