Critic Reviews
-
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The performances are the biggest asset.
-
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
I'll admit the main story is implausible, but the flashbacks were spectacular, and the cast is really good here.
-
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
It's clever and shows great control of craft, but it doesn't care, and so it's hard for us to care about.
-
Rex Reed, New York Observer
A yawn, and the two glamour boys (who, by the way, look awful) are both snoring.
-
Mark Holcomb, Village Voice
Happily, beneath the film's nostalgic veneer and tooth-rattling visual and aural effects lies a mature ambiguity that's unusual for a holiday blockbuster.
-
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
A smart thriller for grown-ups.
-
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
Two generations of Hollywood 'golden boys' team up in Tony Scott's Spy Game, a neatly plotted espionage thriller. [Blu-ray]
-
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
... afterwards I realized that I had been maneuvered into rooting for a dangerously reckless and presumptuous man.
-
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...takes the spy formula and dilutes it with wholly unnecessary plot twists and a flashback structure that's more confusing than anything else.
-
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
This is Brad Pitt, for crying out loud! Where can you send him undercover? In the CIA's Beverly Hills bureau?
-
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
Redford is great - treat the rest on a don't-need-to-know basis.
-
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]
It just isn't thrilling enough -- an impression compounded by Scott's tiresomely overenthusiastic and gimmicky camerawork.
-
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
An adventure that holds its own among the classics of the genre, a smart, sturdy and fascinating glimpse inside a hidden world.
-
Mark Palermo, Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Crisply photographed and relentlessly compelling.
-
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
É sempre interessante conhecer personagens inteligentes.
-
Paul Salfen, Supercala.com
Another Hollywood-style action flick that entertains, but isn't terribly original...
-
Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Pretentious camera tricks and confusing flashbacks overshadow fine performances.
-
Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly
Like the best Tony Scott films, Spy Game simultaneously questions and celebrates outmoded codes of masculine professionalism.
-
Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
The kind of movie that represents an engaging evening’s diversion, but makes no impact and leaves no lasting impression.
-
Larry Carroll, Countingdown.com
Redford is cool in this movie. He's as cool as a Baskin Robbins delivery truck caught in New England's Blizzard of '78.
Read all 24 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
-
A veteran CIA agent discovers that his protege is being sold out by the agency so he uses his last 24 hours on the job to try and rescue him from execution by the Chinese government. Very much an old school spy thriller, Spy Game's overly generic script means that it's… More
A veteran CIA agent discovers that his protege is being sold out by the agency so he uses his last 24 hours on the job to try and rescue him from execution by the Chinese government. Very much an old school spy thriller, Spy Game's overly generic script means that it's pretty much entirely reliant on the partnership of Redford and Pitt to maintain your interest. Unfortunately they spend very little time on screen together as Redford spends virtually the entire film sat in a meeting shuffling paperwork while telling the largely irrelevant back story of how he met Brad who seems to be little more than a sharp shooting taxi driver. The result is a combination of a humdrum conspiracy thriller and Jackanory which comes across as the cinematic equivalent of an airport paperback. Inoffensive but dull.
-
Robert Redford - like a few other actors - does so few films nowadays that it's a treat to watch him act. While this film isn't particularly memorable, it's still worth a watch. Redford plays a retiring CIA agent who has just 24 hours to save his former protege (played… More
Robert Redford - like a few other actors - does so few films nowadays that it's a treat to watch him act. While this film isn't particularly memorable, it's still worth a watch. Redford plays a retiring CIA agent who has just 24 hours to save his former protege (played by Brad Pitt) before he's executed for a failed espionage rescue mission in a Chinese prison. Played in mostly flashbacks as the kid comes up through Vietnam and the ranks of the CIA with Redford, the film has its share of excitement and drama, but the acting just seems rather phoned in at times. Directed by Tony Scott, who seems to enjoy being at the helm of these kinds of things.
-
-
I thought the movie had very good acting, but its visual style and plot was just bland. Robert Redford and Brad Pitt worked really well together, but it doesn't make a film good. Tony Scott's effort was almost nonexistent, there was none of his great style present.
-
They know/They don?t know. Meh, you start not to care towards the end but it?s an ok film.
-
You can definitely tell that Tony Scott made this, because it has the exact same feel and directing style to it as one of his other films, namely <i>Enemy of the State</i>. He's even used the same type of font for the credits. The only real difference between the two… More
You can definitely tell that Tony Scott made this, because it has the exact same feel and directing style to it as one of his other films, namely <i>Enemy of the State</i>. He's even used the same type of font for the credits. The only real difference between the two (apart from the plotline obviously) is that this one isn't quite as great. A solid spy movie nonetheless though, with a cleverly written script and great leading actors. So if smart and exciting thrillers is your thing, you may want to check this one out.
-
Great thriller about two CIA operatives. Nathan (Robert) trained Tom (Brad) to be a CIA agent but after a job in Beirut they parted ways. The movie starts with Tom being captured by the Chinese for espionage. Nathan is about the retire but does everything he can to save Tom.
