[7]

Robert Redford leads an all-star ensemble cast under the direction of Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams). Redford plays a high-tech security professional who works with a team of specialists to test security systems. When government agents blackmail him into stealing a mysterious new piece of technology from the Russians, Redford and his team find themselves in over their heads — especially when he discovers the technology could have dire consequences around the world.

Sneakers is a fun time at the movies. Since Redford and his team are all code-breakers of different kinds, there are fun sequences in which they scramble letters to discern passwords or test their hearing acuity to get to the bottom of a mystery. The script moves quickly and does a commendable job balancing character with a somewhat complicated plot. Not all of the ensemble gets as much screen time as you’d like. Dan Aykroyd and River Phoenix, in particular, seem to get short shrift. But Mary McDonnell, Sidney Poitier, Ben Kingsley, and David Strathairn all have time to shine. James Horner captures all the story’s whimsy, mystery, and danger in a fascinating score.