Four out of
Five stars
Running time:
118 mins
Enjoyable, fast-paced thriller that compensates for its increasingly ridiculous plot with strong performances, great direction and some terrific action sequences.
What's it all about?
Shia LaBeouf stars as Jerry Shaw, a slacker who's devastated when his high-achieving twin brother dies in an accident. However, his problems are only just beginning, as he begins receiving phone calls from a mysterious woman and soon finds himself on the run after being framed for suspected terrorism.
While fleeing custody, Jerry receives unexpected help from a total stranger (Michelle Monaghan) who's also been getting the strange phone calls. With two dogged Federal Agents (Billy Bob Thornton and Rosario Dawson) on their tail, the pair are forced to do what the voice says, particularly as it seems to be in control of every computer system in America.
The Good
Director DJ Caruso has clearly studied classic chase thrillers and he maintains a breakneck pace throughout, keeping the characters constantly on the move and piling on set-piece after set-piece. The action scenes are genuinely exciting, even if the plot becomes more and more preposterous as it goes on.
The cast are fantastic – LaBeouf and Monaghan make appealing leads (though there's no chemistry between them) and Thornton is wonderfully caustic, nabbing all the best lines. There's also strong support from Rosario Dawson (who should play more FBI Agents) and Michael Chiklis as the uncharacteristically principled Secretary of Defence.
The Great
The script expertly blends together several different sources, most notably War Games and 2001, though there are also several crowd-pleasing references to films such as North By Northwest. Even the climax is amusingly similar to the finale of this summer's Get Smart.
That said, your enjoyment of Eagle Eye will largely depend on your ability to accept the ridiculousness of the plot and just go along for the ride. Similarly, the enjoyable finale is almost scuppered by what looks like a hastily rewritten final scene.
Worth seeing?
Eagle Eye is something of a guilty pleasure – it's utterly ridiculous, but it's also a hugely enjoyable thriller with superb performances and exciting action scenes. Recommended.