Sneakers: Collector's Edition

"It's all about the information." Watching Phil Alden Robinson's slyly subversive 1992 thriller some ten years further down the information superhighway, one is immediately struck by how comparatively primitive both the technology and the security concerns were a decade ago. Fortunately, Sneakers is not a film that relies exclusively on plot to entertain the audience. Consider the cast: Robert Redford stars as Martin Bishop, a social activist/college hacker gone underground who now runs a company testing the security systems for various corporations with a bang-up team--Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, River Phoenix, David Strathairn (as a blind soundman, Strathairn steals the show in a still hilarious driving scene), and--sometimes--his former girlfriend Mary McDonnell. When the NSA hires Bishop's crew to steal a black box capable of breaking encryption codes for virtually any government agency, the boys (and girl) find themselves caught up in a shadowy, dangerous game of international espionage where nothing is quite what it seems. Of course, the "sneakers" have a few tricks up their own sleeves, making for a crackling-sharp endgame that still gets the adrenaline flowing today. Boasting a great ensemble cast, witty writing, and a wonderful score by James Horner (featuring Branford Marsalis), Sneakers looks and sounds reasonably sharp on DVD, and comes with a solid extras package, including an audio commentary with Robinson (along with co-writers/producers Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, who are not listed on the jacket), and a 40-minute "making of" (made when the film was shot, except for new section featuring Robinson, Lasker, and Parkes). Recommended. (R. Pitman)