... I was in the DVD store, casting about for a decent actioner to take home for the extended family to watch (my in-laws have a projector and I was looking for “big screen” material for movie night) when Eagle Eye caught my attention. I don’t usually rent films without knowing anything about ... Read review
After the success of DISTURBIA, director D.J. Caruso and star Shia LaBeouf reunite for ... more
this thriller costarring Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie, and Billy Bob Thornton. In EAGLE EYE, an elaborate murder plot and its evil conspirator ensnare a pair of innocent people.
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Advantages: Good entertainment, decent performances, perfect brainless fun. Disadvantages: Parts of the film stretch credibility. Disappointing ending.
...material for movie night) when Eagle Eye caught my attention. I don’t usually rent films without knowing anything about them, but the cover blurb was intriguing and the cast looked OK, so I took the plunge (but also grabbed “State of Play” as kind of a fall-back in case Eagle was a real duffer).
===PLOT SUMMARY===
Jerry Shaw (LeBeouf) is a directionless serial slacker who has trouble committing to anything ... ...actively participate in it, then Eagle Eye is pretty good as the limited genre goes. LeBeouf does just about raise the film above the mediocre with his performance. Just don’t spend too much time analysing what you are seeing because once you scratch the surface you realise that there’s not a whole lot of substance underneath. That said, if it’s entertainment you are after, there’s nothing wrong with superficiality – this is Hollywood after all. ... more
INTRODUCTION
For a relatively new kid on the block, Shia LeBeouf seems to be cropping up in a fair few films these days. First he was being mothered by Carrie-Ann Moss in Disturbia, then hanging out with a bunch of robots and Megan Fox in Transformers, after which he was swanning about with aliens and that creaky old bloke with the whip and Fedora in the latest Indy instalment, and now he gets to spend a whole film in close proximity to Michelle Monaghan. Some guys get all the luck. I want his job. I was in the DVD store, casting about for a decent actioner to take home for the extended family to watch (my in-laws have a projector and I was looking for “big screen” material for movie night) when Eagle Eye caught my attention. I don’t usually rent films without knowing anything about them, but the cover blurb was intriguing and the cast looked OK, so I took the plunge (but also grabbed “State of Play” as kind of a fall-back in case Eagle was a real duffer).
PLOT SUMMARY
Jerry Shaw (LeBeouf) is a directionless serial slacker who has trouble committing to anything in his life. He has held a variety of jobs and travelled a lot, but to his father’s obvious disgust, appears to be “wasting” his life. Jerry has a lot to live up to – his identical twin brother, Ethan, is a super-high achiever in the Air Force and obviously the pride of his parents lives – but although Jerry loves his brother, his mere existence is enough to constantly remind him of the failure that he – and others – perceive him to be. As such, he does not keep in contact with his family, preferring to go it alone rather than have to demean himself by asking for their help. After this brief introduction to Jerry, he gets the first of two phone calls that will change his life forever. The first is from his mother, who calls to tell him of the tragic news that his twin has been killed in a car accident. The second comes shortly after he returns from the funeral. Having just found his previously empty bank account stuffed full of money, and a cache of weapons and explosives waiting in his flat, his phone rings, and a female voice calmly tells him that the FBI is about to raid his flat and that he has seconds to escape. This call sets a scarcely believable juggernaut of events into motion that forms the central premise of the film.
Meanwhile, across town, Rachel Holloman (Monagahan), is introduced as a hard-working single parent raising a precocious young boy. Her ex-husband is portrayed as self-absorbed and unreliable, but we only get to see him briefly, so the portrayal is a bit one-sided and anecdotal. We are introduced to this broken family as they meet up at a train station in Chicago to see their young son off on a school trip to Washington DC, where his school band is playing at the Kennedy Center as part of the festivities centred around the President’s State of the Union address. Having seen her son safely off, Rachel goes for a rare night out with her girlfriends, only to be interrupted by a phone call from her son. Only, it isn’t her son. The same female voice threatens to arrange to have her son’s train de-railed unless she follows instructions explicitly. Rachel and Jerry’s lives collide very soon after, and what follows is an intense, action packed and highly entertaining race against the clock which combines suspense, thrills, wry humour and some decent acting performances to make a good, fun film.
