Enemy of the State: Unrated Extended Edition DVD Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 06.08.2006
A solid action thriller gets slightly bruised by a clumsy double dip...
Will Smith: Robert Clayton Dean
Gene Hackman: Edward "Brill" Lyle
Barry Pepper: Detective David Pratt
Jon Voight: Thomas Brian Reynolds
Regina King: Carla Dean
Ian Hart: Detective John Bingham
Lisa Bonet: Rachel F. Banks
Jake Busey: Krug
Scott Caan: Jones
Jamie Kennedy: Jamie Williams
Jason Lee: Daniel Leon Zavitz
Jack Black: Fiedler
Directed By: Tony Scott
Theatrical Release Date: November 20th, 1998
DVD Release Date: May 16th, 2006
Theatrical Running Time: 131 minutes
Unrated Extended Cut Running Time: 135 minutes
Original Rating: Rated R for language and violence.
The Film
In many ways, Enemy of the State is a familiar dose of action thriller medicine fro a genre that offers numerous releases like it every year. This film is dripping with buoyancy and conviction, in that the cast and crew are almost in cocky by knowing the viewer will become wrapped up in its exhilaration and sheer unadulterated entertainment. Dozens of films similar to this fail each year, but for some odd reason these cinematic exaggerations, that are great fun to watch with a soda and a bowl of popcorn put viewers under their spell. What separates the good, the bad, and the ugly? Quite simply it is the caliber of acting talent. This new edition of the Tony Scott's 1998 offering is the equivalent of upgrading from a large value meal to a super sized one. It has a few extras, but really, it isn't that big of a deal.
Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a successful lawyer, who works in Washington D.C. He has a wife, son, and a couple secrets than many men probably have. He is right in the middle of a strenuous case involving a mob boss, but that part of his life takes an immediate back seat when he runs into an old college acquaintance named Daniel Zavitz (Jason Lee). Daniel has accidentally recorded footage showing the murder of Congressman Phil Hammerslee (Jason Robards). Scared and on the run, he drops the evidence in Robert's shopping back without him realizing it. The man who is responsible for the crime is a State Department official named Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight), who is the senior advisor to the NSA. He is helping a little surveillance bill make its way through Congress, and Phil Hammerslee was the main obstacle for the victory of this bill. When Reynolds and the NSA group of whiz kids realize who has the tape, Robert Dean becomes the main target. His life starts crumbling into nothing as his assets are frozen, his wife suspects he is cheating, and his job is in jeopardy. With every minute he is closer to death, and now he only has two people to turn to. An old flame/business associate named Rachel Banks (Lisa Bonet) and a mysterious stranger he has never met named Brill (Gene Hackman).
At this point in his career, Will Smith was a mega star with Bad Boys, Men in Black, and Independence Day under his belt. This was a slight change of pace for him at the time. Smith drops his occasional wisecrack here and there as Mr. Dean, but for the most part he portrays a resolute lawyer, and a mostly devoted family man, who was blind sided by an old college buddy. Smith is swift and unsullied in this depiction as a man on the run, yet he exhibits that undeniable charm in every scene.
Gene Hackman has had his share of ups and downs in terms of role choices, but when he is up, he is unforgettable. In a better movie, The Conversation, Hackman plays Harry Caul, a man who also knows his surveillance. The similarities of the characters are unquestionable. Besides the fact that his name here is Edward "Brill" Lyle, it's as if Enemy of the State is an unofficial spinoff of Francis Ford's Coppola's The Conversation. As Brill, Hackman is a man who loves his work, but requires privacy. His performance is dynamite, superb, and intensely secretive.
Looking back, this film carries with it a fine supporting cast. Jon Voight leads that pack, and I can think of very few people who perfectly play a conniving and evil human being as well as he does. The NSA geek squad is comprised of some truly hilarious characters in Seth Green, Jamie Kennedy, Scott Caan, Jake Busey, and Jack Black. Jason Lee has gone on to bigger and better things now with the hit series My Name Is Earl, but even though his screen time is tremendously short, I always enjoy his sharp presence.
Tony Scott can best be described as a filmmaker who has had a rollercoaster of a career. Scott can be "A" student when he wants to be, but other times he fails to meet the grade when his occasional obsession with unique color schemes and fancy graphics gets in the way of a quality product. Looking at the big picture, his movies capture the essence of the action outstandingly half the time, and disastrously the other. Where he has Top Gun, Crimson Tide, and Days of Thunder as positive marks, he also has The Fan, The Last Boy Scout, and Domino as obvious flaws. Still, he can definitely fashion films that are worth repeated viewings, and that says a lot. The overhead camera visuals that he utilizes here are energetically effective. He is aided by a pleasant script by David Marconi, and a fantastic score by like six different people.
