I have a question. Just when did D.J. Caruso become Michael Bay? This movie has enough explosions and general mayhem to make the master proud.
Caruso made his big screen debut back in 2002 with the promising film The Salton Sea, following a string of television gigs on series like Dark Angel, Martial Law, and Smallville. Since then Caruso's talents were squandered on films like Two for the Money.
Then, along came last year's Disturbia and, despite its striking similarity to Rear Window, the movie proved to be quite adept at delivering thrills and it appeared that Caruso could be on the rise again. Now we have Eagle Eye, a fun ride to be sure, a film that purports to warn us against the dangers of technology but that just goes through the motions while borrowing liberally from other films.
Eagle Eye is a video game-like string of action sequences aligned together in the service of a plot that defies explanation. Watching the film requires a need to distract oneself, because if you don't, you will likely wind up with a splitting headache as you try to rationalize the plot. At the conclusion, you will be left alone, twitching in the theater as the film replays itself over and over, forcing itself into your brain until you finally give up. Yes, that may be a little over dramatic; just take it as a warning before you enter the theater.
I distracted myself by trying to come up with the films I was reminded of. Here are the ones I came up with: The Matrix, Nick of Time, Enemy of the State, Terminator, I, Robot, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. There are probably a few others, but those are the main ones.
All right, let's back it up a little bit.
As the film opens we bear witness to an operation in progress in the Middle East. The target is a suspected terrorist leader who has come out of his hole for the first time in a long time. The problem is that while the military so desperately wants to take him down, the ID system cannot be assured of an absolutely positive identification and therefore cannot recommend a strike. The Joint Chiefs and the President make the call to go forward with the strike. The attack is successful, but results in the activation of two agents stationed in the United States, Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan).
Article comments