Blackhat ** (out of 5) (R) Michael Mann has written, produced and/or directed plenty of fine films, earning four Oscar nominations for The Insider and The Aviator among a slew of wins and mentions from other entities. Much of his work has been in the realm of crime and large-scale action. This globe-trotting cyberterrorism thriller will not enhance his resume. It’s too long and too dull, with a miscast lead actor and an ill-conceived path to the finish line. He shouldda known better.
Aussie hunk Chris Hemsworth has made a name and a bunch of money in Hollywood, mainly from playing Thor in several big-budget Marvel Comics-based fantasy flicks. He’s built to thrive in the few action sequences in this one, but hard to buy as one of the world’s greatest computer whizzes. He jus’ don’t seem like a guy with them kind o’ smarts.
As to the plot, someone inserted a virus into a Chinese nuclear plant, causing a near meltdown. Meanwhile, across the globe, a similar attack wrought havoc in one phase of our stock market. Were the two incidents connected? Who masterminded the incursions, and what’s their endgame? The title refers to hackers. The FBI reluctantly springs Hemsworth from prison to work with a Chinese cop who had been his college roomie and fellow programming nerd. The latter’s foxy sister just happens to have her own essential skill set for the mission. How conveeeenient!
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The potentially interesting and topical element could have been how guarded the cooperation was in this ad hoc partnership between the two nations, given the history of Chinese espionage directed at US technology, and their distrust of our side. But that theme yields to other stuff that’s more typical of the genre. A few surprises occur along the way, but not enough to justify over two hours of running time, or to make Hemsworth grow more credible in this role. Even his most ardent fans can wait for the DVD release without missing anything resembling a treat, especially since the MPAA rating is for its violence, rather than sexual content. (1/16/15)