Martin Bishop is the head of a group of experts who specialize in testing security systems. When he is blackmailed by government agents into stealing a top secret black box, the team find themselves embroiled in a game of danger and intrigue. After they recover the box, they discover that it has the capability to decode all existing encryption systems around the world, and that the agents who hired them didn't work for the government after all.Written by
Graeme Roy <gsr@cbmamiga.demon.co.uk>
Professor Len Adleman is one of the three mathematicians who invented the RSA (he's the "A") cryptosystem, currently the preeminent method of encrypting any form of data in the world. Adleman served as a mathematical consultant on this movie, and spent several days constructing the slides Janek (Donal Logue) displays at the college symposium on "unbreakable codes" (which took Adleman a considerable amount of time to create using primitive early 1990s computer graphics technology). In the end, writer and director Phil Alden Robinson had the slides transposed as oil crayon scribbles, on account of the notion that "That's what a regular mathematician would have done." Adleman later remarked that this was indeed true, and what he would have done, and would have saved him days if only he'd known. See more »
Goofs
In the opening scene, set in 1969, the display terminal is clearly showing IBM VGA 40-column text. The IBM VGA standard was not developed until 1987. See more »
Quotes
Liz:
This is my last computer date.
Cosmo:
Wait. A computer matched *her* with *him*? I don't think so.
See more »
Crazy Credits
Next, FORT RED BORDER becomes ROBERT REDFORD. See more »
Alternate Versions
The line "Who's going to save the world Marty? Greenpeace?" in the dubbed Spanish version (DVD) becomes "Who's going to save the world Marty? The military?" See more »
Despite its relative obscurity, Sneakers is quickly becoming a cult favorite of the internet generation. It's a perfect blend of romance, tech and adventure that highlights the increasing importance of information. The always beautiful Mary McDonnell as Liz doesn't hurt, either. The soundtrack is arguably the best of James Horner's film scores pre-dating Braveheart, with an ethereal jazzy feel that sets the mood from the opening credits.
For an early nineties movie, Sneakers was remarkably forward thinking in its script and plot. Many of its themes have only become more relevant with the flowering of the data network. All in all a great film for those of you who enjoy flicks like Hudson Hawk or Mission Impossible.
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Despite its relative obscurity, Sneakers is quickly becoming a cult favorite of the internet generation. It's a perfect blend of romance, tech and adventure that highlights the increasing importance of information. The always beautiful Mary McDonnell as Liz doesn't hurt, either. The soundtrack is arguably the best of James Horner's film scores pre-dating Braveheart, with an ethereal jazzy feel that sets the mood from the opening credits.
For an early nineties movie, Sneakers was remarkably forward thinking in its script and plot. Many of its themes have only become more relevant with the flowering of the data network. All in all a great film for those of you who enjoy flicks like Hudson Hawk or Mission Impossible.