Eagle Eye (Paramount Pictures)
Faster Than A Speeding Bullet
Eagle Eye is a movie that moves with such speed and such excitement that it doesnt matter whether the basic plot makes any sense or not. It is all in the chase and the outcome. And when the finale comes it is another tribute from actor Shia LaBeouf and director D J Caruso (Disturbia) to Alfred Hitchcock.
The whole film takes on a Hitchcock like attitude as every day person Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) is jarred out of his humdrum life into a mad world where he receives instructions via his cell phone and other mechanical instruments. He is framed by an unknown voice as a terrorist and finds himself in the hands of the FBI, namely Special Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton).
After he escapes from the FBI he is paired with Rachel Holliman (Michelle Monaghan). She too is being coerced by this voice into doing several acts she would never do in her ordinary life. Shaw and Holliman are on a mission to put into play an act that could throw the country into chaos.
As they race towards their destination there are car chases and car wrecks galore. The audience barely gets a chance to catch its collected breath before another terrifying event is under way. The actors dont have to act, they just have to react and react they do to one threat after another and to simultaneous close calls.
Director Caruso knows how to keep the adrenaline pumping and the thrills coming. He might have tried a little harder to give his actors a chance to shine but mainly he keeps them running and jumping.
LaBeouf and Monaghan are totally effective in their roles because they do look like ordinary people. They interact well with each other and there is no time out for romance. This is not that kind of film. They are too busy staying alive, so any mutual attraction takes a back burner.
The film is rated PG-13 for violence and profanity.
Thornton is underutilized as Morgan while Rosario Dawson makes a better impression as an OSI Agent. Ethan Embry has a cameo as one of Thorntons assistants, and Michael Chiklis is seen briefly as the Secretary of Defense.
The focus of the film is on LaBeouf and Monaghan as they race from one point to the next. Their plight might not make much sense but it sure is fun to watch. By the time they arrive at that The Man Who Knew Too Much moment the audience is completely worn out but in a good way.
So buckle yourself into your seat and prepare for takeoff. Eagle Eye is a race against the clock that will keep you entertained and out of breath.
I scored Eagle Eye a soaring 7 out of 10.