THE CAST
Without doubt, this is the best acting performance I have seen from LeBeouf in his short career to date. He plays Jerry Shaw with a pathos and endearing charm that gives the character surprising depth. This is a guy – an everyman – that you end up caring about and can relate to despite the slightly unbelievable things that are happening to him. Monaghan, on the other hand, is either a limited talent, or looks like she is going through the motions. Perhaps it doesn’t help that her character comes across as a little unsympathetic (sending your seven or eight year old kid 1,500 miles cross country to perform at the nation’s best classical music venue – and you prefer a night out on the lash with the girls? Honestly!). Also, while you are pretty sure about what drives Jerry Shaw, you don’t really get a handle on Rachel Holloman, and while there is some chemistry between the two, it seems a little forced and lazy. The supporting cast puts in a good turn – especially Billy Bob Thornton as the FBI agent tasked to track down the fleeing pair – although there are shades of Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) in his cynical, world-weary and slightly grizzled performance. Michael Chiklis has a small role as the Secretary of Defense, which he pulls off credibly, ably assisted by Rosario Dawson’s Air Force liasion. Nobody is going to win an Oscar for their performance, but no one really lets the side down either.
OBSERVATIONS
Once the film gets going, it gallops along at a breakneck pace, hardly giving you a chance to think, or catch up – which is just as well really because a lot of the events stretch credibility even for Hollywood. The central conceit of the film (and I give nothing away here) – the use of everyday technology as a means of covert surveillance and manipulation – is thought-provoking and interestingly realised, however, at times, it is so unbelievably executed that you just sit there thinking “You’re kidding – no chance!”. The “12” rating is fully justified due to the violence (several people are shot and the chases are pretty destructive) and the foul language routinely used by the protagonists.
DJ Caruso (who also directed LeBeouf in “Disturbia” and Michael Chiklis in “The Shield”) directs with an even hand, and at its running time of just under 2 hours, it’s a generally well-paced film, although there are one or two places where it drags just a little. Steven Spielberg is listed as an “Executive Producer” (and features prominently on the marketing material) but I am not really sure what that role actually adds to a film, so tend not to place great store by it. Apparently, according to the extras, very little digital enhancement was used in filming the stunt and chase sequences, which definitely adds to the realism of the film.
Finally, the ending is pure Hollywood. It’s difficult to critique without giving too much away. Up until then, it was doing quite nicely as a “check brain at door” type high-tech actioner with a heart, with a nice little redemption story on the side. Suffice it to say, in my book, the last three or four minutes were totally unnecessary, added nothing to the film and to be frank, really annoyed me.
EXTRAS
The DVD comes with a photo gallery (with stills from the film and publicity material). A short featurette called “Road Trip” telling how the film was made and highlighting the experiences of cast and crew in shooting for only two or three days at various locations, a gag reel that is actually quite funny, and an alternate ending which I’ll let you make your own mind up about. Very much like the film, the extras are hit and miss in quality (and quantity) and won’t take you more than ten minutes to cycle through. On their own, I’d give them six out of ten.The DVD is currently available on Amazon.co.uk for £5.98, but you're better off renting than buying even at that price.
VERDICT
If you are after a bit of mindless fun, don’t mind the lack of originality, and are willing to be carried along by a film rather than actively participate in it, then Eagle Eye is pretty good as the limited genre goes. LeBeouf does just about raise the film above the mediocre with his performance. Just don’t spend too much time analysing what you are seeing because once you scratch the surface you realise that there’s not a whole lot of substance underneath. That said, if it’s entertainment you are after, there’s nothing wrong with superficiality – this is Hollywood after all.
Advantages: Very tense, great action Disadvantages: Falls a bit flat towards the end
Eagle Eye is an action/ thriller film released 26th September 2008. The film was made on a budget of $80,000,000 an has grossed an estimated $178,066,569 at the box office. Despite it’s box office success, Eagle Eye didn’t do very well with the critics, infact only 27% of them gave this film a decent review. The film is rated 12 and runs for approximately 118 minutes.
