Cloak and Dagger (1984)

This was one of my all time favorite films. If it weren't for IMDb I wouldn't have even known that this move was available on DVD so thank you IMDb!

I received my DVD last week and was very happy to get the DVD version because my original VHS and is very old. The W/S format looked good on my W/S TV and the 2 channel Dolby sounded good. The picture quality is a great improvement over the VHS version although I noticed one scene where Davey and Jack were walking through the mall was extremely grainy. I was surprised that the people that did the transfer did not try to clean it up a bit more, but other than that one particular scene the picture was good throughout the DVD. As some have stated here I too wish there were more DVD options such as outtakes and interviews and the like. Over all I'm really glad to have the DVD.

P.S. Jack Flack always escapes.

Fmovies: Starting a good premisse and walking an unusual ground the picture for some reasons never take off, a mix of juvenile action with a parallel word won't convince anyone, besides Dabney Coleman was maked by previous works as a crook is totally miscasting for this role, the high point are two old characters who stolen the show easily Jeanette Nolan and John McIntire and the rare opportunity to visit the legendary "The Alamo" at least on a brief time on TV. and for those who loves Land of the Giants like me pay attention on Airport security chief, Linden Chiles, Joe/Logar in the episode The Flight Plan,a bit too old, so good memories!!

Resume:

First watch: 1986 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6.5

This started off very strong with a fun spoof of James Bond-type spy movies with Dabney Coleman playing a secret agent using funny gimmicks in a short action scene.

After that it settled down into a story of a young boy, "Davey Osborne," (Henry Thomas) who accidentally stumbles onto real-life spies and with the help of his imaginary super-hero, eludes them as they chase him down.

The familiar storyline of nobody believing the young boy got tiresome quickly and the cloak- and-dagger scenes were too juvenile for adults to enjoy. The kids might like as the focus is entirely on "Davey" and his little friend "Kim," who, by the way, is very annoying and a poor actress.

Coleman, meanwhile, plays a double role: the "invisible" hero and "Davey's" real-life father.

Cloak and Dagger fmovies. A lot of people love E.T., my self included. I cannot recall whether I saw it in the theaters, but Henry Thomas became a household name after that movie came out. The truth is when I think of Henry Thomas, I don't immediately think of E.T., but of CLOAK & DAGGER, which was one of my favorite films as a kid and will forever be one of my favorites. And yet there is something truly bizarre that always comes to me while watching it. I've never been a fan of video games. In fact, I think most of them are stupid, a waste of time and money. CLOAK & DAGGER was a video game I believe (well, it is in the movie). Henry Thomas stars as Davy Osbourne, an imaginitive 11-year-old who loves his favorite superhero Jack Flack, who he likes to view as his make-believe hero. Set in San Antonio during the summer, the film has Thomas going to run an errand for a friend, and owner of a computer store, and gets involved in something he never dreamed of: a real-life game involving spies and a video game. No one will believe him after he reports of a man being shot and murdered in front of his own eyes, including his own father an Air Force sergeant, played just wonderfully by Dabney Coleman, who I've enjoyed in everything from 9 to 5 to Tootsie. The movie soon becomes a roller coaster ride as Thomas is attempting to get away from the spies before they kill him. The plot is riveting and believable, which is the real reason why this pulled me in at such a young age. I can't imagine an actor better than Thomas in this lead role. Coleman is equally memorable as his father, who also plays Jack Flack. Michael Murphy, a great character actor, is chilling as the head spy. I recommend this film for anyone and everyone. ***1/2 out of 4.

Short and sweet: I loved this movie as a kid--now I'm an adult and I still love it. Yes, the computers and games are horribly dated. Heck, my computer from two years ago is horribly dated. That doesn't change the fact that this is a solid, exciting movie which is appropriate for most school-age children without being dumb or talking down to them. I know there's nostalgia involved in this, but kids movies have gone downhill since the '80's. We had The NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Secret of Nimh, The Goonies, Cloak & Dagger...what do kids today have? See Spot Run. ANYWAY, this is a good movie, your kids will probably like it (if only to see what video games were like in the dark ages) and you'll like it, too.

Cloak and Dagger was one of my favorite films as a child and continues to hold up well as time passes by. A reminder, in many ways, how much Dabney Coleman's performances marked the years 1980-1985. Henry Thomas remains in many ways one of a scant few child actors to make their mark in multiple films (something Disney has struggled with in recent years, even with the attempts to market mediocre talents like Hilary Duff and Lindsey Lohan). And in an era where role playing games of any nature were looked down on, this portrayed them in a heroic light-"Jack Flack always escapes".

There are a number of skilled character actors who make up the supporting cast for this film, and the script continues to hold up to today's standards. In many ways, this film should act as a template for movie studios looking to craft a story for young audiences, as opposed to "Shark Boy and Lava Girl".