Wolff rating: NOT BAD
Plot summary: Rich D.C. lawyer finds himself on the run from The Bad Guys, caught in a web of conspiracy and endless chase sequences.
Biased, pithy comments: Imagine you're drinking a smoothie (as Will Smith does in this film; he creates it in what we come to learn is a really nice blender). You quaff it down and suddenly choke on a whole strawberry. That was what this movie was like for me---long, smooth, well-acted chase sequences with sudden, throat-obstructing hiccups which were either heavy-handed speeches about our eroding civil liberties or just big implausible technical/plot problems. Still, I liked Will Smith (although his relationship with King was stagy and awkward), I liked Gene Hackman, and I liked Gabriel Byrne. I've never thought much of Jon Voight, and he carries his role with sort of a perfunctory ennui. A medium thriller (with a fun ending) just short of memorable; your mileage may vary.
Other Notes: Satellites *can* get angles on photographs, duh---they can see sideways when, during their quick orbits around the Earth, they end up near the horizon looking sideways at their targets. And I'd think given the timeframe of this film, they'd need several different satellite passes.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Will Smith, Gabriel Byrne, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet, Regina King.
Directed by: Tony Scott