D.J Caruso directed this, he’s also responsible for the brilliant Taking Lives ... ...When I first saw Eagle Eye advertised I thought it looked like a good film and was something that really appealed to me, however Eagle Eye sort of fell of the radar pretty quickly and as a result of that I got the misconception that this film was probably a bit of a let down and really wasn’t worth seeing at the cinema. I decided that I may as well just wait until it begins showing on Sky Box Office which tends to be about 6 months after it’s cinema ...
Great_reviewer07 03.05.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Eagle Eye (DVD)
Advantages: Great setpieces, strong performances, good message Disadvantages: Not enough research done, third act a letdown
...much already without once mentioning Eagle Eye, and that is because the relationship between director and star is so important, it was a leading factor that could make or break this movie. For after making Disturbia together, Spielberg then pitched a story about a young man framed for being a terrorist who must go on the run to prove his innocence. He once again wanted Caruso to direct, and both wanted LaBeouf to star. LaBeouf, having just wrapped ... ...to team up with the director again. Adding in the excellent Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible III) as a mother who must aid the young man (played by LaBeouf) if she wants to see her son again, as well as a supporting cast with the excellent Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa), Rosario Dawson (25th Hour) and Michael Chiklis (TV's The Shield), anticipation was high for this one, made even higher with the excellent trailers that were released. And did ...
hollerme 01.12.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Eagle Eye (DVD)
Advantages: Action Packed, Lots of familiar faces, and some added humour Disadvantages: Long winded, boring in parts, And dissappointment that it could have been so much better.
I found this film a little above average! the storyline was good, and they could have gone so much further with the script and done so much more, but they didnt, i kept excepting something amazing to happen but it didnt, throughout the film theres a huge build up but when it comes to it, it's not that impressive!
Shia laBeouf is as good as ever! and just as gorgeous, although they were trying to make him seem alot older than he looks, and that didnt ... ...a boy not a man, and i think he's becoming slightly type-cast.
The woman in it however wasn't as good, and her acting was poor, i've seen her in a few other films and she wasn't that bad, but in this she stank!
It seemed there was supposed to be some kind of spark between the pair throughout the film but she looked old enough to be his mother, maybe even his grandmother, and it all just didnt seem to fit!
i hate to be picky and i'm sure some people ...
emmalouise.xx 09.03.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Eagle Eye (DVD)
Advantages: average acting, some funny scenes Disadvantages: film starts to drag, can guess what happens, some parts are too silly.
I went to watch this film in the cinema yesterday in the UK. Without giving away any spoilers, the film was not as good as i was expecting. It's trailer certainly gives it more mystery than the whole film itself, you can tell what will and is going to happen. The film itself in my own opinion is a cross between iRobot and Die Hard 4 but far more silly and over-done. Shia LaBeouf is one of my favorite actors but i found him in this film not to meet ... ...think of him of a far better actor than what he played. The beginning of the film for the first half an hour was very good and kept the mystery of whats going on alive but it quickly ran out and you can pretty tell what was going to happen from there on, which made the other hour and half of the film seem a bit boring and for it to drag on which i guess was the main downfall of this film. I would say the effect of the cinema gave it credit too so ...
Young_1 25.10.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Eagle Eye (DVD)
Advantages: None Disadvantages: Loads of confusion
..."You know which".
Evidently, Eagle Eye , I my opinion Aims to mesh Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A spacy Odyssey with Steven Spielberg's Minority Report And Not to mention several other Hichcock's Classics.
Alas. It lacks The artistis version of those Formidable Directors, besides being far too confusing. I know who easy it is to get inspired by others works, Because you have to use much of your own brains. :-)
Then these two characters young man (LaBeouf) ... ...omnipotent cell-phone caller into a conspiracy to kill the President and dozen other men. Oh and the ending part where the bomb could be triggered with the sound of music is taken from Movie "Get Smart (2007)" There isn't much in screen play, apart from crashes and explosions.
And i wondering one more thing, If that So Called Super Computer could Control Everything. Why did it have to go all this extent to kill the President. It could simple have ...
jasskulaar 16.11.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Eagle Eye (DVD)
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Advantages: A likeable turn from Shia LaBoeuf. Disadvantages: Dodgy direction, appalling writing and some bad performances.
