Hackers [DVD] [1996]

In classic hollywood style takes an epic number of liberties with the realism of the subject, but still a stylistic masterpiece of the time. If there was ever a directors cut i'd love to have seen some of the bits of content that may have been intended to be in the story but were cut.I expect some may have been far more geeky and accurate.Rewatched this film so many times its quite embarassing!

Whilst it may not be the most factually accurate depiction of "Hacking" in a film, it is a film, so some artistic licence is allowed.This is one of the most fun hacking movies I've seen and I've watched it multiple times since release. Great cast. Great music. Just a fun 90s "hacking" movie. Absolutely worth a watch.Oh man, is that a 28.8Bps modem...

What can u say about this movie, Firstly I like it having seen it when it was first released and a few times over the years including very recently. Yes the hacking shown and visuals aren't great but it's a fun story. Don't take it to seriously and enjoy watching a one day Sherlock and Lara Croft, not to mention the other stars.

When I think back to the mid 90s, I remember what fun we all had when Windows 95 replaced Windows 3.1. All the hours of fun with plug and play that wasn't, USB that wasn't very universal and the social faux pas that was seeing your clothing clashing horribly with your monitor each time you were presented with the latest blue screen of death. Strangely Hackers, despite being made around this time and being about computers, doesn't seem to focus very heavily on any of these facts. (Then again if it had it would've been a much longer, slower and more boring film, as everyone sat around chatting while waiting for five minutes in each scene for their computers to boot up.) I think I did notice an Apple logo at some point, but I can only assume that everyone involved in the action was using a super duper version of Linux or something. There is actually a lot in this film that isn't very realistic and the main characters are generally way too cool and good looking to be computer geeks. Actually I've just realised that it's probably entirely pointless trying to make any real world sense of this film at all, a little like trying to explain the sense behind all Jason Statham's running about in Crank. Much better to sit back, enjoy the nonsense, the slight cyberpunk imagery and watch the good guys beat the bad guys. Watch, enjoy the action and silliness and be glad there's always a group of heroes out there ready to risk everything to save the day. A word of warning though; don't watch Hackers with anyone who actually knows anything about computers. He or she will spoil it for you!

Ok - I know that none of the hacking scenes in the film are really even close to being realistic, and that the characters all tend to run toward stereotypical cliche, but...I still love this film. I can't help myself. It's fun, silly and surprisingly character driven, and I think that's what makes me like it so much. The chemistry between the characters/actors (Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller got married not long after this film!) tends to smooth over the script issues, and being a 'Nintendo generation' IT geek myself it resonates with a time in my life when I was listening to the same music and being dazzled by the incredible potential and opportunities that the, then still relatively nascent, internet and associated technologies kept presenting. Yes, it's cheesy and yes, it's probably even a little (or even a lot!) silly - none of that however makes me love this film any less. In short I can still watch it right through, take a stretch, and promptly watch it all over again. I can't be objective about this - it's a review based on my own personal feelings. I know many will disagree and I perfectly understand, heck I KNOW what's wrong with it myself - but there will also be another, albeit smaller, group of people who also 'get it' in that undefinable personal way that defies both reason and sense, and that's where this film lives for me.

If you have any passing knowledge of technology and hacking, this will be hilariously cringe inducing. Emphasis on "hilariously" though. If you don't but hope to see a risk-ay scene with young Angelina Jolie. Yeah sure, there is a scene with her (In a dream sequence) for a moment of her exposing her breasts to the main character. If you have no knowledge of computer/hacking, and aren't that phased but aren't interested by Jolies breasts for a brief moment. Still watch it, as you can still laugh at the ridiculous portrayl of 90's american youth. Oh did I also mention this has Matthew "Shaggy from the scooby doo and originjal Scream movie" Lilliard, lick his finger and rub it on his nipple? Well it does, the characters are a blast to watch. Which I realise I didn't really emphasise in this review did I? Oh well. If you're looking at this product then you have either been directed by some YouTuber, Hacker, or are just Bored/Lost on the Amazon Market place.

At the time it was released it was probably trying too hard to be cool (if funny) and I can imagine it getting a hard time from critics and the techie crowd. I watched it for the first time this weekend, and things have moved on to a point where the tech aspect of it is less relevant. A lot of it just seems genuinely funny, and maybe there a couple of references to UNIX in Jurassic Park and Tron. Angelina and Jonny both seem well suited to their roles.NERDY SPOILER: One of my favourite lines occurs early on about a red book, although it's also a possible reference to the technical standard for CDs, given the amount of information they can hold dwarfs a book.

Great film, ok not a realistic image of hacking, war games is better, but this is a fun film and made me get a pager back in the day. Angelina Jolie at her hottest. Ignore Jonny lee Miller's accent.