Cloak & Dagger (1984)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

This is another favorite suspense thriller that is also a childhood gem, I really liked back then and I still like even now. I was somewhat fascinated by the espionage subgenere as well as a fan of the TV show "MacGyver" when I was a kid, having this kind of film where it was a kid gets to be a spy was sort of a dream come true for me. This is one of the only family films I really like because it's one of those ones that are actually done right and not watered down. It's also a very good cleverly crafted suspense thriller.The premise is great and something a bit different because this time instead of a singular adult inadvertently getting into danger it's a kid which is something at the time I never saw much in suspense thrillers.Henry Thomas is great in this film it's a shame he didn't become a bigger star in the 80's. I can relate to him a bit as he's a gamer for both RPG and video games and so am I. One favorite moment is seeing him play a bit of a copy of the "Cloak and Dagger" game for the "Atari 5800"; for the record that's actually a real video game that I played in the arcade, I was so disappointed that the cartridges never got released due to the video game crash.He's got charisma, smart, imaginative. But he is a character of sympathy as he's lonely as he is going though a painful loss of his mom, his dad isn't around much and like most whom are painfully lonely he fills this gap with his imaginary friend Jack Flack the protagonist of the RPG.Dabey Colleman is great as both the dad and Jack Flack. It's interesting that Davey imagines Jack as his father which really makes the dynamic deeply interesting and touching as it's Davey's way of having his dad with him when he's gone but most importantly there are many layers to it.The dynamic between both Davey and Jack is great as it's sort of like the classic relationship between both superhero/hero and sidekick; it's another thing I can emphasize with as all of us have our fictional heroes and we sometimes imagine what it would be like to be side by side with them. Jack is sort of like a comic book hero as he is the unbeatable super spy with sharp charisma and wits to match. Davey idolizes Jack because he feels he is everything a hero should be, though of course this is a naive notion as there really is more to being a hero than just besting the baddies.The dad I really like as he is down to earth, warm and understanding. Both Jack and him also have a dynamic as despite being polar opposites from the fact Jack is fiction and the dad is reality, both do have one thing in common their both heroes. The dad is a hero in reality from his military career but also in being a father. I really like that one speech he gives to Davey about heroism which I thought was great because it's true, heroes don't always save the day but do even the smallest tasks to make life better for everyone, heck even when "Superman" has to go home and does some chores or run arrons to make his life with Lois and his son Johnathan better. However once the dad begins to believe his son and does what he has to do to help him, in a way it cements that Jack and the Dad became one and the same a hero to Davey.The film in a way is a bit of a wishforfillment fantasy, though same can be said about most other suspense thrillers as most of them always feature a protagonist whom is an everyday person living a rather uneventful existence being thrust into action without asking in a way represents the subconscious desire to escape it or simply get more out of life. Davey has a strong desire to be a hero to go on a real adventure to stop the forces of evil like in his games, and of course the adventure he's on in reality for fills that desire.I do like the suspense and action which is solid, from a fun and funny sequence seeing Davey drive a car. It makes sense that he wouldn't drive too smoothly after all Davey hasn't gone to drivers ed, the only thing close to it would be playing the video game "Pole Position". But my favorite moment was the crossfire gambit which was awesome.I also like how the drama with Davey is handled. In a way the adventure is also a metaphor about the everyday person forced to deal with the challenges of life. As the adventure goes on Davey actually starts to grow up a little when he becomes a little disillusioned he realizes the hard way that the predicament he's in isn't a game, he's in real mortal danger so there are no second chances.The films messages are about learning to take on life on your own. Sure we do have a lot of help in our lives but somewhere along the line it really is up to us to make things right and possible. Learning to become your own hero but also about what true heroism really is about.Reality is a whole different game.Rating: 4 stars

Another film that my friend lent me, man, it's like she lent me the Brady Bunch variety pack of family friendly movies. :-P Eh, it's all good. But she bought this recently at a store and told me how it was one of her favorite childhood movies, when I told her I never saw it, she looked at me all shocked and told me that I simply had to see this movie. That it was so adorable and a great family film, so she lent it to me and here is my review.It's about this boy, Davey, and his imaginary friend, Jack Flack. Together they go on an adventure when Davey is in a hospital and sees a scientist who has just been shot and gives him a "Cloak and Dagger" game cover and tells him it's top secret. It turns out that the game opens up secrets of military weapons and now Davey is being chased by the bad guys who want this secret, but who can he trust? It was an alright film, I can see myself enjoying it when I was a kid, but as an adult, I wasn't really amused. I guess when you grow up with something, you still will always have a soft part in your heart for the movie, I think that's the case for my friend. But I'd recommend it for the kids despite some major unrealistic situations, it was a cute family film.5/10

'Cloak and Dagger' is the best American movie, I have ever watched. Every child should have get the possibility to watch this movie. The movie is old, but... is that a reason not to watch it? The acting of Henry Thomas who played the friend of 'E.T.' in the past was brilliant. Every moment, every second in this movie was exciting. A small boy disappointed by his father in reality was living with an man in his fantasy, who was every moment he needed him at place. The boy was hunted by criminals who wanted to get an computer-game from him. But together with his friend in fantasy he escaped every time and did his best to keep this game with him. At the end of this movie is a great explosion, and the boy thinks, his hero is dead, but he is alive. But not in this way he has him in his mind. The hero who comes out of the explosion is his own father. From now on his father is his hero. And the boy is forever back in the reality. The best ending part I have ever seen. !!! The German name of the Movie is: 'Ein Tödliches Spiel' I'm proud to got this movie on an old VHS-Tape with original cover after long time I was searching for. I will keep this videotape as strong as the boy did keep his computer-game 'Cloak and Dagger'. This movie was perfect !!!

Henry Thomas (of E.T. fame) is a young boy who would rather live in the fantasy world with imaginary friend Jack Flack (a character from various spy games played brilliantly by Dabney Coleman) than the real world with his Air Force father (also played by Coleman). But when some bad guys led by Michael Murphy kill a man and Thomas is the only witness, he gets involved in a high stakes game that appears to be another fantasy to everyone else. Thomas has also been entrusted with a video game cartridge which contains top secret blueprints of U.S. military aircrafts. A really good, but totally unheard of little film that has a smart screenplay and strong direction. Dabney Coleman proves he can carry a film with one of his finest performances. Look for Louie Anderson and William Forsythe in small roles. 4 stars out of 5.