Hackers (1995) User Reviews

Light hacker fantasy

[michaeljhuman · 7/10 · 25 April 2012]

Obviously this movie is not an academy award winner. So it's going to score or not score points solely based on entertainment value.

Here's why I rate it a 7...

* The music - a great soundtrack, if you enjoy the era and genre ( Prodigy being one of the coolest bands featured) * The characters - They are all fun - especially Cereal Killer and the phone phreak guy * A pretty hot Angelina Jolie * The dialog - Some of it is pretty amusing, if you don't take the movie seriously * The overall presentation - I enjoy the signs of the time; grunge music posters, early virtual reality, etc; I enjoy the attempts at portraying what goes on inside of a computer even though it's totally wrong * I enjoy the attempt of the movie to be technical. Especially amusing is the discussion of Kate's laptop..."It has a killer refresh rate", lol; You kind of have to laugh at such things; They get some things right though. Like calling the compiler design book the Dragon book...it was named that when I was in college

Obviously weak is the portrayal of computers and hacking. As a computer professional, I can still live with it. Movies rarely get any of this stuff right, so you just put up with these things.

The plot is quite weak. But what do you expect? It suffices as a vehicle for the situations, dialog and music.

Classic 90's cheeZe

[jellopuke · 6/10 · 1 November 2020]

Love the look, the lingo, the total misunderstanding of how computers work, the idealized view of hackers, the rollerblades, all of it. this is a super corny movie BUT for a slice of 90's nostalgia and corn, it works. If you were a teenager when it came out, you probably love it, and if you saw it then, you probably still do.

Compelling Subject Matter, Wasted With Cheesy Plot

[great_sphinx_42 · 5/10 · 21 June 1999]

I think this is a movie that can only be described as mediocre. It's not embarrassingly bad, but it's far from great. First, it's good points: energy, hackers make intriguing subjects, and fairly interesting, likable protagonists. It's bad points: a "Superman"-like plot master-minded by a supremely cheesy villain. The effects got annoying after a while, and there was plenty of "information" about computers that was not accurate. I"m not sorry I saw it, but I wish someone would make a movie that would be a correct portrayal of hackers. Then again, computer technology goes so fast that such a movie would likely be very dated before its release.

Fun and Entertaining

[knicksfan12_2000 · 3 June 2004]

First off I would just like to say that anyone who reads into this movie too much(ie try to take the validity of each and every aspect of the movie) will hate the film. Coming from a programmer and a computer enthusiast, the movie was great despite all the false statements, fake guis and totally bs methods of cracking. Quite frankly if you are one of my fellow computer geeks don't expect anything close to the real deal, it would never make a good movie for the public. I think that the true movie here is behind the whole "hacking" front. It is the development of characters the build up of a plot and an exciting climax and satisfying denouement. In closing, don't expect a command line prompt or a true UNIX client on any of the systems because it just doesn't happen in movies. Instead watch the movie because its exciting, fun and a great throwback to the early 90's.

Brilliant Movie

[Scouserboy · 7/10 · 22 July 2003]

I watched this movie by accident but i am glad i did. it is not a well known movie but i think it is great. the plot is stupid and unbelieveable but it is really enjoyable. i am not a big fan of Johnny Lee Miller but even in this he is good. it also is the first time i saw Angelina Jolie who in this is good. in all good performances all round and good movie

Your Teenage Hacker Is Not Cool

[boblipton · 6/10 · 9 January 2023]

Teenage hackers against corporate thieves! Can they crack the secret behind the Da Vinci Virus in time to keep themselves out of jail and spoil the bad guys.

Although I don't know any Stuyvesant High School students of the 1990s -- except for a niece who dropped out -- I do know several of an earlier vintage and computer hackers. None of them were buff, well groomed, acne-free, and always with enough money to buy the latest computer equipment. They were physical wrecks, socially inept, and perpetually broke. One of them remarked to me of Sandra Bullock in The Net (released the same year), "No one eats take-out pizza every night and has thighs like that."

Of course, that's reality, not Hollywood, and no one would pay to see a bunch of people like that on the big screen. So we get Johnny Lee Miller and Angela Jolie, instead of John Candy and Shelley Duvall.

Lots of cool CGI and mean, greedy, and clueless older people. It's very watchable, if not particularly believable. With Fisher Stevens, Lorraine Bracco, Felicity Huffman, and Penn Gillette.

