Enemy of the State: SE

When a bird watcher realises he has accidently captured the murder of a congressman on video, he makes a copy and calls his friend at a newspaper. The killers are listening in on the conversation and track him down within minutes. Realising they are after him, he flees, being pursued by a team of government agents. During the chase, he bumps into college friend Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) and without Dean’s knowledge, passes him the copy. Big Brother, in the form of the NSA, are now watching Dean’s every move in an effort to retrieve the evidence that he has, even though he has no idea he has it. In order to retrieve the incriminating evidence, they attempt to discredit Dean, taking away his life, his credit cards and above all, his privacy. Not only does he have to avoid capture, prove his innocence and reclaim his life - he also has to find out what they are after. To do this he enlists the help of Brill (Gene Hackman), an ex-NSA operative.

"This is my life, I worked hard for it and I want it back"

This fast paced film is extremely well done. Will Smith is very good in a much more serious role, Gene Hackman is perfect and Jon Voight is also well cast. Backed by an outstanding supporting cast this film reeks of quality. Much in the same vein as Conspiracy Theory and The Fugitive, there are many twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. Using surveillance style footage at times for impact, the direction and editing work really well to set the mood. The music score also adds to the feel while not being intrusive. The attention to detail is incredible.

"In God we trust, everyone else we monitor!"

This film really enlightens the viewing public to the capabilities of the US National Security Agency. From the use of microscopic listening devices and cameras to the multitude of satellites circling the earth and watching our every move, there is nowhere to hide. With an annual budget greater than that of the CIA, there are no limits to what this government agency can find out, if they don't know it already that is. You may come away from this film wondering who is watching you and why.

Remember, it’s only paranoia if they are not watching you!

The transfer for this DVD is very nice indeed and hard to find fault with. Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and 16x9 enhanced, the picture is sharp at all times with very little evidence of grain. Colours are very true with good skin tones and no oversaturation and shadow detail is excellent. There are a couple of instances of aliasing and a few minor artefacts, but nothing too noticeable and these don’t interfere with the impact of the film. There are several subtitles available for this release and the ones I watched were word for word perfect to what was being said on screen. The layer change occurs at 86:00 and although mid-scene, is not too intrusive. Overall a wonderful visual experience.

Audio supplied is a choice of English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Descriptive DD 2.0. The audio of choice for me was the DD 5.1 and very nice it was indeed. Dialogue is kept primarily on the front speakers with the side and rear speakers used to great effect for directional sound and to emphasise the music score. Audio sync is never a problem and the subwoofer gets an aggressive workout. Sound at all times is very clear indeed. Not speaking Spanish I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the Spanish DD 5.1 track, but it seemed very good also. The Descriptive DD 2.0 audio track is in a style I have not heard before. This is aimed at the visually impaired and is extremely descriptive. There are quotes such as “man arrives in car with dog� and “man throws ball for dog�, terrific for the visually impaired and a nice consideration by the manufacturers. As with the video transfer, there is also little to find fault with on the audio.

It's not overloaded with extras, but the ones supplied are very good...

The Making Of Enemy Of The State:
Made up of many parts and running for 29:11, this feature is as it says, about the making of the film. There are interviews with cast and crew about how the project came to be made, how certain scenes were shot, how the stars were selected and much more. A very nice documentary, that is just about the right length.

All Access: The Showdown:
Be warned, watching this feature before watching the film will ruin it for you. Running for 13:16, this feature shows how one of the pivotal scenes was created. Picture quality is not too good but this, I would suggest, is due to it being filmed on hand held cameras. It is a very nice feature all the same.

Deleted Scenes:
Jones gets bitten
Confrontation at the Limousine Service
Dean searches for Brill on the ferry
Fiedler Digs The Nanny

There is an option to play each scene separately or all together. With a combined running time of 5:35, there is nothing too groundbreaking here, but they are a nice inclusion.

The Theatrical Trailer runs for 2:30 and is not of the same quality as the feature, but is still very good. There are a few artefacts and the audio is only DD 2.0 but it is in a ratio of 2.35:1 and 16x9 enhanced.

Overall these are nice little extras that can be watched again and again and give a great insight to the process of making this feature. Be warned; watch them after you have viewed the main feature, as some scenes shown will give away crucial parts of the film.

This is well worth purchasing for first time viewers or to replace the bare bones copy previously released. A terrific film with a great plot, great acting and a good pace, this has been transferred beautifully to DVD and is well worth a look. Although a long film at 127 minutes, at no time does this film drag so check it out.