Cloak & Dagger (1984)

Director:

Richard Franklin

Writers:

Tom Holland (screen story and screenplay)
Tom Holland (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 August 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Family | Adventure | Crime | Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

Davey's hero was imaginary . . . but the enemy agents were real!

Plot:

11-year-old Davey, whose mother is dead and whose father doesn't spend nearly enough time with him....

Plot Keywords:

Video Game | Spy | Espionage | Hero | Imaginary Friend

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Henry Thomas	...	Davey Osborne
Dabney Coleman	...	Jack Flack / Hal Osborne
Michael Murphy	...	Rice
Christina Nigra	...	Kim Gardener
John McIntire	...	George MacCready
Jeanette Nolan	...	Eunice MacCready
Eloy Casados	...	Alvarez
Tim Rossovich	...	Haverman
William Forsythe	...	Morris (as Bill Forsythe)
Robert DoQui	...	Lt. Fleming
Shelby Leverington	...	Marilyn Gardener
Linden Chiles	...	Airport Security Chief
Robert Curtin	...	Murdoch
William Marquez	...	Airport Security Guard #1
Wendell Wright	...	Airport Security Guard #2

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Australia:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Glendale Galleria, Glendale, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Although the movie has gained a reputation for being something of an Atari 5200 commercial, there is a ColecoVision, the 5200's main competitor, visible in the main room of the Game Keeper. It's visible at the top of the screen as Davie is collapsing the walkie-talkie's antenna after talking to Rice.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Among the Atari 5200 games shown as being available in store shelves are Cloak & Dagger and Tempest. However, neither one of these games was ever released for the Atari 5200.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Davey Osborne: How'd you escape?
Hal Osborne: Jack Flack always escapes.
Davey Osborne: I don't need him anymore. I've got you, Dad.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dabney Coleman Fever (2005)

Classic for kids, enjoyable for adults

Short and sweet: I loved this movie as a kid--now I'm an adult and I still love it. Yes, the computers and games are horribly dated. Heck, my computer from two years ago is horribly dated. That doesn't change the fact that this is a solid, exciting movie which is appropriate for most school-age children without being dumb or talking down to them. I know there's nostalgia involved in this, but kids movies have gone downhill since the '80's. We had The NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Secret of Nimh, The Goonies, Cloak & Dagger...what do kids today have? See Spot Run. ANYWAY, this is a good movie, your kids will probably like it (if only to see what video games were like in the dark ages) and you'll like it, too.