A right old Jolie

[redkiwi · 7/10 · 30 December 2001]

More like a very young Angelina Jolie stars in hackers, a tale of a bunch of kids who hack into systems and networks for fun.

It does drag on a bit, but there's some good performances, a perfectly respectable script and some good directing. Unlike other computer films, this isn't full of too much BS and some of the technical stuff is believable -- nice change!

High on attitude, not on story

[Mr-Fusion · 5/10 · 17 December 2015]

I'm pretty sure I was the target age for this movie back in '95, but "Hackers" seemed to come and go with little fanfare. And then, for no discernible reason, it didn't reappear on my radar for another 20 years. And at 34, it's not really my cup of tea; partly because it's got undiluted '90s in its DNA and hackers-as-MTV-youth-culture, but mostly because it takes forever to get cooking. It's a movie that has to make up a lot of its cyber-speak because the future wasn't so clear back then (it's understandable; a lot of TV shows were doing the same thing), and it almost compensates with an aggressive pop style . . . but until our main ensemble discovers the virus, it's kind of a slog.

Hollywood's done much better in the cyberspace department, and "Hackers" is maybe a step or two above "Disclosure" fare.

Count me out.

5/10

Caution: movie may be better than it appears...

[kergillian · 8/10 · 25 May 2001]

Hackers is a non-stop cheeze-fest. It's also one of my favourite films of all time. Which is not to say it's a perfect ten, it isn't. But it's a great combination of good cheeze and pure fun. Suspend all disbelief, it's not about realism. And try not to nitpick (we all know graphics would not have been possible using Unix, we all know that those archaic modems couldn't run that fast, etc. etc. etc.)

That aside, this film is really funny. It also laughs at itself on a regular basis...I mean just look at dade's wardrobe, and then remind yourself that you know half a dozen people who dressed like that in 94. I know a people who mirror just about every character in this film, which makes it even more enjoyable.

The dialogue is often over the top, and some of the acting is overdone, but tis the nature of the beast. Jonny Lee Miller (who never ceases to amaze me) pulls off the American accent quite well (though he tends to slip on occasion) and Dade is certainly no Sickboy. But that's just an example of range (he did it again in Dracula 2000...and almost saved it). Matthew Lillard, though occasionally OVERLY annoying, is perfect as Cereal Killer; his best role ever, though Scream comes close. Renoly Santiago is a funny and loud Phantom Phreak, a role only second to his role in Con Air, and his lines are always great; and Laurence Mason as the ultra-cool Lord Nikon a very close tie with Tin-Tin in The Crow for coolness (and he's done some *cool* spots...Floyd D in True Romance (not to be confused with Brad Pitt's character 'Floyd';) and Roach in an awesome ep. of Law & Order...) his character is by far the coolest of the Elite. Lorraine Bracco in a *very* early role...and speaking of *early* - Early Edition's Fishe Stevens is amusing as the arrogant swine Eugene 'The Plague' Belford. And how can one not like a film with Penn Jillette in it???

But all that aside, Angelina Jolie stole the show (as she often does). Looking like a cyber-elf straight out of ShadowRun, she's sultry and sexy in a way most actresses these days can't manage. I can't think of any films I haven't liked her in...even if I didn't like the films themselves. She's simply awesome here, she even takes bad dialogue and turns it into fun, good lines. And *her* outfits are really nice, save for that horrid dress she was stuck in at the end. And she has a Massive Attack startup on her puter!! (with a 28.8 bps modem!! ;p~~~)

Overall: sure it's unrealistic. Sure half of it's impossible. Sure it's overacted and the dialogue needs work. But the cast are all under-rated, and most of them went on to better roles, some to much fame. And the soundtracks are absolutely AMAZING!! I own them and listen regularly... This should probably rate a four or five, but I can't help but ignore all critics and pronounce myself as one of the large cult following of adorers of this film. For fun value, let alone the fact that it's entertaining as hell: 8/10.

Silly graphics Silly story but hot young Angelina Jolie

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 September 2013]

Dade (Jonny Lee Miller) is a young hacker who got caught when he was younger. He's in yet another new school, and soon he's fallen for Kate (Angelina Jolie). Little did he know, she's an elite hacker also. Together with other hackers, they intend to stop a security expert (Fisher Stevens) from stealing a big stash of cash and hide it by sinking oil tankers thru a computer virus.

The story is kinda silly, the clothes are stupid, and the graphics is ridiculously silly. At least there's some cool music, and a hot young Angelina Jolie. No wonder Jonny Lee Miller put a ring on it. I guess there's some cult status value in this movie.

