Customer Reviews

Hopscotch [VHS]

5 star:		(158)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

We saw this movie back in the early 1980's and loved it, but by the time we tried to get a copy, it had gone out of print. Many thanks to Criterion for releasing it on DVD! This film is superb, well-written and directed, with a cast of very gifted performers. The actors play their roles to the hilt and have a terrific chemistry onscreen.

The plot is basic revenge, perpetrated on the CIA by one of its top operatives. Walter Matthau plays the amiable Kendig, a man who's served in the field for decades and is an excellent agent. He's smart yet still down-to-earth; his reputation among the underworld of spydom is the stuff of legends. Kendig is respected even by his enemies for his savvy decisions and sense of fair play, and his reluctance to resort to dirty tricks. His new boss, Meyerson (Ned Beatty) resents his underling's popularity and decides to neutralize Kendig's effectiveness by yanking him from the field and assigning him to a desk job as a file clerk.

To say that Kendig despises his new boss would be a gross understatement. A switched file is shredded and Kendig vanishes, fleeing to Austria and his lover Isobel (Glenda Jackson). From there, he nurses his wounds and launches on his vengeance against Meyerson and the CIA by writing a book that reveals the agency's dirty tricks and botched missions. Meyerson is livid and assigns Joe Cutter (Sam Waterston) to put a stop to Kendig by any means necessary, especially assassination. Cutter admires Kendig and is torn by his personal feelings for the man and his desire to serve his country.

The story then twists and turns as Kendig leads his former employers on a huge wild goose chase. He calls them from a phone booth right near the CIA headquarters, hides out in Meyerson's southern house---which is later demolished by the feds themselves---, and feeds chapters of the book to Meyerson to whip him into a frenzy of ineffectual rage. He plans on getting the entire book to a publisher, and his means for doing so and ensuring his own protection from future assassination attempts are ingenious.

We are very happy that this movie was released to the public once again. Matthau is superb as a real man working in an unreal world of espionage. Herbert Lom is great for the role of his KGB counterpart, and Glenda Jackson is both tart and elegant as the enigmatic Isobel, who frankly adores Kendig. Ned Beatty plays the part of the oafish Meyerson to perfection, making the viewer hate him thoroughly. Waterston is in excellent form as the good-hearted and conflicted Cutter, and shows hints of his mildly acerbic wit that would come to fruition in his later role of McCoy. The supporting players are fine, too, and the plot is well-crafted and believable.

The DVD is nicely done. There aren't many extras, but it's beautifully produced and does have a nice feature: an alternate soundtrack that deletes the foul language, so even kids can watch it with their parents. We are pleased with our investment, and highly recommend "Hopscotch" to anyone who enjoys a well-done and stylish comedy. It's also perfect for fans of Walter Matthau!

Off the top of your head, how many funny spy films can you think of? The James Colburn `Flint' films of the 60's? The Austin Powers movies perhaps? Or that incredibly lame Leslie Nielsen film...Spy Hard (1996)? Over-the-top silliness seems to be a common theme in these films, but Hopscotch (1980), based on a book written by Brian Garfield, also a comedy involving spies, manages to rise above, avoiding the slapsticky and crude humor, rather providing a charming and intelligent story that entertains throughout. Directed by Ronald Neame (Prudence and the Pill, The Poseidon Adventure, The Odessa File), the film stars a wonderful and accomplished cast of actors including Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston, Herbert Lom, and Ned Beatty.

Matthau plays Miles Kendig, one of the CIA's top field agents who suddenly finds himself relegated to a desk job after control of the department he works for is taken over by a petty, vindictive, and less than capable man named Myerson (Beatty) who seems to harbor a personal grudge against Kendig. Unable to deal with riding his career out behind a desk, Kendig leaves the agency, and, after much thought, decides to write his memoirs, detailing all kinds of juicy, sensitive stuff about not only his own agency, but also intelligence agencies throughout the world. After being in the biz for thirty years, he certainly has the inside scoop on all kinds of things, causing his former boss to put out the order for his termination, elimination, liquidation, extermination, what have you...with the aid of a wealthy widow and love interest named Isobel who was also once in the game, played by Jackson, Kendig begins leading his former colleagues on a chase that spans halfway around the globe, always managing to stay one or two steps ahead. Will he be able to finish his book before his old agency or that of a foreign power catches up to him? Even if he does, will he live to see his work published?

