Plot: What’s it about?
For those that haven’t seen this film, I can tell you that it’s not about shoes. If you’re looking for that, check out 2023’s Air – it’s about shoes, Michael Jordan and stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It’s great. Getting back on point, I remember seeing this film when it hit theaters late in 1992. It was, and still is, a fun film to watch. And it’s odd that the film and its themes eerily predicted a world in which information is key. Nowadays we’ve all got access to anything and everything in our pocket, but back in the early 90’s this wasn’t necessarily the case. The film had two legends of cinema in Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier, but it’s the ensemble cast that brought it all together.
Martin Bishop (Robert Redford) has a checkered past. He and college pal, Cosmo (Ben Kingsley) were trying to change the world, but Martin managed to elude the feds. Flash forward a few decades and Martin now runs a company who specializes in exposing the holes on company’s security systems. Together with an ex-CIA agent (Sidney Poitier), a conspiracy theorist (Dan Aykroyd), a phone expert (David Strathairn) and a troubled teen (River Phoenix) they’re doing fairly well. When Martin is approached by two men claiming to work for the NSA (Timothy Busfield and Eddie Jones) they make him an offer he can’t (and shouldn’t) refuse. His job is to steal a “black box” from noted mathematician Dr. Gunter Janek (Donal Logue). Upon receipt, they’ll be paid handsomely and their pasts cleared. Of course, there’s more to things than meets the eye and it’s not long afterwards that the group finds themselves in hot water.
I’d like to try and be a bit more prolific but I’ll just come out and say it – Sneakers is a fun movie to watch. It harkens back to a simpler time when the CEO’s of Silicon Valley weren’t megalomaniac billionaires hell bent on ruling the world, there weren’t cameras recording your every move and people actually read books and newspapers. I know, what a concept. It’s not perfect. It’s got plot holes, but it’s also not trying to be something it’s not. The cast makes the film, even the smaller parts, work and therein lies the fun. For every tech-savvy thriller that we’re so accustomed to seeing these days, it’s nice to take a trip back a few decades and see how life used to be before the internet. If, for some reason, this one has eluded you over the years by all means – check it out.
Video: How’s it look?
Oddly, my wife and I recently watched this on demand (I didn’t feel like digging through my piles and piles of Blu-ray’s) and I was surprised at how dated this looks. That changed, of course, when I popped in the new 4K disc which breathes fresh life into the transfer. Scanned from the original camera negative, the new 1.85:1 HEVC 4K image has eliminated most (but not all) grain, colors seem to have more “pop” and detail has been improved. We’re treated to multiple scenic shots of San Francisco and the principal cast looks their part as well (even in the early 90’s, Redford was sporting some major wrinkles). It’s a marked improvement over what we’ve had in the past and it’s, by far, the best the film has ever looked.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The film was originally presented in stereo, but this DTS HD Master Audio mix would have one believe otherwise. James Horner’s whimsical score helps set the mood and tone while vocals and dialogue sound strong and crisp. Surrounds are surprisingly active in some scenes with traffic, crowd scenes and even a segment in a restaurant all sounding better than expected. Granted, this isn’t the type of film that’ll light the room up, but like the video – it’s a marked improvement over its predecessors.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Disc One (4K)
- Audio Commentary – Director/Co-Writer Phil Alden Robinson is joined by Co-Writers/Co-Producers Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes. This is the original commentary track that appeared on the Universal DVD. Robinson and his writers have a pretty matter-of-fact way about them, telling us how the story was approached as well as some anecdotes from the set. It’s a good track.
- Audio Commentary – Director/Co-Writer Phil Alden Robinson and Cinematographer John Lindley take a more technical look at the film, shooting in the Bay Area and the like. I enjoyed the first track a lot more, but I’ll never complain about having an additional commentary track.
Disc Two (Blu-ray)
- Audio Commentary – Director/Co-Writer Phil Alden Robinson is joined by Co-Writers/Co-Producers Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes. This is the original commentary track that appeared on the Universal DVD. Robinson and his writers have a pretty matter-of-fact way about them, telling us how the story was approached as well as some anecdotes from the set. It’s a good track.
- Audio Commentary – Director/Co-Writer Phil Alden Robinson and Cinematographer John Lindley take a more techincal look at the film, shooting in the Bay Area and the like. I enjoyed the first track a lot more, but I’ll never complain about having an additional commentary track.
- The Making of Sneakers – Though not a few feature by any means, this 40 minute piece has a lot of information about the writing process, some of the information used within as well as some interviews with the principal cast and crew. It’s not your typical 10 minute EPK, to be sure.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Over three decades after its release, Sneakers still manages to entertain. The ensemble cast really helps make it work and as I alluded to above, the film eerily predicted the “information age” before its time. Kino’s new 4K disc gives the film an updated look and with two commentary tracks and a documentary – fans will enjoy this edition.
