Edition:
October 3, 2008
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Movie Reviewers
When will they ever learn? It’s a well established fact that super-computers given too much power turn to evil and take over. And whatever you do, don’t try to power it down against its will. Don’t get us wrong, artificial intelligence is better than what’s leading this country today. However, this one’s voice is as direct, sadistic and scary as Judge Judy’s.
Producer Steven Spielberg makes a feeble attempt at a political message that almost succumbs under its own weight. Fortunately, in this engrossing thriller, the non-stop action doesn’t slow down long enough for the audience to realize how preposterous the story is. You might say it’s one of those political messages without much to say.
This female “Hal,” in the Eagle Eye computer, phones Copy Cabana Boy Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf, “Disturbia”). A Stanford dropout, Jerry’s apartment is unexplainably filled with explosives and weapons directly from Jihads-R-Us. Jerry is instructed by the voice to leave immediately to avoid the FBI, but is caught off guard by the situation and captured by Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton, “Mr. Woodcock”).
Seems this mysterious Eagle Eye controls and coordinates cell phones, PDAs, laptops and even traffic lights to achieve its unknown objective. This power was intricately designed for our national defense, but given a “fat finger interrupt,” could accidentally be turned to evil using technologies of everyday life to track and control our every move.
Jerry is freed, but must follow the instructions in order to stay a step ahead of the law, who assumes he is a terrorist. Meanwhile, Jerry meets Rachel (Michelle Monaghan, “Made of Honor”), who also is notified, “You’ve been activated.” Together, they follow these bizarre directives in order to stay alive and mitigate threats against their families.
Not unlike Will Smith’s “Enemy of the State” (1998), technology is their adversary. They immediately become two of the nation’s most wanted fugitives as they determine who is giving the orders and more importantly, why. Fortunately, in each incredible chase scene, the big city cops drive like Roscoe and Enos in “Dukes of Hazard.” Jeff and Michelle are chased on foot, in the streets and even in the airport luggage chutes.
In one scene, a heavily armed aircraft chases their car into a tunnel in downtown Washington, D.C. In computer circles, this is defined as “carpool tunnel syndrome.” As the situation continues to escalate, they question the ultimate objective of their mission, their unwilling roles in this scheme and the ultimate consequences of their actions.
D.J. Caruso, who also directed LaBeouf in “Disturbia” (2007) keeps his audience entertained and on the edge of their seats. But, rookie writers John Glenn and Travis Wright forgot to include any level of plausibility in the story; great premise, poor script.
Thornton is tolerable as the FBI agent, but the part screams for Tommy Lee Jones to chase these fugitive hotshots around town. LaBeouf easily migrates from his successful teener roles to a somewhat troubled, but affable young adult. And, Monaghan is once again believable as the anxious, energetic and unwilling partner of the suspicious Jeff Shaw. Rounding out the cast are Rosario Dawson as an Air Force officer (really!) and Michael Chiklis as the morally grounded Defense Secretary (a real stretch!).
“Eagle Eye” is 118 minutes and rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and for language. A few scenes were filmed at March Air Force Base in the Inland Empire, but mostly in Chicago and Washington, D.C. This is a fast paced, noisy farce, but if you park your intelligence at the door, it can be enormously entertaining.
Here, computers network better than physically or logically possible. And, for some reason, movie computers require some form of large beryllium sphere as their source. Okay, we get the big brother eye-in-the-sky threat, but why don’t they just hit, “control alt delete?” Or, at the right moment, catch the computer when it goes out for a quick byte.
Ron’s Rating: B+ Leigh’s Rating: B
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