The Net (short movie review)

[joelm@eskimo.com (Joel McNamara)]

Don't bother.  Better to wait until it hits the video shelves then have a party and see who can find the most (of many) technical flaws and gaffs.  Would be much more entertaining in that context.

No crypto or standard Cypherpunk discussion topics (more hacker related with security software trapdoors, cell phone eavesdropping, general hacker mischief, and corporate conspiracies).  Mostly a chase movie with computers and the Internet thrown in to differentiate it from your typical ho-hum flick of this genre.  Poor character development, predictable plot, and hokey effects (my wife kept elbowing me because I was the only one in the theater laughing at certain parts).  

Your standard, computer illiterate citizen will further be mislead on the potential evils of computers.  Fortunately, no four horseman stuff.  (Would be interesting to find some willing Hollywood type and script an accurate flick with a crypto good-guy/gal to promote the cause).

Buying a couple of magazines at the Barnes and Noble next to the theater would have definitely been a better entertainment value.

Joel McNamara
joelm@eskimo.com - http://www.eskimo.com/~joelm for PGP key