The Echelon Conspiracy, on the other hand, keeps things plain and simple—with an emphasis on plain. And an emphasis on simple, too. Basically, the movie’s action seldom steps out of the believability box. Granted, this is all most likely due to the movie’s low budget, but it helps keep it real regardless. Plus, none of the white characters in this film have a biological half-black child like Michelle Monaghan and Eric Christian Olsen did in Eagle Eye (go ahead, explain that one to me, kids).
3. Patriotism or Paranoia?
Whereas Eagle Eye actually attempted to convey the American government as a regime worth dying for, The Echelon Conspiracy takes a much bolder—and for more enjoyable—tone. I refuse to disclose any more information on that point however, as it will give the plot away. Besides, every other reviewer in the world has taken the liberty of revealing it already. Let‘s just say that I would fathom The Echelon Conspiracy’s version of our government before I would Eagle Eye’s.
2. Soundtrack.
Eagle Eye’s soundtrack sucked ass. And not in a good way, either. The Echelon Conspiracy’s credits begin with “Helicopter” by Bloc Party and end with some funky techno music. This is why Europe makes better movies than us, people—they like techno!
1. It’s completely Shia LaBeouf free.
‘Nuff said. Also, there’s no Billy Bob Thornton suddenly switching gears into the clichéd Martyr Mode (à la Ben Kenobi) or barely 30-year-old Rosario Dawsons playing Air Force Agents named Zoe Perez. Rather, The Echelon Conspiracy stars the very goofy looking Shane West, a lad who comes across as the lovechild of Neil Patrick Harris and Jude Law.
Supporting Shane and his silly faces (hey, I like the guy, personally—and I like Neil Patrick Harris and Jude Law, too) is the usually-phlegmatic Ed Burns doing another “Just gimme my damn paycheck already!” performance, Ving Rhames as an FBI man, and Shane’s love interest Tamara Feldman. Martin Sheen (as a government bigwig) and Jonathon Pryce (as a man who uses peculiar analogies about arrows and his dead falcon to get his point across) complete the cast of familiar (and welcomed) faces.
I imagine all of the actors in this movie probably took their part just to get a free trip overseas. If so, more power to them. I’d do the same.
Paramount Home Entertainment obviously had no faith in their product whatsoever, otherwise they might have actually included some special features on this one. In fact, the only extras to be found here are a handful of trailers that play automatically before the Main Menu pops up (and can also be accessed via the Main Menu). Oh, guess what the first trailer is! Go on, take a guess. If you guessed Eagle Eye, you’d be correct! Somebody is due for a good shaming over that.
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