-
Hugely surprised by this film, it?s not the usual type of film that?s associated with the likes of Brad Pitt and it?s possibly the first film, where I have enjoyed the performance of Robert Redford. This film is a fascinating spy Action Thriller, with a realistic angle (i.e. not your… More
Hugely surprised by this film, it?s not the usual type of film that?s associated with the likes of Brad Pitt and it?s possibly the first film, where I have enjoyed the performance of Robert Redford. This film is a fascinating spy Action Thriller, with a realistic angle (i.e. not your James Bond/Bourne type of spy film), which I found compelling and very much enjoyed.
-
A stylish, intriguing, nail-bting and sensational thriller. A thinking man's spy movie. It's taunt, gripping, intelligent and exhilerating. Outstanding, breathtaking and explosive. Smart, thrilling and endlessly enjoyable. Loaded with suspense, excitment and some… More
A stylish, intriguing, nail-bting and sensational thriller. A thinking man's spy movie. It's taunt, gripping, intelligent and exhilerating. Outstanding, breathtaking and explosive. Smart, thrilling and endlessly enjoyable. Loaded with suspense, excitment and some well-crafted action sequences. Robert Redford is brilliant. Brad Pitt is riveting. These two great actors together just shined with their great chemistry. Awsome entertainment. A solid, energetic, sizzeling and exhilerating adventure. You'll be holding on to your seat every step of the way. Director, Tony Scott's best film to date. One wickedly cool movie. An emotional powerhouse. It hits all the right notes and some really cool unpredictable turns.
-
movies like this made my wife so resistant to watching them when we first met.
-
pretty good, had some suprises
-
It's an ok spy thriller. Tony Scott pumps things up with his directorial style and its cool seing Redford and Pitt together. The problem is that the film is trying to be a realistic spy thriller, but things are just kind of far fetched with Redford sneaking around the CIA to… More
It's an ok spy thriller. Tony Scott pumps things up with his directorial style and its cool seing Redford and Pitt together. The problem is that the film is trying to be a realistic spy thriller, but things are just kind of far fetched with Redford sneaking around the CIA to handle the problems. More of the film works than the parts that don't though.
-
-
One of those movies you watch if nothing else is going on.
-
the "Spy Game" is one entertaining great film. Very intriguing premise that doesn't get boring at all. The flashbacks are the best parts of the movie.
Brad and Bob were good together.
-
Muir (Redford) and Bishop (Pitt) have been working for the CIA for a long time and Muir is about to retire from his job when he discovers that Bishop has been jailed in China for spionage he wants to do everything he can to help him out. He faces a dangerous and difficult task indeed.… More
Muir (Redford) and Bishop (Pitt) have been working for the CIA for a long time and Muir is about to retire from his job when he discovers that Bishop has been jailed in China for spionage he wants to do everything he can to help him out. He faces a dangerous and difficult task indeed. I loved this movie, especially because of the great actors and because of the great story.
-
Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) is a CIA agent who is on the brink of retirement just 24 hours away when he gets a call from a friend letting him know that his protégé Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) has been captured in China for espionage. When Nathan arrives at work he realizes the situation… More
Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) is a CIA agent who is on the brink of retirement just 24 hours away when he gets a call from a friend letting him know that his protégé Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) has been captured in China for espionage. When Nathan arrives at work he realizes the situation is serious as he sent to questioning about Tom, who is to be executed in 24 hours. Most of the action occurs in flashback, which some people may not like, and centers around the relationship between two and takes us from their first meeting in Vietnam through the training and onto the missions in Berlin and Beirut.
Brad Pitt and Robert Redford make one heck of a great team in this movie that features enough twists and turns like any good spy film should and has plenty of tension that is fast paced and gets your blood pumping.
-
-
A convoluted plot and a boring love interest. Thankfully, Pitt and Redford save this one, and the scenes regarding the spy training are all pretty fun.
-
The combination of Redford and Tony Scott really works for me. Scotts movies in some ways similar to Michael Bay jump off the screen with action and tension, but neglect in character development for big name stars. Redford?s great subtle acting fill in the normal voids left. The story… More
The combination of Redford and Tony Scott really works for me. Scotts movies in some ways similar to Michael Bay jump off the screen with action and tension, but neglect in character development for big name stars. Redford?s great subtle acting fill in the normal voids left. The story is built on flashbacks to Redford recruiting Pitt and training him to be a spy and not a very good spy. The subplot of him falling in love with an aid worker who is a counterspy herself seems labored and not very memorable. The true meat of the story is that it is Redford last day before retirement when he learns that Pitts been imprisoned and basically disavowed by the CIA because of on negotiations with the Chinese government. Redford need to basically out maneuver the entire CIA using nothing but himself and his skills to rescue Pitt right under the nose of the CIA who knows what he doing and constantly derailing his plans. Comparing this to The Recruit with Al Pacino and Collin Farrel. Similar themes, but it brings in to sharp contrast why I prefer Redford interpretation over Pacino?s. Redford can convey emotion with a slight glance where Pacino exaggerated expression and body language just fall short
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Subscription Services