Hoo-boy. Are you sitting down? Well, if you're at a computer, then odds are good the answer is yes. If during the reading of this page you suddenly find that your phone rings and a strange voice on the other end tells you to run out the door in 30 seconds, then I'll understand. The phone rules. That's what happens in EAGLE EYE. The phone rings and suddenly Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are pushed forward into action.
Just look at how enslaved some folks are during their normal daily routines. Answering the beckoning of the almighty cell phone at a moment's notice: in the store, on the street, while riding transportation, even at the movies! For some people the need to be in constant communication is a bit of a disease. I refuse to answer my cell phone if I know there's no urgency to it. Any caller can leave a message and I'll take the next step to respond afterwards. Unfortunately, this is not an option available to the film's two leads.
They are thrown into the turmoil against their wills. She has been persuaded her son is in danger and he is being blackmailed with a room full of illegal and secretive paraphernalia. The plot is simple: follow the orders on the phone or suffer the consequences. When this happens it is assumed a character would take a moment to find an authority figure who will believe them. In Movieland we all know that's not going to happen, so the best thing is to just run with it.
And run they do. Once the chase is set into motion there is a bevy of patrol vehicles (and assumedly, officers inside) that pay the price. A ton of cars get flipped, squished, crunched, and battered in the first chase sequence alone. Still, who could be doing this and to what ends? To tell that would be giving away too much, but needless to say, it's not a simple kidnapper or terrorist on the other end and EAGLE EYE is a more interesting film than it's trailers first revealed because of it.
Shia LaBeouf is charismatic and can lead a movie. That much was proven with last year's entertaining DISTURBIA, also guided by EAGLE EYE's talented director D.J. Caruso. As a former child star now enduring constant media attention and being cast in blockbusters, Shia has alot of pressure to live up to, but I like his track record and find each film he's in to be very enjoyable. I discovered Michelle Monaghan in KISS KISS BANG BANG (you should too!) and she has also proven herself to be a capable screen presence. That holds true here. A terrific cast of support in Billy Bob Thornton, Rosario Dawson, Ethan Embry, and Michael Chiklis due their dilligence on the side of the law to get to the bottom of everything. Billy Bob leads the chase and does a solid job, but wouldn't it be fun if he played a version of Carl from SLING BLADE in a movie like this? "Mmm, I'm afraid they might keel sumbuddy...mmmf." I thought of that initially, but soon let it go as the pace of the movie picked up.
I was having such a better time during the film's second half as it really became a much wilder trip. There's a scene at an airport that feels like EAGLE EYE: THE RIDE. The effects are good throughout and this has to be the most fun spectacle out right now (especially coming so soon after a strong showing of summer blockbusters).
The city of Chicago makes an appearance again this year (but not as much as in THE DARK KNIGHT and WANTED). Still, a quibble that Chicago dwellers will notice: the train ride from the Quincy brown line stop on the loop heading north to the Wilson red line stop takes ALOT longer (not to mention a train switch). Downtown and the north side just aren't that close, but the magic of the movies fools me enough other times that it's no matter, just a fun FYI footnote.
There is plenty of Hitchcock to be felt here (as well some other strong influences). One moment that does not work is a scene in a field that has a character reach his end in a way that is almost laughable (the NORTH BY NORTHWEST bi-plane strafing would have been more believable). THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH is echoed in the film's climax. Shia's character has become the wrong man here, but his acting is great and the film is alot of fun with thrills abound. Upfront I tried to take EAGLE EYE too seriously, but by the second half was rewarded with a fun end to a roller coaster ride.
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