Plot
A young boy is arrested by the US Secret Service for writing a computer virus and is banned from using a computer until his 18th birthday...
Release Year: 1995
Rating: 5.9/10 (32,955 voted)
Critic's Score: 46/100
Director:
Iain Softley
Stars: Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford
Storyline A young boy is arrested by the US Secret Service for writing a computer virus and is banned from using a computer until his 18th birthday. Years later, he and his new-found friends discover a plot to unleash a dangerous computer virus, but they must use their computer skills to find the evidence while being pursued by the Secret Service and the evil computer genius behind the virus.
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller
-
Dade Murphy
/
'Crash Override'
/
'Zero Cool'
Angelina Jolie
-
Kate Libby
/
'Acid Burn'
Jesse Bradford
-
Joey Pardella
Matthew Lillard
-
Emmanuel Goldstein
/
'Cereal Killer'
Laurence Mason
-
Paul Cook
/
'Lord Nikon'
Renoly Santiago
-
Ramon Sanchez
/
'Phantom Phreak'
Fisher Stevens
-
Eugene Belford
/
'The Plague'
/
Mr. Babbage
Alberta Watson
-
Lauren Murphy
Darren Lee
-
Razor
Peter Y. Kim
-
Blade
Ethan Browne
-
Curtis
Lorraine Bracco
-
Margo
Wendell Pierce
-
S.S. Agent Richard Gill
Michael Gaston
-
S.S. Agent Bob
Marc Anthony
-
S.S. Agent Ray
Filming Locations: Battery Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Gross: $7,564,000
(USA)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
"ARF! ARF! GOTCHA", which appears near the end, when the Gibson is about to crash, is a reference to one of the earliest Trojan horse programs, EGABTR from 1985. Disguised as a graphics utility, EGABTR spread by email, wiped out everything on a victim's hard disk, and left only the message, "Arf, arf, Gotcha!" on the screen. "ARF" may also serve double duty as a reference to the German hacker group "Asoziale Randgruppe Frankfurt".
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible:
In the police car right after Acid Burn beeps Cereal Killer, the passenger turns to the left and you can see a red light shine on his head. That light is from the camera.
Quotes: Kate Libby:
Are you challenging me? Dade Murphy:
Name your stakes. Kate Libby:
If I win, you become my slave. Dade Murphy:
Your SLAVE? Kate Libby:
You wish! You'll do shitwork, scan, crack copyrights... Dade Murphy:
And if I win? Kate Libby:
Make it my first-born! Dade Murphy:
Make it our first-date! Kate Libby:
I don't DO dates. But I don't lose either, so you're on!
User Review
Caution: movie may be better than it appears...
Rating: 8/10
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.
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