George Baker, Glenda Jackson, Herbert Lom

Walter Matthau is in peak form in Hopscotch, a featherweight spy-game comedy in which he plays a CIA agent who's way smarter than his dimwitted superiors. That's the fantasy part--this a...( read more  read more... )musing cat-and-mouse game is so lopsided that you can't take it seriously. The movie's charm is derived from the sardonic pleasure with which Matthau makes his pursuers look like idiots, after they've targeted him for "termination" for publishing a tell-all memoir about his tenure in "the Company." He's no stool pigeon, however; it's his boss (played with blustery thick-headedness by the great Ned Beatty) who's abusing his power, so Matthau recruits an old lover (Glenda Jackson) to join him in a globetrotting game of clandestine cleverness. Under Ronald Neame's too-casual direction, this is a not-so-wild goose chase, but Matthau and Jackson (reuniting after they had fun making the 1978 comedy House Calls) have an easygoing chemistry that's nicely balanced with Matthau's cantankerous shenanigans. --Jeff Shannon

Flixster Users

74% liked it

2,283 ratings

R, 105 min.

Directed by: Ronald Neame

Release Date: January 1, 1980

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: August 20, 2002

Stats: 153 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (153)


  • November 20, 2009
    The cast is a huge asset to the film, Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson are both great, and the supporting cast does very well. It?s an amusing story, entertaining but does have a few slow stretches. Overall, it?s good.
  • August 17, 2009


    ...( read more)tyle="width:280px;">
    When the CIA demotes an agent played by Matthau for his unorthodox but competent methods, he makes fools of his superiors by publishing a tell-all book.

    Along the way to meeting his goal and evading intelligence community goons, he has some fun playing cat and mouse with them as he stalls for time to complete his plans. He seems to always be one step ahead, but will his luck hold out?

    Matthau reveals his talent for playing a conniving chameleon once again, in many ways a reprisal of his Charlie Varrick role.
  • August 14, 2009
    Okay caper suffers from miscasting of Matthau in the lead, his action are just too slow for him to be convincing as a man of stealth. Glenda is wasted in a nothing part.
  • November 9, 2008
    has some truly hilarious moments and serves as a great precursor to many films in this vein that followed. no one could have played kendig better than matthau did.
  • July 21, 2008
    Walter Matthau is on top of his game in this one...and Ned Beatty is great!
  • October 5, 2007
    Walter Matthau at his very best.
  • July 1, 2007
    Brilliance. Dialogue, plot, Glenda Jackson is perfect.
  • June 7, 2007
    Walter Matthau and Sam Waterston reign supreme at the expense of poor Ned Beatty. Funny through and through.

Critic Reviews


No recent reviews.

Comments


This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Hopscotch" !

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Kind Hearts and Coronets
    Kind Hearts and Coronets (67%)
  • Fletch
    Fletch (43%)
  • First Monday in October
    First Monday in October (67%)
  • After the Sunset
    After the Sunset (50%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

Hopscotch : Watch Free on TV


Hopscotch Trivia


  • He became one of america's top box-office draws. His films include Hopscotch,The sunshine boys, The fortune cookie, and cactus flower  Answer »
  • In these quotes from Night at The Museum, which actor plays guss? Gus: "Instructions; you start with 1... 2... 3..." Larry:" 4? " Gus: "Are you cracking wise? I oughta punch you in the nose Hopscotch."   Answer »
  • Which word in "Corpse Bride" will allow Victor and the Corpse Bride to return to the land of the dead?   Answer »
  • What movie had Walter Matthau as a spy who's been demoted?   Answer »

Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for Hopscotch. Want to create one?

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?