Sneakers

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Sneakers is available in the US on Amazon Prime Video right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 1,065 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Robert Redford's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Sneakers is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. The jokes in Sneakers land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. When shadowy U.S. Intelligence agents blackmail a reformed computer hacker and his eccentric team of security experts into stealing a code-breaking 'black box' from a Soviet-funded genius, they uncover a bigger conspiracy. Now, he and his 'sneakers' must save themselves and the world economy by retrieving the box from their blackmailers. The chemistry Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. It hit screens in 1992. The timing in Sneakers is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Sneakers. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Robert Redford is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.