When the NSA ask him to take a job targeting a US research institute, something outside their jurisdiction, he rejects it despite a big dangled paycheck . Marty still has the anti-authoritarian leanings from his youth and this has a whiff of spying on the public. When the NSA agents casually drop his real name he knows he has no choice.
No good will come of this.
One of the canon "hacking" movies this combo of spy thriller, heist movie and comedy benefits from an absurdly starry cast. Sydney Poitier, David Strathairn, Dan Ackroyd, River Phoenix, Mary McDonnell and Ben Kingsley kept in reserve until we get to the hour mark. Then to top it all there's a James Earl Jones cameo.
It's light, fun, and even on release a bit of a period piece in that limbo between the Cold War and 90s excess but feeling like the 1980s.
That retro feel includes Mary McDonnell's Liz being used as a bit of a prop but not egregiously so and well Dan Ackroyd is also mostly there just to say weird conspiracy theory stuff.
A real comfort watch for 'computer people' of my generation 8/10.