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Hackers: 20th Anniversary Edition
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Shout! Factory Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (30th August 2015). |
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The Film
 It may be hard for many people (read: today’s youth) to imagine a world devoid of the internet. Although its origins date back to the 1960's, the World Wide Web as we know it didn’t come into existence until the 90's. Widespread adoption didn’t occur until the end of the century, and even then most consumers knew very little about how it all worked. These days the average web surfer waits approximately three seconds before abandoning a slow-loading page; in the 90's, when a 28.8k modem was considered “advanced tech”, I can remember waiting for several minutes – if not longer – for a single page to load. Unless you were a serious technophile, odds are the internet got about as much use as an old standalone radio. This scenario made for an ideal Hollywood film pitch – audiences knew of the internet’s general capabilities, but for all intents and purposes were mostly ignorant in regard to how it all worked. Mass audiences were also unfamiliar with “hackers”, individuals who were able to break past security parameters and infiltrate corporate systems with the intention to disrupt operations. Not every hacker was interested in causing chaos, though, with praise being heaped upon those who could simply break into a highly secure system. There existed an entire subculture, thriving anonymously worldwide, and this was the genesis of writer Rafael Moreu’s screenplay for “Hackers” (1995). Seattle, 1988. An 11-year-old kid, Dade Murphy, online handle “Zero Cool”, is arrested after crashing over 1500 computers and causing a drop in the stock market. For his crimes, his family is fined and he’s banned from using any electronic devices until his 18th birthday. Cut to seven years later and Dade (Jonny Lee Miller) receives a new computer for his birthday… which he promptly uses to hack into a local television station in order to watch reruns of “The Outer Limits” (1963-1965). While he’s in the station’s system, another hacker known as “Acid Burn” joins in and challenges Dade (who’s going by “Crash Override”) to some sort of hacking game before booting him out. The next day Dade starts at the local high school, where he meets Kate (Angelina Jolie) and her crew of hackers – Ramon “The Phantom Phreak” (Renoly Santiago), Emmanuel “Cereal Killer” (Matthew Lillard), Paul “Lord Nikon” (Laurence Mason), and Joey (Jesse Bradford), who has yet to choose an alias. Ramon is impressed that Dade has such elite computer skills, and soon Dade is invited to join their little collective. Joey, however, doesn’t have much street cred to his name. One night, he decides to go big by hacking into the mainframe at Ellingson Mineral Company and downloading something called a “Garbage File”. It turns out that file contains some highly valuable information; information that could be a potential disaster for Eugene “The Plague” (Fisher Stevens), head computer security officer at Ellingson. Plague hid a virus in the file with the intention of unleashing it upon Ellingson’s oil tanker and capsizing them, that is unless the company wires millions of dollars to an offshore account. Rather than send in some goons to beat up Joey and the rest of the crew, Plague decides to get back at them electronically, threatening to have Dade’s mom arrested, getting Phreak thrown in jail and making it so arrest warrants are issued for others, too. Everyone has to work together and infiltrate Ellingson’s system once again if they want to expose Plague’s nefarious scheme and clear their names. Every aspect of “Hackers” is rife with 90's nostalgia and aesthetics, from the general story to the actors (most of whom have faded since their moment in the 90's sun) to the production design, which is reminiscent of other films made during that period such as “Judge Dredd” (1995) and “Super Mario Bros.” (1993, coincidentally also starring Fisher Stevens). Just look at Cyberdelia, the underground hacker club where all the cool kids hang out. The set is wildly designed, packed with minutia and dripping with enough flashy colors to look like an LSD flashback. These kids may be hackers, but their hangouts and dress draw them more akin to the infamous “Club Kids” of the late 80's/early 90's. It’s all about the flash and style; nothing is drab or gritty here. Director Iain Softley did a commendable job bringing the actual act of hacking to life, using rotoscoping, animation, models and motion control to bring viewers inside the computer hardware rather than relying on still-nascent CGI techniques. These sequences are vaguely reminiscent of “TRON” (1982), and the sense of immersion into the computer hardware Softley was going for is pulled off beautifully. “Hackers” does a great job of “dumbing down” the technical side of computer wizardry; making it accessible to general audiences without patronizing or coming across as elitist. The fact that Softley and Moreu consulted with real-life hacking icons certainly aided in maintaining an air of verisimilitude without being obtuse. Upon release the film was far from a box office success, making only a fraction of the $20 million budget back; however, time has been unexpectedly kind to this 90's relic and it now comes across as a fun electro throwback to a time when movies weren’t trying to ground everything in reality. “Hackers” is a colorful thriller, full of equally colorful characters and replete with songs you haven’t heard in twenty years. Rev up the throwback machine and revel in the past.
Video
For a film that just turned twenty, “Hackers” features a solid 2.35:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded picture that hardly looks its age. The print used for this release shows no instances of dirt or debris, allowing for excellent clarity and an appreciable level of detail. Colors are often vivid and flashy, especially in Cyberdelia where it looks like a kaleidoscope color bomb went off. At times hues seem a tad muted, though the palette is never drab. Due to the extensive use of opticals some scenes look slightly softer – mainly those inside the computer world – but they’re also done well enough that it is hardly a distraction. Contrast is generally strong, too, as are the black levels.
Audio
Although there isn’t a multi-channel option, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track offers up great fidelity and a good sense of directional effects. Dialogue is expectedly clean and present in the mix, never lost to the constant stream of music. Speaking of which, all of your favorite dated 90's electronic tracks can be heard with a strong sonic quality. A more robust audio offering could have helped expand the sound field a bit more, but this track still gets the job done with few complaints. Subtitles are included in English.
Extras
There’s only one real extra here, but it’s a big one – a documentary covering much ground. A theatrical trailer is also included. “The Keyboard Cowboys: A Look Back at “Hackers”” (1080p) is a documentary that runs for 63 minutes and 55 seconds. This three-part piece covers not only the making of the film, but also delves deep into the hacker subculture that has existed for decades. Interviews are included with the film’s stars, crew, consultants and more. A theatrical trailer (1080i) runs for 2 minutes and 36 seconds.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keep case.
Overall
I had somehow missed “Hackers” when it was released and that’s maybe a good thing, as all these years later I can appreciate the 90's aesthetics and laughable plot elements. Truthfully, it’s a fun relic from an era people are only now beginning to laud. Other than some second act lag, it moves at a brisk pace and features cartoonish characters you’ll remember long after the credits have rolled.
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