Think Tank

Brilliant researcher David Loren happily sold his soul to the US military, accepting a lavish lifestyle in exchange for his complicity in state-sanctioned death. Belatedly confounded by moral concerns, he is determined to escape his military-industrial cage; his handlers, who range from the overtly hostile to seeming sympathetic, are just as determined to keep Dr. Loren safely contained and dedicated to his often lethal research. A misstep in discipline transforms David's passive-aggressive acts of rebellion into action but his resolution to escape his cage may be sabotaged by his inability to see the true bars around him. There isn't much wrong with this tale of a genius contending with an officious, controlling bureaucracy but on the other hand there is not much original either. All sides play out their assigned roles with an enjoyable competence but nobody who is familiar with this sort of thriller can fail to see the plot twists coming. (Jan.)