The Net

Directed by Irwin Winkler, The Net follows computer programmer Angela Bennett (Sandra Bullock) as she’s forced to go on the run after stumbling upon a conspiracy involving high-ranking politicians and deadly assassins. It’s a decidedly familiar setup that’s employed to watchable yet persistently erratic effect by Winkler, as the filmmaker, working from John Brancato and Michael Ferris’ screenplay, delivers a palpably overlong thriller that suffers from its fair share of padded-out and superfluous sequences – which does, as a result, pave the way for a hit-and-miss midsection that’s rarely able to generate the excitement and suspense Winkler has clearly intended. There’s little doubt, then, that The Net benefits substantially from Bullock’s tremendously appealing work as the sympathetic main character, and it’s clear, too, that Winkler has admittedly peppered the narrative with a handful of palpably engaging, entertaining stretches. (This is especially true of a predictable yet engaging subplot detailing the fate of Angela’s obviously doomed friend, Dennis Miller’s Alan Champion.) The movie’s surprisingly (and impressively) prescient perspective on internet-based concepts, including ordering a pizza online and the threat of identity theft, perpetuates its better-than-average atmosphere, with the final result a just-good-enough endeavor that ultimately should’ve topped out at around 90 minutes (ie the nearly two-hour runtime is nothing short of absurd, generally).

**1/2 out of ****