This is one of the few, say past fifteen years, films with science and or high tech as an important plot element, whether sci-fi or just drama, that did its research and got the science/tech mostly right. And, it did so in a way that explained it with some entertaining clarity e.g. the opening, and a couple of other scenes, showing packets of data traveling through computer architecture was about as good as it can be. The rest of the film that dealt with cyber hacking was presented with accuracy and surprising clarity for a mass marketing film. Great location authenticity with filming in L.A. (OK, that's not so great),Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong.

On the other hand the action scenes were basically just movie entertainment and at times a bit overboard. Such as, and a bit far-fetched, that our lead character (Hemsworth) is a world class coder (programmer) and some how had the time to become a world class action killing machine. Talk about being a Renaissance man! More of an international cast would have been interesting. Davis (with Tina Turner wig which made no sense for an agent) was stereotyped into filling the black FBI agent role which seems to be a popular character placement in film in recent years (e.g., recently, "Powers").

Blackhat is a tedious and a poorly plotted thriller from the normally reliable Michael Mann.

The Chinese crime investigation agency join forces with the FBI when a a Chinese nuclear plant is hacked and then later the Chicago Mercantile Trade Exchange.

The Chinese send Chen Dawai and his sister Chen Lien to join the FBI led by Carol Barrett (Viola Davis) to find who is the hacker.

Dawai wants his old roommate from MIT who wrote an important piece of code. Nick Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth) who is now in prison.

Hathaway is released and joins the team. As they investigate the team is whittled down in shootouts. Hathaway realises that this cybercime is an elaborate plan to make money.

This is a globe trotting cyberthriller. It has some muscular neon lit shootouts but it also wastes its characters and actors such as Viola Davis and John Ortiz in a baffling shootout sequence.

When it goes to its finale set in Indoenesia, you have people finding each other in vast crowds and no one in the crowd seems to run when there are people shooting.

The movie is an implausible mess.

Michael Mann's BLACKHAT is a hacking-based international thriller starring Marvel main man Chris Hemsworth as an imprisoned computer hacker released from jail to track down an international hacking terrorist with plans for something big. He teams up with characters from the Chinese mainland to bring the villain to book, and the story goes from there. I found this a surprisingly enjoyable little film which mixes the usual computer hacking tropes and effects with a BOURNE-style action plot and at least three decent action scenes. Mann shows that his flair for a violent shoot-out hasn't abandoned him since his HEAT days and the subsequent action is as brutal and exciting as you could want. Hemsworth gives a relaxed performance away from his best-known Thor role and the Chinese actors added to the mix can be relied upon to deliver decent performances. The film is a little long and feels slow at times, particularly with the cliched romantic sub-plot, but it delivers the good and offers thrills a little more cerebral than some.