Hopscotch is a wonderfully witty, light comedy with a dash of sophistication that nearly everyone can enjoy. Matthau plays his role so perfectly that after seeing the film, you could imagine no one else in the part. He's certainly got that whole irascible charm thing down, and it fits with the character very well here. I loved how his character never seemed to lose his calm composure, constantly outwitting and outsmarting his former co-workers in leisure like fashion, given that he probably wrote the book and trained half the men now chasing him. The element of Kendig using the notion of a book for revenge at first, but then once removed from the work he participated in for so long and seeing just how nasty it is from an outside perspective decides to follow through with his initial threat of finishing the book and getting it published. Jackson plays so very well off Matthau, and they create a level of chemistry that's pretty rare, in my opinion, between on screen couples. They just seem to fit so naturally together, creating a level of believability to counteract the somewhat unrealistic element that the CIA are a mostly a bunch of bumbling buffoons. Did anyone else think her hair was a bit too short, giving her the appearance of a young boy? Maybe it was just me... I really enjoyed a young looking Waterston (Law and Order) as Cutter, Kendig's competent and intelligent protégé now responsible for finding and eliminating his former mentor. I read that he'd actually come into shooting late due to the film he was working on prior, Heaven's Gate (1980) ran past its' shooting schedule, and is the reason why Waterston looks so very tired in some of the scenes in Hopscotch. Herbert Lom is also very good as a Soviet agent named Yaskov, one "who's seen Casablanca one too many times", although I felt he deserved a bit more screen time. Ned (Squeal like a pig for me, boy) Beatty is a riot as Myerson, constantly exasperated by his group's futile attempts to put a lid on the loose cannon he himself let loose due to his own petty dislikes for Kendig. Imagine someone you work with that no one likes, and then that person finally getting a little bit of power, lording over certain individuals, power tripping here and there, but mostly tripping over his own feet, and you basically have Myerson. The direction by Neame was most excellent, keeping the viewer (me) engaged throughout, with a smooth, steady pace as the story unfolded, which is a bit light in some parts, but did nothing to reduce my enjoyment of this charming, funny film.

Criterion provides a superior high-definition digital transfer here in wide screen format and a cleaned up soundtrack. The quality of the picture is really fabulous, especially when compared to my old VHS copy. As far as special features are concerned, there's not as much as I would have thought from a Criterion release, but what's here is very worthy. There's liner notes on the insert inside the DVD case by Bruce Eder, a video introduction by writer Brian Garfield and director Roland Neame along with interviews, a separate audio track, a clean version created for television broadcast along with the original version (there's very little profanity in the film, but what this is comes from Ned Beatty's character Myerson) and an original theatrical trailer along with a teaser trailer for the film. If you're looking for a smartly funny engaging comedy that only gets better after repeated viewings, then Hopscotch is for you.

Cookieman108

I hope the studio releases Hopscotch on video or DVD soon. It's one of Walter Matthau's best films, and the rest of the cast (Glenda Jackson, Ned Beatty, Sam Waterston) are all in top form in this story of an ex-CIA agent getting revenge on his boss. This 1980 comedy would be a welcome addition to anyone's collection of spy, Walter Matthau, or comedy video/DVD's. The way Matthau's character uses an old World War One bi-plane to elude his ex-boss (played by Beatty) harkens back to his performance in Charley Varrick (1973).

"Hopscotch" is one of my favorite movies. Based on a novel by Brian Garfield (who also worked on the screenplay), it's a perfect vehicle for Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson; I consider it to be Matthau's best performance.

Although the plot is totally implausible, it carries the viewer along. I think this is largely because the real world of "intelligence" is sometimes equally implausible; everyone who has had even an indirect connection with the intelligence community can relate true stories just as wacky as the episodes in this movie. Almost all of the movie is pure invention, but Garfield must have known something about the CIA; in particular, one of the characters is an extremely unflattering takeoff on Richard Bissell, including a reference to one of Bissell's worst ideas.

Unfortunately, a copy of this video is hard to find for sale. But many video rental stores have a copy for rent. I wish the copyright holders would allow it to be re-released on video; perhaps some day they will. Meanwhile, if you can locate a copy, buy it; if not, rent it!

This is an "era movie", complete with the necessary visual cliches (spy taking spy pictures from between the legs of a statue, our spies meeting their spies on bridges to exchange things) and verbal cliches ("there are Russian missiles 90 miles off the coast of Florida!", "on a need to know basis").

Matthau and Glenda Jackson work a special chemistry as old CIA operatives shacking up ("do you like antiques?"), conspiring to reveal Agency secrets ("the cigar bomb sent to Castro", etc.)

And the bonus is lovely Salzburg scenery, spiced with lots of Mozart.

Please, PLEASE re-release this video, on DVD!

Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson -- not a pairing that springs immediately to mind, but one that works to produce a delightfully sharp, smart, funny film. Throw in Ned Beatty, Herbert Lom, and a very young Sam Waterston, and you have a real winner. Hopscotch is one of those movies that we just watch over and over again. Having gone through two or three copies of the tape, we're now getting the DVD.

