Michael Douglas, Donald Sutherland, Dennis Miller and Demi Moore. Starring in a thrilling drama about sex and capitalism that gender bends its way through a harassment story. Written by Michael Crichton. Should be good, right? Best-selling author + A-list actors + sex + money = hit!. Slow down there, punchy. Not this one.
The plot of this movie is centered around a less-than "thrilling" danger: Michael Douglas might get fired. He has a loving family, a wonderful wife, and a cush job for a computer company. Oh, poor Michael. Because in 1994, everyone knows finding a job in the field of technology was such a crunch. Its hard to feel the suspense.
One minute Tom (played by Douglas) is set up for a promotion and the world is all okay. The next he's passed over for an old flame of his, played by Demi Moore. The very day Meredith Johnson (Moore) takes over the company, she makes her intentions clear. That evening Meredith "attacks" Tom in a seduction scene that should be sexy, but comes off as laughable. A petite woman in heels and a suit throwing around a man that outweighs her by 80 lbs, saying gruff things like "give me what I want" and "you know you like it." And all the while Tom is whimpering and trying his hardest to fight her off.
Meredith vows to get revenge, then files sexual harassment charges against Tom. All could be lost. At his bleakest moment, e-mail clues with no sender, some loose detective work around the office, and a little help from his friends all start showing up to help Tom. Can he overcome this horrible situation without losing his job and family? We'll see.
Disclosure dates itself with over-the-top technobabble as hokey (but not nearly as fun) as Hackers. In 1994 this probably would've had the average movie-goer enthralled, but not now. All this could be forgiven, even enjoyable, if the acting was polished and at the level some of these actors usually offer. Unfortunately the characters come off as stereotypical, almost absurdly so.
Skip this one. See Falling Down if you like suspensful movies about unemployment, see The Game if you like movies starring a frustrated Michael Douglas, see Striptease if you want to see Demi Moore naked. If you absolutely have to experience this movie, wait for it to come on television--don't waste money renting it. Or better yet, read the book.