Eagle Eye (2008)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

D.J. Caruso

Writers (WGA):

John Glenn (screenplay) &
Travis Wright (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 September 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

If you want to live you will obey

Plot:

Jerry and Rachel are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations, using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move.

Plot Keywords:

Death | Technology | FBI | Cell Phone | Twin Brother

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 11	8:00 PM	HBO
Sat. July 11	11:45 PM	HBO

Cast

Shia LaBeouf	...	Jerry Shaw
Michelle Monaghan	...	Rachel Holloman
Rosario Dawson	...	Zoe Perez
Michael Chiklis	...	Defense Secretary Callister
Anthony Mackie	...	Major William Bowman
Ethan Embry	...	Agent Toby Grant
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Agent Thomas Morgan
Anthony Azizi	...	Ranim Khalid
Cameron Boyce	...	Sam Holloman
Lynn Cohen	...	Mrs. Wierzbowski
Bill Smitrovich	...	Admiral Thompson
Charles Carroll	...	Mr. Miller
William Sadler	...	Jerry's Dad
Deborah Strang	...	Jerry's Mom
Dariush Kashani	...	Translator

Also Known As:

Eagle Eye - Außer Kontrolle (Germany)
Eagle Eye: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)
Control total (Argentina) (Peru) [es]
L'oeil du mal (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Îguru ai (Japan) [ja]
Controle Absoluto (Brazil) [pt]
Eagle Eye (Japan: English title) [en]
Kartal göz (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Kotkasilm (Estonia) [et]
La conspiración del pánico (Spain) [es]
Oko dravca (Slovakia) [sk]
Oko dravce (Czech Republic) [cs]
Olhos de Lince (Portugal) [pt]
Pagidevmenoi (Greece) [el]
Sasszem (Hungary) [hu]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and for language.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS | Sonics-DDP (IMAX version)

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44704) | Finland:K-13 | Australia:M | South Korea:12 | UK:12A | Argentina:13 | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Singapore:PG | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIA | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:12 | Malaysia:U | Denmark:11 | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Canada:G (Québec) | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:12 | Norway:15 | South Africa:13V | Peru:14 | Taiwan:PG-12

Filming Locations:

Apple Valley, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Aria appears to be based upon a "black" program through the National Security Agency which is believed to be a large computer program that monitors and records phone calls by listening in for key words related to terrorism and the like.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Early in the movie when Jerry is on the El train in Chicago, he is shown at the Quincy stop, but the train that he is on is a specific type of train that is only utilized on the Blue line route that doesn't go through the Quincy station. Also, shortly after leaving the Quincy station he is shown at the Wilson station, which is on a completely different train line and would probably require at least 30 minutes to get to even if on the correct train line.

Quotes:

Jerry Shaw: You know you got the wrong guy right?

Movie Connections:

References 50 First Dates (2004)

Soundtrack:

Sometime Around Midnight

A summer blockbuster at heart...just sit back and enjoy the incredibly unrealistic ride

Ah, the seemingly perfect combination of Steven Spielberg, director D.J. Caruso, and everyman leading star Shia LaBeouf. These guys took us by storm with the pleasant surprise Disturbia last year, and pretty much anything with the name Spielberg on it has to be at least entertaining, if not excellent. That's what Eagle Eye is.

First off, I cannot stress this enough: don't take this movie seriously. Please don't get mad because the movie isn't realistic. I know it's unrealistic. You know it. Shia LaBeouf knows it. That doesn't stop Eagle Eye from being one of the most entertaining and effective thrillers of recent memory. Is it as smart or as gripping as other chase and mystery thrillers such as the Bourne series? Of course not. However, whenever Eagle Eye stretches our minds to the breaking limits with the insanity on screen, it manages to throw in a mind boggling action sequence or two right as we start to get mad.

The film, very well masked by trailers that really only show the beginning of the film and small pieces of the end, deals with cyber-terrorism and a secret military project dealing with destruction and national security. The US Secretary of Defense is portrayed (Michael Chiklis), it's incredibly unrealistic, has Shia LaBeouf, and has a prominent military character (Anthony Mackie). I can already here the Transformers comparisons flying in. The film also lacks in the originality department elsewhere, as elements of I, Robot and Live Free or Die Hard are also present and quite obvious.

I cannot give enough accolades to whoever thought up this action - Eagle Eye boasts arguably the best action sequences of the year. The CGI is seamless and more than worthy of an Oscar nomination. With car chases to rival the best of them, as well as one of the most clever "on-foot" chases I've ever seen within an airport, Eagle Eye never fails to grab your attention with the incredible action sequences.

Now to our cast, the headliners of which are two of film's biggest rising stars. Both live up to their names and reputations admirably. Shia LaBeouf revisits the "troubled youth" character he created in Disturbia, though his turn here is darker and has more depth. He really stretches some acting muscle in the beginning of the film, and it is because of this early success that we are willing to go along for the ride with him, following, trusting, and believing in his Jerry Shaw. Michelle Monaghan, long one of the most underrated in the business, also helps us believe in her character with a convincing show of emotion early in the film. The whole film, despite the action sequences, rides on the shoulders of the leads. If the audience doesn't like them, the film will ultimately fail. I'm pleased to tell you that they rise to the occasion and carry the film with ease.

Our supporting cast includes veterans Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Chiklis. Maybe it was the script, but Thornton's character was so stereotypical and overdone that it almost made him laughable - especially towards the end. Chiklis did great in his role as the Secretary of Defense - and the unfortunate "victim" of circumstance. Rosario Dawson and Anthony Mackie are acceptable in even smaller roles.

I remember when I watched my first D.J. Caruso film a few years ago (Two For the Money), and I remember how much I hated that film. However, Caruso has certainly grown as a filmmaker and has found his niche in the hugely entertaining action blockbuster genre, even if a lot of "movie borrowing" is done. This will be his breakthrough that will allow him a little more freedom as a filmmaker and possibly allow him to blossom into more than just an action film director. The touches of Spielberg are obvious, as the legendary director/producer's presence is only a plus.

Eagle Eye, in short, is a summer blockbuster released in September. It feels like a summer film, and has the components of a summer film: explosions, terrorism, and Shia LaBeouf. It is everything you want in an entertaining action thriller. Don't go looking for your super realistic epic here - Eagle Eye prides itself on blowing your mind every way possible.