This is one of those movies that runs on pure wit. One of our favorite scenes is Matthau's engineering the destruction of the CIA director's country house -- by the CIA, and accompanied by the score of Madama Butterfly. As for the cast, Jackson is a perfect droll foil for Matthau's wild irreverence as he undertakes writing his memoirs -- a disclosure of CIA operations during his career as station head in Europe -- and then proceeds to release them, a chapter at a time, to all the major powers. Suddenly, everyone wants the memoirs -- and Matthau -- suppressed, with extreme prejudice. And the chase is on.

If you're looking for fast action, gun battles, car chases, and Matrix-style special effects, look elsewhere. But if you want a smart, talky, brilliantly plotted and performed romantic thriller-comedy, Hopscotch is a sure bet. Well, I'd love to continue this review, but I'm getting a sudden urge to watch Hopscotch again, for the umpteenth time.

this has got to be one of walter matthau's funniest movies ever.
his wry sense of humour and on the mark timing are used to great effectiveness in this humourous story about a cia agent who finds out that his current boss-played by ned betty(another outstanding performance by him) has plans to retire him to a desk job.mr. matthau's character (miles kendig) has no intention of going down without a fight and decides to have a little fun before he goes out.he leads ned betty and the entire cia on a marvelous hopscotch from europe to america and back (hence the name of the movie).
another steller performance is played by glenda jackson who has worked with mr. matthau in a few other pictures and plays his love interest in this movie.the chemistry between these two is wonderful and i don't believe there is another actor around that could have brought off this part as well as she does.
all the acting in this movie is wonderful and the chemistry between the actors is outstanding. it's a great script and i think persons of my age can identify with the character played by mr. matthay if your getting older and sometimes wonder if you job and everyone around you somedays seem to be trying to retire you early(just alittle healthy paranoia everyone).
i'm so glad they put this out in dvd. you can get a vhs copy of this movie but its gotten so popular-especially after mr.matthaus death that the vhs copies are very expensive...
if you like walter matthau do notmiss this opportunity to own this movie.

Building on their chemistry in 1978's HOUSE CALLS, Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson again were paired in HOPSCOTCH (1980), a melodious and gentle interpretation of Brian Garfield's novel of the same name (as is the basic story line, but with heart and humor; none of the novel characters were anywhere near as appealing).

It's that rarity in movies for the '80's: a truly intelligent but unassuming action comedy, strong on character and language and carrying little in the way of real violence. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is one contemporary movie in much the same vein.

Garfield was the primary screenwriter, but it was Matthau who was a major influence in the story, down to suggesting music for the soundtrack (which was sadly never produced, though it could probably be reconstructed) and the casting. Ned Beatty is properly crude, Sam Waterson bemused, and Glenda Jackson her feisty self. But it is clearly Matthau's film -- mugging, hamming and thumbing his nose at authority. The movie is peppered with jokes about age, politics and relationships, and while it may not generate belly laughs, it sneaks up and grabs you, and doesn't let go.

Critics faulted the movie for Beatty's liberal use of the "F" word (well, it was 1980!), and this DVD edition offers two versions: the original as shown in theaters, and a sanitized version for television or for those faint of heart.

That being said, I prefer the original -- without the profanity, Beatty's character would have seemed toothless at times, and it was precisely his earnest crudeness that weighed so heavily in contrasting him with Matthau's urbane character.

I hope no one tries a "remake" of this gem. It wouldn't be anywhere near as much fun if it were produced today. In an era where toilet jokes pass as comedy and where "heroes" have to either be obnoxious or neurotic, this caliber of writing and acting would simply sail over most people's heads.

No, it's not "grand cinema," but it takes you on a warm and honest little romp that leaves you cheering and laughing all the way. If you're looking for intelligence in your humor and real professional actors at the top of their game, get this one!

This has long been one of my favorite films. Matthau is at his droll, cantankerous, witty best. The romance between Matthau's and Glenda Jackson's characters is understated and nicely done. The scenery is beautiful, the soundtrack is classic(al), the bad guys are a bit cartoonish, but the humor and excitement fly, and I love this film.

Miles Kendig (Matthau) is a competent CIA field agent in Germany; his new boss (Beatty) has a Napoleon complex and tapes on almost everyone in the agency. He wants to retire Kendig behind a desk. Kendig shreds his file and goes to Salzburg, visiting Glenda Jackson (an ex-CIA agent) and Mozart. He rejects an offer to work in the field as a Russian agent ("Money is too expensive to be earned that way.") and starts bouncing around the globe, writing "memoirs" that skewer Beatty.

Meanwhile, a younger agent (Waterson), to whom he has been a mentor, is assigned to find and "neutralize" him. (That's how Beatty's character talks all through this classic comedy. Almost every line is classic. Our family favorite is: "Of course it's funny, Leonard." You'd have to see the movie!)

The plot twists keep you engrossed; it takes several viewings to figure out how Matthau accomplishes everything. After that, you come back again and again for the characters, the scenery, the wit, the terrific writing. My husband and I saw it in the theater in 1980 and it is still our favorite comedy.

Bring it back! They don't get any more satisfying than this.