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Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Ned Beatty, Sam Waterston, Herbert Lom ... see more see more... , David Matthau , George Baker , Ivor Roberts , Lucy Saroyan , Terry Beaver , Ray Charleson , Allan Cuthbertson , Severn Darden , Joe Dorsey , Susan Engel , Mike Gwilym , Anne Haney , Jacquelyn Hyde , Yolanda King , Sally Nesbitt , George Pravda , Osman Ragheb , Roy Sampson , Philip Voss , Laura Whyte , Douglas Dirkson , Larry Larson , Richard Moore , Antony Carrick , Randy Patrick , Jeremy Young , Michael Cronin , Joanna McCallum

Walter Matthau plays a CIA agent who's been confined by office politics to a desk job. The disgruntled Matthau quits the service and heads to Europe, where he links up with former lover (an fellow ex-... read more read more...agent) Glenda Jackson. All goes smoothly until Matthau acts on the advice of yet another retired agent, Russian Herbert Lom, who suggests that Matthau write a tell-all autobiography. Spitefully, Matthau sends out copies of his first chapter to the heads of the CIA agencies throughout the world--and from that point on, he and Jackson don't have a moment's peace. This delights Matthau: now that all of his former colleagues are chasing after him, he has a reason to get up in the morning. As written by Brian Garfield, Hopscotch was a conventionally serious espionage novel. As adapted for the big screen by Garfield and Bryan Forbes, Hopscotch is a lively exercise in cloak-and-dagger comedy, even when the pursuit of Matthau turns deadly towards the end. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

72% liked it

2,914 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

12 critics

R, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Ronald Neame

Release Date: January 1, 1980

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DVD Release Date: August 20, 2002

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Stats: 194 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (194)

  • ajv2688
    January 8, 2011
    ajv2688
    Half boring, and half funny. This movie isn't really worth watching unless you're a fan of Landau. The story is kind of silly, but it's okay.
  • jjnxn
    August 14, 2009
    jjnxn
    Okay caper suffers from miscasting of Matthau in the lead, his action are just too slow for him to be convincing as a man of stealth. Glenda is wasted in a nothing part.
  • The80sExpert
    August 26, 2010
    The80sExpert
    Although it was funny how Landau's character made the government look like idiots, I almost sided with them in the end. Is he really jeopardizing national security just for fun? The movie isn't very clear on that. Half of the movie was pretty boring, though, there were a few s... read morecenes which were funny. Overall, an okay movie.
  • Turfseer
    April 3, 2010
    Turfseer
    Tale of Matthau's rogue CIA agent is a rather dull and boring affair

    *** This review may contain spoilers ***

    You'll probably love 'Hopscotch' if you love Walter Matthau. It's really a one man show with the supporting cast playing second fiddle all the way to the late, great th... read moreespian. The film dates back to 1980 during the height of the Cold War. Matthau plays Miles Kendig, a veteran CIA agent who takes down a Soviet spy ring but declines to eliminate the leader of the operation, his KGB nemesis, Yaskov. Kendig has been friends with Yaskov for years and when his new boss at CIA headquarters, Myerson (played by an unpleasant Ned Beatty who continually employs the "F" word throughout the movie), is angered by Kendig's refusal to eliminate Yaskov, he transfers the veteran operative to the file room.

    Kendig then destroys his own file and takes off without telling anyone at the CIA where he is off to. He then meets with Yaskov who offers him a job as a double agent but Kendig apologetically declines. Yaskov then asks Kendig what he'll do with the rest of his life and when Kendig replies that he's uncertain, Yaskov suggests that he write his memoirs. This is the impetus for the second act of 'Hopscotch' in which Kendig decides to take his revenge on his former employer by sending the first chapter of his memoirs to various spy agencies around the world including the CIA. The memoirs chronicle a long history of CIA 'dirty tricks' in which Myerson had a big hand. Myerson is bent on eliminating Kendig in order to prevent the big expose.

