Blackhat, 2015.
Directed by Michael Mann.
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tang Wei, Viola Davis, Holt McCallany and Wang Leehom.
SYNOPSIS:
After a Hong Kong nuclear plant and the Mercantile Trade Exchange in Chicago are hacked by unknown perpetrators, a federal agent proposes that the FBI work with China to find the cyber-criminals. The leader of the Chinese team, Chen Dawai, insists that convicted hacker Nick Hathaway be released from prison to help with the investigation. As Nick and his comrades chase their quarry, it becomes evident that the hackers have a sinister motive for their actions.
How can I put this.
I found my discovery that the Blu-ray itself was transparent far more interesting than anything its contents had to offer. That sums it really.
Can this really be from the same director who gave us Heat and Collateral? Those films were taut and powerful with fantastic performances. This however is barely coherent and worst of all…boring.
Even in the first half hour, before my interest has waned, it was clear that Mann couldn’t manage to make hacking look interesting. People looking at screens highlighting text with obnoxiously loud typing an explaining what’s there is just tedious. Only Swordfish has managed to do that due to it being utterly ridiculous. It does share one similarity with Swordfish though, and that’s the casting of a hunk as a hacker. I don’t get it! I was wondering about this, and then the film answered it for me.
They wanted his body. Anyone can mumble some rubbish about code, but could they have paraded around nonchalantly with their shirt undone looking like a superhero? Despite being completely misplaced it’s probably still the highlight of the film. Hemsworth can do good work – Rush is proof of that – but here he’s wasted. If he wanted to branch out away from Mjolnir it’s a shame this is where he ended up. Playing a ‘brogrammer’ is beneath him.
What else can I say. It’s obvious what’s going to happen, from the un-marketed romance to the fact that a guy who’s spent a lot of time in front of a computer can handle himself in a fight. There’s nothing new to be said here. We’re all being watched. Tech is dangerous. The real power lies behind keyboards. Blah blah blah.
I’d love to give you some positives. But I wouldn’t want to lie to you. Blackhat was a waste of two hours. It does the worst thing it can, and that’s not give me much to say.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★
Chris Cooper is a Flickering Myth Staff Writer, and owner of the blog Super Duper Stuff. Follow him on Twitter @SDCCooper or visit the blog’s Facebook page.
https://youtu.be/CkZX95HzVyg?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published June 22, 2015. Updated November 7, 2019.
