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With: Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix, Sidney Poitier, David Strathairn, Stephen Tobolowsky, Timothy Busfield, Eddie Jones, George Hearn, Donal Logue, Lee Garlington, James Earl Jones
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Written by: Phil Alden Robinson, Lawrence Lasker, Walter Parkes
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Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief sexual references
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Running Time: 126
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Date: 09/11/1992
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Sole Mates
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Writer director Phil Alden Robinson followed up his hit Field of Dreams (1989) for this fun crime movie, which is almost the complete opposite, save for a similar polished, friendly, fluffy Hollywood sheen. Whereas Field of Dreams hits you in the feels, Sneakers goes down easy and leaves you feeling satisfied.
In a flashback, young students Martin and Cosmo use their hacking skills to transfer money from crooked companies to good causes; Martin goes out for a pizza and the cops show up, arresting Cosmo. Years later, Martin (Robert Redford) is living under an assumed name and running a company that tests security systems by breaking into places.
His crew includes former CIA man Crease (Sidney Poitier), techie and conspiracy theorist "Mother" (Dan Aykroyd), blind techie "Whistler" (David Strathairn), and hacker Carl (River Phoenix). Martin receives a visit from two NSA agents (Timothy Busfield and Eddie Jones), offering to clear his name if he'll steal a Russian black box from a mathematician (Donal Logue).
Of course, it's all a trap, run by the now-out-of-jail Cosmo (Ben Kingsley), and the team must pull of an even cleverer and more complicated plan to get themselves out of it. It moves along like a well-oiled machine and everything snaps into place. Mary McDonnell co-stars as Liz, an ex of Martin's, who reluctantly helps the guys and provides some sexual tension.
Kino Lorber released the film in a two-disc 4K & Blu-ray set in 2025, and it looks and sounds crisp. Bonuses include two vintage commentary tracks — one with director Robinson and his co-writers Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, and another with Robinson and cinematographer John Lindley — a vintage 41-minute making-of featurette, and trailers. Recommended.
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