What confuses things about this new edition is whether or not it is actually an unrated extended cut or not. My DVD cover just says "Special Edition", but the menu screen of the film says "Unrated Extended Edition." The case shown above is not what you receive. Was there a purpose to this, or was it just plain sloppiness on part of the creators. If nothing else, it proves to buyers everywhere that the DVD makers have one thing on their mind. In fact, the only evidently added scene is towards the beginning, and it shows Rachel and Robert talking with Robert asking her to reveal the identity of Brill. Other than that I can't tell you about any other altered sequences since I'm not sure there is any. Despite that the film delivers the goods as it should.
This is more than just another face in the crowd, it is a taut, stable and energetic piece of escapism entertainment. One might be interested to find out that Tony Scott and Gene Hackman both turned this project down at first. It is nice to see that it all turned out well in the end. This film has gotten a brand spanking new edition because it is just a hair or two better than the norm in terms of adventure. It's longevity as an action thriller is respectable and noteworthy.
The Video
The picture on this version has had the opportunity to be improved a great deal since the initial release of the film on DVD, and I would say they make some fair progressions here. I noticed very little grain, and the majority of this version is sharp and satisfactorily detailed with its imagery. That is all you really need to say, because with this film, the coloring and picture is not what you draws one in. Nothing appeared soft or blurry, so I can't complain about that. Buena Vista has presented this with a widescreen ratio of 2.35:1, and it is enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions.
The Audio
The sound is the facet that stands out supremely in this transfer. The atmosphere of the film is vigorous and lively with helicopters, cars, explosions, gun fire, and the changes of weather patterns sounding excellent. The segments involving car chases and gun battles were very distinct and powerful. The dialogue was completely understandable and lucid as a whole. The Dolby Digital 5.1 was strong, but nothing too special. For the most part the audio was clean and comfortable. I'm not sure why, but they deleted the French Audio Track, and all that is available is English subtitles for the hearing impaired.
The Extras
Deleted Scenes - There is only two deleted scene given to viewers. They are both rather meaningless and unmemorable. The first scene, called "Jones Gets Bitten" (:43) shows Scott Caan's character getting bitten by the Dean's little doggy. The second one is entitled "Confrontation at the Limousine Service" (2:07) where Robert Dean requests to speak with the mob boss because he thinks that man is responsible for his life going suddenly downhill.
The Making of "Enemy of the State" (29:14) – This was a lot longer than I expected. This has interviews with just about every key member of the cast including Will Smith, Jon Voight, Gene Hackman, Director Tony Scott, and Producer Jerry Bruckheimer. It is separated into seven different parts. I won't spoil too much for the fans, but they discuss in depth, the technology used for the film. Two experts, Steve Uhrig and Marty Kaiser, who are surveillance experts, supply some interesting tidbits on how they approached certain sequences of this film. The technical advisor, Harry Humphries converses about the history and background of the NSA, and the fact that for years, its existence was denied. I enjoyed this piece for what it had to offer, which was significantly longer than most "Making of" featurettes.
All Access: The Showdown (13: 20) – I have not seen a featurette such as this on many DVD's, but I liked it all the same. It covers in extreme detail, the final gun battle scene in the restaurant. The crew takes you way behind the scenes and shows every aspiring filmmaker just how much work goes into one small part of a 130 minute movie. It really is amazing how crucial every movement was, and the placement of each bullet.
Theatrical Trailer (2: 32) – I would give the trailer a rating of around 7.5 out of 10. It was average, and somewhat exciting, but it gave away a lot more than it needed to.
Sneak Peeks - It would not be an "Unrated Extended Edition" without a sufficient dose of trailers. You get closer looks at the new extended cuts of Crimson Tide and Con-Air, as well as previews of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Glory Road, Annapolis, and Grey's Anatomy: Season 1.
The Film: 8.0
The Video: 7.0
The Audio: 8.0
The Extras: 6.0
The 411: It is impossible to complain about this new edition as much as one might want because it is tremendously better that the original DVD release, which only had production and filmmaker’s featurettes. I have to add that I like the fancy slip cover cases though. Enemy of the State is a film that has everything a movie lover needs: comedy, action, suspense, convincing villains, a great cast, and creative direction. It is not a masterpiece, and neither is this DVD, but for the price, it is well worth a purchase.