    The rest of Hopscotch involves a cat and mouse game where Myerson, along with the operative who replaced Kendig, Cutter (ably played by a young Sam Waterson), attempt to discover Kendig's whereabouts before he finishes his manuscript and has it published. Kendig ends up globe trotting including a trip to Myerson's house in Georgia where he places firecrackers inside the living room and then phones the CIA from Myerson's home phone. The FBI joins the CIA and they end up shooting up the house as the firecrackers go off. Kendig escapes by taking one of Myerson's bumbling operatives hostage, driving off in a small truck (since this is supposed to be a comedy, no one ever tries to jump Kendig while he brandishes a gun, knowing full well that he would never shoot anyone!).

    Nothing much else happens until the climax when Kendig rigs an old bi-plane to fly via remote control. As Myerson chases the bi-plane in a helicopter, Kendig pushes a button and the plane explodes, leading the CIA to believe that Kendig is no more (it's not clear how Kendig makes it look like he never got into the plane). With the CIA no longer chasing him, Kendig's memoirs becomes a best-seller and he walks off into the sunset with his old flame, Isobel, played by the now retired Glenda Jackson.

    We first meet Isobel at the beginning of the film where Kendig rekindles his old relationship with her in Austria. Unfortunately, the chemistry between the two actors fizzles, since they are never seen face to face until the end of the movie (they communicate constantly via telephone). The same goes for all the other principals (including Beatty and Waterston) who have virtually no screen time face to face with Matthau (there's a rather flat scene where Kendig ties Cutter up in a hotel room).

    If you're looking for many twists and turns, you will not find it here in 'Hopscotch'. The whole thing is a rather pedestrian affair, adapted from a popular novel whose screenplay did not translate very well into the intended visual tour de force. Hopscotch is also supposed to be witty and amusing but is undercut by the one-note, nasty image of the CIA, represented by the aforementioned unpleasant Myerson, bent on taking down a rogue agent at any cost. The CIA's attempt to eliminate Kendig (instead of capturing him), ruins the otherwise whimsical tone of the film's narrative. On the other hand, Waterson's 'Cutter' and Herbert Lom's 'Yaskov' are too warm-hearted to have much effect on the proceedings, as the story simply plods along.

    My late father, a big classical music aficionado, was a big fan of this movie and with a plethora of all that Mozart constituting the film's soundtrack, I can understand why. Despite the endearing musical score, Hopscotch's plot is a big dud as its protagonist's machinations do not prove to be very clever. If you're willing to give Hopscotch a 'pass' based on your love for Walter Matthau (as Roger Ebert did in his 1980 review), then you might deceive yourself into believing this is a well-written movie. It's not and in reality it's a rather dull and boring affair!
  • jam233
    November 20, 2009
    jam233
    The cast is a huge asset to the film, Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson are both great, and the supporting cast does very well. It?s an amusing story, entertaining but does have a few slow stretches. Overall, it?s good.
  • villainforhire
    November 9, 2008
    villainforhire
    has some truly hilarious moments and serves as a great precursor to many films in this vein that followed. no one could have played kendig better than matthau did.
  • thecalverts
    June 7, 2007
    thecalverts
    Walter Matthau and Sam Waterston reign supreme at the expense of poor Ned Beatty. Funny through and through.
  • Samekh
    December 18, 2006
    Samekh
    A sadly underrated movie, in my opinion...a lot of fun to watch Walter Matthau take on the bureaucracy. Watch for it on late night TV!

View All Hopscotch Reviews

Critic Reviews

Rich Cline
September 30, 2005
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

enjoyable romp

David Nusair
April 25, 2004
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...ultimately never amounts to much. Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
January 29, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Hopscotch offers a successful mix of adventure, comedy and romance. Full Review

James Kendrick
September 15, 2002
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

a light, breezy riff on spy movie conventions

Jeremy Heilman
August 22, 2002
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com

Ronald Neame's cheeky spy comedy Hopscotch isn't quite an awful movie, but it's so thoroughly and relentlessly mediocre... Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Vincent Canby
August 30, 2004
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 3, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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Hopscotch Trivia

  • In these quotes from Night at The Museum, which actor plays guss? Gus: "Instructions; you start with 1... 2... 3..." Larry:" 4? " Gus: "Are you cracking wise? I oughta punch you in the nose Hopscotch."   Answer »
  • Which word in "Corpse Bride" will allow Victor and the Corpse Bride to return to the land of the dead?   Answer »
  • What movie had Walter Matthau as a spy who's been demoted?   Answer »
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