Bad, Worse, Hackers

[poljanfinegan · 2/10 · 29 October 2005]

Hackers is a horror flick for everybody, that knows at least a little bit about computers. Young people, bursting with sex appeal are living almost underground and preaching rebel computer philosophy... They are hacking with gigabit connection, so that the nice animations of a broken fire walls and virtual rooms with databases and folders can load on their screens for the sake of the public. They use a laptops to hack from the top of the buildings, from the roofs, from the subways - because the laptop is such a powerful tool (in movies hackers almost always use laptops) - this device is meant to display "ACCESS GRANTED"! And the fight between the automated machines that change movies in the TV station office? Give me a freaking break! I rate this movie 2 for some shocking stupidity and frightening inadequacy.

P.S. If you don't know anything about the way internet and computers work - it's a nice teen crime/comedy - 4.5/10

A lot of fun to watch

[tom_dimaggio · 8/10 · 28 October 2008]

I'm working in IT for over 10 years now, and let's be clear: Hackers is a movie, .. there's nothing real about the "hacking" going on in the movie.

There's a few scenes that are horribly done (for today's standards) but all in all I loved the movie. The acting is OK, the soundtrack is great and it changes for the everlasting "chliché" of the IT Nerd.

It's a movie that could surprise you, especially with the amount of bad movies being released nowadays. It's funny to see Johnny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie at the beginning of their careers as well.

If you're looking for light entertainment for one evening, ...

Dumb but fun

[zetes · 7/10 · 6 September 2015]

Incredibly boneheaded techno thriller, but it's so goony it ends up being quite entertaining. A group of teens (among them an incredibly nubile Angelina Jolie with a darling pixie cut) are expert hackers, but they're up against an even more powerful evil hacker (Fisher Stevens) who is trying to frame them for a crime he is going to commit. Jonny Lee Miller is the male lead, a notorious hacker from a young age. Among others, Matthew Lillard also co-stars, and is as annoying as always. But, really, every character here is quite annoying, so he doesn't grate too much. The film gets by mostly on its weird, actually kind of fun aesthetics. Computer visualizations are always stupid, and, in a movie from 1995, they're going to look even more stupid to a modern audience. The costumes are particularly amazing. One might be tempted to say that this movie is incredibly '90s in its style, but, really, no one in the 1990s ever dressed or spoke like this. It's like a film slightly outside of time. I think the director wanted it to seem slightly futuristic. Instead it's just slightly crazy.

Terrible

[gbill-74877 · 3/10 · 15 July 2023]

Notable really only for Angelina Jolie at age 20, in her first leading role, and also featuring the actor she met and married the year afterwards (Jonny Lee Miller). Unfortunately, despite its energy and pulsing electronic soundtrack, it isn't much of a film. The positioning of this group of high school hackers as counterculture heroes is as ridiculous as the depiction of literally anything about computers here, which are turned into what look like video games. Seriously, nothing feels authentic here, how these kids behave, the love story, or the computers. It's all very cartoonish.

"You wage wars, murder, cheat, lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our own good, yet we're the criminals. Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity," one reads from The Hacker's Manifesto, a real text written in 1986. Ah yes, the hackers out there in this world committing fraud, financial crimes, identify theft, and espionage, or just maliciously wreaking havoc with viruses, are just "curious." Meanwhile, the villain is a guy who could have been in a James Bond film, an oil company's computer expert who is a hacker himself, and the government cartoonishly breaks into the homes of hackers, always one step behind. Lots of clichés and cheese in the script, not helped by poor acting. What the hell was Roger Ebert thinking?

Spandex is a privilege, not a right.

[morgandorfer61 · 10 July 2000]

I happen to like this movie because it is just fun to watch. If I'm bored, I can easily become unbored by watching this movie. The soundtrack is awesome and it introduced me to electronic music. I never liked it until I saw "Hackers". I love the clothes and the visuals. I knew it wasn't accurate from the minute I saw it, but then again, it's not like it was posing itself as some movie that depicted the real life of cyberpunks. It's just fun little movie. Though some of the dialogue is a bit cheesed up, it is quotable.

I especially enjoyed the performance by Matthew Lillard. It made me look forward to seeing him in "Scream" later on. He is so funny. I enjoyed Angelina Jolie, though this is hardly one of her best performances.

