Art Vandelay Walter Matthau must have been the world's No.1 box office draw in 1980 because I fail to see any other reason why this movie would get made. Granted, it doesn't insult my intelligence or wish I had stayed home instead of going to the movies, like most 21st-century movies do. But it's also one of the least-challenging films aimed, presumably, at adults that I've seen in a long time. It takes not a single chance with anything - photography, script, acting, comedy, drama. The only thing to recommend it would be the wonderful classical music soundtrack. That's thin gruel for two hours of watching.

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.

Rich Wright I love films where a smart guy outwits a bunch of buffoons in authority. Walter Matthua plays the veteran CIA agent who decides to resign in a blaze of glory, by revealing all the secrets of his occupation via a book. He leads his former colleagues on a merry dance throughout Europe and America, one step ahead of his dim-witted pursuers all the way. He pauses only to flirt with a very sexy Glenda Jackson, before she turned into a shrieking harridan of an MP. Humiliate your stuff shirted bosses AND have a lot of fun doing it? Am I jealous or what...The script crackles with funny dialogue and ludicrous situations, and as Matthua's plans become more convoluted, so the entertainment factor increases by a notch. He's like the funny uncle I never had (Sorry to my two present incumbents, but it's true) and his sheer presence in every scene is almost enough to make you grin. Give me this guy over 007 any day. 7/10

Lee Eisenberg The '70s had seen a number of movies dealing with suspicion of the government ("The Parallax View", "Three Days of the Condor", etc), and so "Hopscotch" plays it for laughs. Walter Matthau plays a CIA agent who decides to rat on the CIA, KGB, etc. Much of the movie has the CIA chasing him all over the place, while he outwits them at every turn. And there's a lot of great classical music every step of the way, as well as some great scenery. I wouldn't say that I had a specific favorite scene, but I did like Matthau's escape in Georgia.It's just a funny movie, and I really liked it. Also starring are Glenda Jackson, Ned Beatty, Sam Waterston and Herbert Lom (the police chief in the Pink Panther movies). Director Ronald Neame also directed "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and "The Poseidon Adventure".