A cracking thriller

I hadn't seen this film in years and I have to say that it still holds up well in terms of pacing, intrigue, direction and performances. Of course the computer technology looks dated but that doesn't detract from what is a surprisingly tense and breathtaking thrill ride.

Costner has always been a bit bland but in this film he shows a bit more acting range and looks physically ideal for the role he is playing. The other cast members Hackman, Patton, Young etc all give convincingly good performances that help to advance the plot. There are of course some implausible elements with respect to security and the size of the pentagon but it's easy to overlook all that given how tight the script is. The ending is also one of the more original conclusions to a feature film especially given the time period in which it was made.

It's a shame that films like this are not being made today.