The only person who really didn't belong in this movie was Lorraine Bracco. She just looked strange in her role. Other than that, this movie was a good movie and it shouldn't be bashed because it depicts people, technology, and life inaccurately. What movie ever does? I'm from Iowa and do you think movies depict Iowan's lives exactly the way they are? No. But I'm not out to fertilize the lawn with "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?".

90s cyber-punk cult classic for the Nintendo generation

[HelenMary · 6/10 · 28 January 2013]

Hackers is one of the original 90s hacker-slacker tech-geek movies off the back of, and updated, eighties' Matthew Broderick classics like Ferris Beuller and Wargames etc and early 90s films like Sneakers. It is stylized, not true of "real" hacking and the graphics and images (using city streets and building to represent circuitry), similar in look to some cyber parts of Johnny Mnemonic which was out the same year as well as a few other films from around the same time. It's a sexy, funny, much quotable romp with a sub-plot of romance. The main plot is mega-corporation conspiracy to hold tankers to ransom using a computer virus called Da Vinci and it's some College 'elite' hackers vs the FBI to be first to solve who is to blame and clear those who are innocent. Jonny Lee Miller is the hero of the piece and is gorgeous and confident, playing it cool and smooth opposite a young (and already stunning) Angelina Jolie often sans appropriate underwear. She is haughty and cold, and for only her first major film role completely sizzled. The chemistry between her and Miller was smoking, in art as in life.

Overall the acting is a little overplayed and I feel that much of the film was tongue in cheek and not to be taken seriously, almost like a comic-strip adaptation. All the characters in the "gang" are larger than life from the extremely weird and intelligence-ambiguous Matthew Lillard as Cereal Killer (as in fruit loops) to the hyper 'boy wonder' Jesse Bradford as underdog-wanting-recognition Joey. Fisher Stevens plays manchild with boytoys 'The Freak' and does the role with crazy eccentricity and hubris together with his equally crazy partner in crime Margo (Lorraine Bracco) who is terminally hammy and over-the-over-the-top of everyone else but in a rather wooden and unconvincing kind of way. Look out for a young Penn Jillette (as in Penn and Teller). It's a great 90s film with a fab soundrack and wardrobe, especially Crash and Burn (Miller and Jolie), and a really exciting finale. However, whilst I like it a lot I don't think it aged well to appeal to a wider generation, but it remains a favourite of mine, which I watch every now and again for giggles and to bring back memories. That all said, the stand out message from this film is most certainly: "Spandex, it's a privilege, not a right!"

Electro underdog tale, killer soundtrack

[Hallelujah289 · 7/10 · 16 January 2022]

"Hackers" has an all around talented cast, creative but overused graphics, Matrix-like costumes, and a stellar soundtrack of electro and indie alternative and rock music. It's overlong probably because of said overused graphics, but also because of creative collage edits which gives the film its colorful, pop culture appearance.

I enjoyed the film because of its pure entertainment value. There isn't a strong message, just underdog hackers taking down the big bad. Plus Angelina Jolie sizzles like in "Gone in 60 Seconds."

Edit: I've checked out the credits for this film, and it has some pretty serious talent. Such as cinematographer for Pulp Fiction, editor for Wonder Woman, casting director for Star Wars, computer graphics creator for Inception, etc. Its also great the soundtrack went on to bolster then-underground electronic music.

Big ideas, bigger style

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 26 August 2022]

So extremely 90s, it's practically 80s. All the aesthetics of the Foot Clan's hideout in the 1990 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' movie, expanded into their own feature film. Roller skates and skateboards everywhere. Please don't miss the spinning phone booth set pieces at the climax. Production design, art direction, costume design, hair and makeup work, dialogue, character writing, scene writing, music - has there ever existed another film that was so dated? There are important, meaningful themes in the narrative surrounding the collusion of authoritarian state agents and major corporate malfeasance, the troubling issues that follow from the digitalization of every aspect of our lives and world, and active resistance to such oppressive forces. The story itself is solid if familiar, a tale of fighting back against entrenched powers and rooting out corruption. It's hard not to feel like all the stylistic choices threaten to overwhelm the substance, though - 'Hackers' is enjoyable, but the reasons why are debatable.

