Sure, the tech from the movie is horridly outdated.
But the film does offer two major things in the nerd department: an excellent depiction (still true today) about social engineering and other hacking methods that aren't tied strictly to a particular point-in-time's technology, and a view into the time when hacking was more of an art and a hobby, than the more nefarious corporate/nation-state espionage crime it is today.
And of course, there's the music, which vies with that from The Saint (the Val Kilmer movie, not the Roger Moore series) and Groove for the best techno/electronic soundtrack ever.
The movie itself is just pure nonsensical fun - the plot moves forward without excessive convolutions or gaps, but don't think too hard. This is a movie enjoyed for it's window-in-time nature, and just as a fun thing. Kinda like Ferris Bueller.
Lots of fun, even 20 years later...
Sure, the tech from the movie is horridly outdated.
But the film does offer two major things in the nerd department: an excellent depiction (still true today) about social engineering and other hacking methods that aren't tied strictly to a particular point-in-time's technology, and a view into the time when hacking was more of an art and a hobby, than the more nefarious corporate/nation-state espionage crime it is today.
And of course, there's the music, which vies with that from The Saint (the Val Kilmer movie, not the Roger Moore series) and Groove for the best techno/electronic soundtrack ever.
The movie itself is just pure nonsensical fun - the plot moves forward without excessive convolutions or gaps, but don't think too hard. This is a movie enjoyed for it's window-in-time nature, and just as a fun thing. Kinda like Ferris Bueller.