Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

julian kennedy Hopscotch: Hopscotch is a pleasant adult comedy about a CIA field agent (Walter Matthew) forced behind a desk by new boss (Ned Beatty) and having his young protege (Sam Waterston) take his place. He leaves the CIA instead.He hides out with an old flame (Glenda Jackson)recently widowed and rich while pursued to turn sides by his old adversary an amiable KGB officer (Herbert Lom)The Good: Amiable is a good word for this entire film. Walter Matthew does nothing to surprise keeping in his pleasant but rascally grandpa mode he would use to such great effect a few years later in Grumpy Old Men. Despite the globe-trotting, the occasional gunfire and explosion there really is never a sense of threat to anyone. Atomic Blonde this is not.As for the rest of the cast. Sam Waterston gives a surprisingly pleasant performance as the protege, Ned Beatty seems to channel Jackie Gleason in Smokey and the Bandit (with even less menace) and Herbert Lom is the kindest most relaxed KGB bureau chief you will ever see.The Bad: Glenda Jackson (who is fine by the way) plays an ex-agent who got out when the CIA started getting too rough. It's that old it wasn't like this in the old days chestnut. The only problem with this theme is that anyone with a cursory knowledge of the CIA certainly would know it was much rougher and no holds barred in the sixties and early seventies than it was under Carter after the Church Committee hearings. To much paperwork or your not allowed to torture anymore would be a more accurate complaint but alas would not fit into the theme of the film.In Conclusion: If you like Walter Matthew you will like this film. It really is grumpy old spies. It clearly dropped some "f" bombs in the script so it could get an "R" rating in the US and market itself to an older crowd. There is nothing here in reality that would offend grandma or the grandkids. One trivial aside, there is a scene in a Hilton in London where they use key cards to get into their hotel room. I had no idea hotels had that in the late seventies. A fun relaxing funny movie.

Knox Morris In Netflix's recent TV adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS an Uncle of three children explains that, like books, movies have an outer layer of entertainment, but an inner layer of philosophical brilliance. This best applies to Ronald Neame's HOPSCOTCH which, while truly delightful, is less consciously more about getting old and having one last bit of fun before the latter part of your life gets the better of you. All these moments are organized to the music of Mozart, and, ironically, the screenplay is like a symphony. Director Neame and writer Garfield crafted a film so suspenseful, so hilarious, and so intellectually wise that it is hard to believe critics dismissed it as just another okay comedy. They seemed to have missed what was hidden in a shallow layer of sand — the message of Shakespeare's "undiscovered country," or more commonly known as death. This is usually conveyed through images, but with this film, satire is the choice. You actually never see a word of Kendig's revelations about the CIA. Could it be so truthful that it's terrifying? Full of such lies that the agency could be ruined for nothing? We don't know. 10/10.

TxMike I found this one on streaming Netflix, a real gem of a movie, every scene was absolutely interesting.Walter Matthau was almost 60, and that seems to be the age of his character, Miles Kendig, seemingly considered the best of the CIA agents. In the opening scene, to establish his character, he is in Germany and notices some interesting encounters in the crowd during an Octoberfest celebration. As the Russian spy exits the venue, Kendig confronts him, explains that he has photos, and demands the microfilm spy photo cartridge, in return he will "overlook" his being there.But Ned Beatty as Myerson is the younger, ambitious, division chief back in Washington. He isn't happy that the Russian spy is let go. So he sentences Kendig to a desk job, a menial filing job, until his retirement. But Myerson has skeletons in his own closet.Kendig decides not to get mad, but to get even. He basically fails to report to work and after a few days they begin to wonder where he was. In fact he was in Salzburg, Austria, visiting his girlfriend, rich widow Glenda Jackson as Isobel. Kendig decides to write a tell-all book about the CIA and in particular about the few he wants revenge against. He copies and sends the first chapter to a number of places, including Moscow and Washington.So most of the movie is about slick, calm Kendig always staying one or two steps ahead of the CIA who are trying to hunt him down. At each new location in hiding he writes another chapter and mails it to all the same places.Good movie, good story, good characters.SPOILERS: As the story is getting to its conclusion Kendig, also a pilot, buys an old plane outside London and tells one of the agents he will fly it to mainland Europe, because he knows all the normal exits from England are being monitored. They end up chasing him in a helicopter, and arrive over the cliffs of Dover. Then the airplane explodes over the water, Kendig is presumed dead. But we see that he was actually on land, flying by remote and had set off the explosives. At the very end we see him in a disguise, in a book store, his book "Hopscotch" is a best seller. He is with his girlfriend, whom he had given power of attorney before he disappeared, so they are set to live the good life.

bplcw I doubt anyone will read this far into the reviews, but for the record I felt I had to contribute. We all of us watch many, many movies, and some of us feel motivated to review some or all of them no matter the quality. I HAD TO REVIEW THIS, despite the fact I seldom bother, for I genuinely feel it was a delight. Previous reviewers will provide the details, and for example, the first review by dbborroughs has it completely right: wholesome, intelligent fun that is so seldom achieved by more "modern" movies that seem compelled to add gratuitous violence, explosions, one-liners, etc. There are shortcomings that could be improved, of course, but in the end they don't matter. The viewer is left with a smile that didn't depend on potty jokes or shock tactics for stimulation. Brilliant. The overall work is a true gem. Enjoy!