Is this fun on its own merits, or as a major Blast From The Past? Is there enough storytelling value herein to earnestly counterbalance the wild visuals and otherwise embellishments? To what extent is the cast to be commended for their performances, or alternatively, how much were they plainly overacting? I'm not entirely sure what the answer is to any of these questions, and my uncertainty isn't helped by the recognition that every meme and comedy sketch of the past twenty years about hackers and cyberspace has taken its cues from this movie. I'll say this though: outlandish or even garish as all the unbridled flair may be, I highly appreciate the labor that went into it all. Everyone who worked on 'Hackers' behind the scenes had their work cut out for them, and no matter how far-fetched the concept or execution, one can only admire the effort poured into it. This certainly includes lighting, graphics, and special effects, including the realization of "cyberspace" that occasionally greets our eyes. Editors Chris Blunden and Martin Walsh arguably had the toughest job of all as they spliced together so many disparate pieces into a cohesive whole, but they nailed it. For that matter - it's a sometimes bewildering ride, but Rafael Moreu's screenplay and Iain Softley's direction are very capable in drawing every last bit together.

Especially in the twenty-first century, 'Hackers' very much seems like one of those films that almost everyone is familiar with on some level even if they haven't actually seen it. To one degree or another the ideas that define the look, sound, and feel of the movie are ingrained in pop culture at this point, and that's to say nothing of the fact that this is a well-known role early in the career of megastar Angelina Jolie. Almost thirty years later I don't know that I'd say this is an essential must-see, but it's rather become a cult classic at this point - and for what it's worth, by one means or another, it's entertaining. Unless you're specifically invested for the aesthetics, there's nothing about it that we can't get elsewhere and in a more refined form; on the other hand, anyone sitting to watch is probably already well aware of what to expect. When all is said and done I think it's better than I anticipated, however imperfect. And again, very importantly, I applaud all the work that went into it. In some measure 'Hackers' is a slightly idiosyncratic watch, all these years later, yet for whatever has drawn you in, it's still worth checking out.

Awful. Where's the thrill? More of a comedy joke!

[pinokiyo · 1/10 · 18 December 2003]

Well I just saw this movie for the first time even though it came out in 1995. I sure didn't miss much except knowing that it's one of the most poorly made movies ever made.

Okay, since when did hacking involve all these 3D computer graphical game-like images? I would of been more awake looking at the actors type on a black dos screen instead...

The actors were really bad even Angelina Jolie. They did a really good job of looking like WANNABE hackers though. Oh wait, they were really suppose to be hackers? I think Sandra Bullock (in the movie "The Net") did a better job "pretending" to know a lot about computers then these actors. I don't know if the director intended to give more of a comedy like feeling but that just made everyone sound stupid... "I hacked into the FBI!" "I hacked the bank!" "We're elite hackers o'kay!"... Then there's also the bad guy riding a skateboard and these "hackers" on roller skates? You got to be kidding me... This movie was very corny and the feeling was much like a TV movie.

"The Net" with Sandra Bullock which also happened to be released in 1995 was a lot better and actually had thrilling moments unlike this movie.

I would of probably skipped the movie K-PAX if I saw Hackers back in 1995 knowing Iain Softley directed them both. Yes, K-PAX was bad also. I'm definitely gonna skip his next directing movie.

The only good thing about this movie is the soundtrack. Other then that skip it. (Orbital - Halcyon & On & On is a nice song.)

1/10

The Film Counterpart to 'Neuromancer'

[james-obeirne · 10/10 · 21 July 2008]

In general, the movie's atmosphere is a granular, electronic shade of absolute cool. The characters, though arguably thin, are larger than life, heroic, admirable, and extremely likable. You want to be Dade Murphy (Miller). You want to flirt with Kate Libby (Jolie). You want to know everyone else in the film. The story is linear; but thing is, that serves to aid the movie in a multitude of ways. The non-complex plot acts as a vehicle for character development, style, and a great soundtrack.

I'm a student of computer science, so obviously I can see how shoddy the technical underpinnings of some of the material are, but honestly, that has no effect on my enjoyment of this movie. The film almost acknowledges its unrealistic use of special effects with various hints dropped throughout the movie that would be lost on laymen, like the Metropolis poster in Kate's bedroom, the mention of various (in)famous pieces of technical literature, "hacking a Gibson", and Plague's use of the alias "Babbage". Where it can afford to, this movie has a pretty good grasp on hacker culture, so don't crap a bird and check your petty skepticism at the door; the movie is using visual metaphors to depict the intricacies of "hacking" to people who wouldn't be able to understand them otherwise, and it does it in a fun, stylistic way.

I have no doubt that seeing this movie at a young age cultivated my admiration for not only computing (and Angelina Jolie), but New York City as well. The film portrays the island of Manhattan as a sprawling, wired playground that never sleeps, rife with energy; a breathing invitation to stay out all night, win the girl, and hack the world around you.