. There is also a lot of deep brooding brass and tense strings. Perhaps if he stuck to the traditional orchestral arrangements and turned down the volume just a touch, this would be a less overwhelming body of work. But his occasional dirty guitar riffs and synthesizer loops feel like a misplaced attempt at modernism. It doesn't gel with the rest of the soundtrack, in much the same way the big rock number over the end credits fails to resonate.
"EagleEye" will appeal if you like brainless action movies. But if you're looking for something that doesn't feel like the contents of a movie buff's recycling bin, or something that just makes sense, you'll be plum out of luck. The direction is too reliant on gimmicks to paper over the enormous cracks in the writing and the majority of the performances are generic. The central conceit is flawed ...
afy9mab 04.11.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Eagle Eye (DVD)
Advantages: Action packed and a really intense thriller - who knew! Disadvantages: Includes similarities to other films in a relative film category
** Contains some information that could be considered a spoiler **
EagleEye is a fast paced film going from one thing to the next packed with action and full of viewer curiosity.
In my opinion, I think the cast list was great. Both main charcters did a great job and made the whole film come alive. I have seen other movies with these characters in and I thought they were the right people for the job.
The storyline to the film in my opinion is good and all, but I also think it's a bit similar to other films I have seen which made it not as unique as I thought it was at the begining. To me, the film is a mix of I,Robot (Will smith) and Terminator. The way it is similar to I,Robot is that it ends up being a computer based "bad guy" just like the one in I,Robot, which to me looks a little copied. Also, it reminds me of Terminator ...
ConnorH 17.08.2009 (20.08.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Eagle Eye (DVD)
Advantages: action, special effects, plot Disadvantages: slightly unoriginal
EagleEye is an all out action thriller from the word go, with its emphasis on the two lead characters Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) trying to evade the F.B.I, whilst proving their innocence and saving Rachel's son.
EagleEye has an eerie feeling throughout, with a 'super-computer' named Aria carrying out its terrorists beliefs in order to overthrow the government. Not only does the brilliant Spielberg create an overflow of tension but he manages to combine it with a sophisticated futuristic feel to the film, in which the 'super-computer' manages to tap into phone calls and control everything electronically in the state including and involving an epic crane scene, with mesmerizing special effects.
Shia LaBeouf also carries off his leading role exceptionally well in my opinion, and convincingly ...
Contains moderate action violence and one use of strong language
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Plot
After the success of DISTURBIA, director D.J. Caruso and star Shia LaBeouf reteam for the action thriller EAGLE EYE, in which a couple of innocent people get caught up in an elaborate murder plot.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital
Professional reviews
Review
Non-stop action! (Daily Star, 26/01/2009)
A fun techno romp, mixing great bang for your buck with insights into the dangers of restricting civil liberties (Empire, 26/01/2009)
DVD Description
Riding high on the success of DISTURBIA, director D.J. Caruso and star Shia LaBeouf reteam for the action thriller EAGLE EYE, in which a couple of innocent people get caught up in an elaborate murder plot. After receiving bad news about his brother, Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) rushes home from work, only to discover his apartment filled with incriminating packages. A phone call warning him to vacate the premises immediately only adds to his confusion. But Jerry is not the only one to have his quiet life turned upside down; having just seen her young son off on an overnight school trip, single mum Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) also finds herself at the mercy of the mystery caller. Suddenly, these two strangers are thrust into a web of fear, as the female caller threatens dire consequences--for them and their families--if they fail to comply with her demands. Powerless to act, Jerry and Rachel scramble to make sense of what's going on, who's behind the calls, and what it is they want. Filled with explosive action, car crashes, and high-tech hi-jinx, this thriller moves at breakneck speed. Technology is the co-star here: electronic signs relay the next move to Jerry and Rachel, traffic lights change on cue, and strangers' mobile phones ring with directions. The strong supporting cast includes Billy Bob Thornton as a hard-nosed FBI agent who is investigating LaBeouf for terrorism, and Michael Chiklis as the Secretary of Defence. Rosario Dawson, Ethan Embry, and Anthony Mackie also star in the film, for which Steven Spielberg served as executive producer. LaBeouf remains an interesting young actor, able to move from action sequences to emotional moments with ease, and Monaghan protects her screen son with a mother's ferocity.
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