Barnes & Noble

International intrigue and behind-the-scenes political machinations, portrayed with documentary-like believability, make Spy Game one of the most satisfying thrillers in recent years. The degree of verisimilitude given this film by director Tony Scott (Enemy of the State) is nothing short of remarkable, and the effect is enhanced by the no-nonsense performances of erstwhile matinee idol Robert Redford and the increasingly gritty Brad Pitt. Redford plays retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir, who learns that his young protégé, Tom Bishop (Pitt), has been captured by the Chinese government while engaged in an unauthorized operation. Surreptitiously struggling against an agency faction that wants to disavow Bishop’s CIA connection, Muir employs every trick he knows in a desperate attempt to free the captive agent before time runs out. Scott’s direction is disciplined and muscular; he develops the characters mostly through flashbacks while remaining focused on the narrative’s primary situation. His action scenes are organic to the plot and kept refreshingly free of the hyperviolent excesses to which today’s moviegoers are often subjected. Genuinely suspenseful and expertly turned out, Spy Game forces its viewers to think -- which puts it head and shoulders above the usual melodramatic fare. Scott provides commentary for both the complete film and deleted scenes assembled for the DVD, which also includes a making-of-featurette and script-to-storyboard comparisons. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Brad Pitt is reunited as a co-star with his A River Runs Through It (1992) director Robert Redford for this espionage thriller from Tony Scott. On the verge of retirement from the Central Intelligence Agency, veteran spy Nathan Muir (Redford) learns that his one-time protégé Tom Bishop (Pitt) has gone rogue and been taken prisoner after attempting to smuggle a prisoner out of China. Although Muir and Bishop had once been close friends, sharing adventures from Vietnam to Berlin, bad blood and resentment developed between them, and the two men haven't seen each other in years. As his memories of their friendship come flooding back, Muir sets about arranging the rescue of his old friend from a Communist jail. Spy Game (2001) co-stars Catherine McCormack as a human rights activist and Bishop's love interest. Karl Williams

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. Mark Holcomb

Washington Post

A taut, timely and intelligent thriller with cloak-and-swaggering performances from Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. Rita Kempley

Hollywood Reporter

A satisfying blend of an edge-of-your-seat thriller with a story of friendship and loyalty and a sobering inquiry into what it means to be a spy. Kirk Honeycutt

Product Details

• UPC: 025192041068
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Editions: Special Edition
• Time: 2:07:00
• Sales Rank: 20,480