The DVD cover sure as hell doesn't make it apparent, but this film is about the closest (and likely best) adaptation of William Gibson's cultural fission, Neuromancer, that you'll ever find. If you enjoyed this book, seek this movie immediately, and vice versa.

From the minute the flick starts, it yanks you in. Every time. You can't take Hackers completely seriously, and it knows that, so just have a good time and let the movie inspire you to question the rules and emerge a hero.

Trash

[claimaster · 1/10 · 28 April 2002]

This film is not only lacking realism. It doesn't come up with either storyline or acceptable dialogues and is an insult to everyone who has a bare understanding of computer fundamentals.

Luckily, over the last years, Hollywood has made the right decision to bring a little more realism into computer-related movies. However, this film is not worth seeing, I would recommend everyone to spend the runtime with anything else - perhaps cooking.

1/10

Made Computer Nerds Hip

[view_and_review · 8/10 · 3 September 2020]

1995 gave us "Johnny Mnemonic," "Virtuosity," "The Net," and "Hackers." All digital age tech movies. Of the four, "Hackers" is by far my favorite. It is similar to "The Net" in that both movies showed the vulnerabilities of our cyber world. But before I start gushing too much over "Hackers," I must first give credit to the mother of them all: "War Games" (1983).

"War Games" with Matthew Broderick was the first movie, to my knowledge, featuring a hacker. I don't think that word was used back then, but "War Games'" main character was using a dial-up modem at a speed God knows how slow to hack into military computers. This was back before anything such as the internet and when only the military was using anything such as a network. Fast-forward twelve years and "The Net" and "Hackers" showed the world how computers had taken over and were no longer just a tool of the military.

"Hackers" was hip, it was punk, it was grunge, it was fun. Actors like Angelina Jolie (Kate/Acid Burn) and Matthew Lillard (Cereal) made the movie pop. Add to them a suitable supporting cast and a dope plot and "Hackers" becomes a cult classic.

Entertaining '90s movie.

[johnnymacbest · 7/10 · 31 July 2009]

Despite being somewhat of a hit, "Hackers" is a cult classic, featuring a younger Angelina Jolie. Having just watched it recently, I didn't even now it was her until the end credits rolled in; surprised I was. Any how, that's not only the good thing about this film. There's a lot of entertainment value to be had here and the actors involved turn in a above average performance. Don't expect something along the lines of Shakespeare, this is just a fun little movie to relax and kick back to on a boring Saturday afternoon but above all that, the film gives us a vague glimpse of the power of technology and how it can be used for good and evil purposes. The main villain is simply wacky with a campy, tongue-in-cheek persona that works really well with the film. At the time, the Internet was really all the rage since it first appeared in our lives 17 years ago. "Hackers" may be a cartoon but it's a cartoon with depth.

A dissenting opinion

[kbeartxs · 1/10 · 23 September 2006]

I feel compelled to offer my take on this film.

I found it unwatchable - well, I watched about half of it and then turned it off.

All the other reviews give it way too much of a break, IMO.

The sheer number of inaccuracies, stereotypes, and clichés is overwhelming, and cumulatively destroyed my ability to suspend my disbelief.

The acting is OK, and the overall production is not bad.

Maybe it's b/c I'm a middle-aged geek and not a teenager anymore, so that the 'coolness' of the subject did not make up for the substandard screenplay.

Fun, Fun movie...

[TheSecondQuest · 8 August 2000]

This flick came out during my freshman year of high school, pretty much everyone who saw it that I knew had a blast watching it, and in fact saw it several times in the theater (one fellow saw it about 6 times i think). While the computer screens depicted aren't realistic so to speak (I'll get to that in a moment) it was exciting, and made computers exciting again, it also didn't hurt the fact that everyone I knew used Macs just like the Hackers in the movie, so as you can imagine, it inspired many of us to see if we had the potential to do similar things but ultimately gave up (popping in a few CD-ROM games was much more entertaining;;) ). Anyways, now I own the film on DVD and I believe I've come to a revelation regarding the computer screens shown in the film...what we see is not what is actually happening on the screen, what they're showing us is what the hackers are doing, as visualized in their mind, they picture the data on the screen in a way in their head where it comes together, and what we see is that picture in their head, if maybe only an enhanced picture...anyways, thought I'd share that.

Oh, and isn't it funny to see computer geeks drooling over a laptop with a 28.8 modem?::)