Enemy of the State

Seeing that "Enemy of the State" has restrained violence (at least until the end) and actual character interactions, can it really be a Jerry Bruckheimer production?

Actually, this lethargic paranoid thriller is one film that actually could have benefitted from the trademark Bruckheimer bombast, which as of late has included plentiful prop destruction, corny one-liners and quick-cut editing.

Instead, it's a distinct disappointment, considering the talent involved and an equally intriguing premise — one that almost could have come out of TV's "The X-Files."

Will Smith stars as Robert Dean, an attorney who accidentally comes into possession of a valuable videotape — one that reveals the murder of a high-ranking congressman (Jason Robards).

Though Dean is unaware that he even has the tape, the man who ordered the killing, National Security Agency official Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight), devotes all his resources to retrieving the evidence and systematically destroying the man's life.

Dean finds himself smeared by allegations of misconduct with a former girlfriend (Lisa Bonet) and fired from his high-profile job. But when that forces the man to go underground, Reynolds sends his thugs (Jake Busey and Barry Pepper) to kill him.

Now running for his life, Dean has nowhere to turn until he finds Brill (Gene Hackman), an information "broker" who's almost too familiar with the NSA's methods. Together, the two of them try to turn the tables on Reynolds.

This setup does lead to a few interesting scenes in which Reynolds' men chase Dean and others using satellite and other surveillance equipment. But all the camera trickery in the world can't conceal the hole-ridden plot and director Tony Scott's surprisingly sluggish pacing.

And though Smith does have a nice flair for the physical part of his role, his acting in the dramatic scenes leaves a lot to be desired. Also, Voight has played this stock villain character so many times lately that it's a bore.

However, Hackman (playing what could be an older version of the part he played in 1974's "The Conversation") brings the film to life in the second hour with his bitterly cynical and paranoid performance.

"Enemy of the State" is rated R for violent gunplay and explosions, profanity, gore, partial female nudity (lingerie models), use of ethnic slurs and racial epithets, and very brief sex.