Action thriller about a young autistic boy who cracks a secret government code, and then becomes hunted by dangerous agents. His only hope is a disillusioned, reckless FBI agent, with more than his share of issues.
The film opens with an intense stand off between police and a group of bank robbers who are holed up inside a bank with a selection of hostages. Amongst the thieves, is undercover FBI agent Art Jeffries (Bruce Willis), who attempts to convince the robbers to end their siege peacefully and avoid bloodshed, to no avail. After a bloody shootout mainly from the police force, Jeffries is left with anger and guilt following the killing of two of the younger bank robbers, who he hoped to save. Meanwhile, an autistic student child Simon Lynch (Miko Hughes) stumbles upon a puzzle, which he solves, bringing him to the attention of the secret government agency, the NSA, headed by Nick Kudrow (Alec Baldwin). The puzzle turned out to be a secret code used to relay messages between undercover agents across the globe, whose identities must be kept secret. The film then develops in to a cat-and-mouse chase between the government and the boy, with Jeffries acting as guardian for Simon, after his parents are eliminated.
A slightly lukewarm action thriller, that seemed to have too many warm, fuzzy moments. Willis plays his typical action hero, which I am a big fan of, but does not offer anything original in this film. There are some good chase scenes and stunts, but nothing in the league of better action thrillers of the time, like Enemy of the State.
The most impressive element of this film, is the depiction of the autistic boy Simon. Director Harold Becker has managed to convey the sensitivity and emotion that the character deserves very well, and it is the most engaging aspect of the film.
Not one to remember, but worth a watch for the issues about autism in modern America.
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