Although the plot is hard to believe, “Eagle Eye” delivers with intense action and entertaining characters.
The most important rule to remember when seeing “Eagle Eye” is to turn off your brain. Yes, technology is sentient and killing people. Yes, Shia LaBeouf is playing both twin brothers. Yes, the U.S. government does have a talking golden orb 36 floors below the Pentagon. Just get over it already and enjoy the movie, will you?
Reuniting the team of Steven Spielberg, director D.J. Caruso and Shia LaBeouf, who worked together on the 2007 hit “Disturbia,” “Eagle Eye” tells the story of college dropout Jerry (LaBeouf) and single mother Rachel (Michelle Monaghan), two strangers who are forced together by a mysterious female caller who seems to know everything about their lives and has control over every single piece of technology. The two are framed as terrorists and are pursued by FBI Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton) and Air Force investigator Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson).
Sound silly? It kind of is. But if you are able to get past the absurd plot and the occasionally questionable character motives, it really is enjoyable. The movie is carried on the backs of LaBeouf and Monaghan, who inject the film with some much-needed emotion. Without them, the movie would be a standard Michael Bay blow-crap-up-and-then-blow-more-crap-up flick. Instead, the viewer actually cares about the main characters, and therefore becomes more invested in the action.
Don’t worry, though, guys. It’s not all wimpy stuff like “emotions” and “caring.” The action sequences in “Eagle Eye” are intense, to say the least. Caruso’s obsessive need to involve as few CGI effects as possible really pays off. The action feels real because it is real, and it is all the more enjoyable to experience as a result.
In addition to the great performances given by the two stars, Thornton, Dawson and Michael Chiklis (as the secretary of defense) are all excellent in their supporting roles. The believability the actors imbue in their roles makes up for the questionable storyline, saving the movie from losing the attention of its audience.
One glaring problem is that the plot is not very original. Technology killing humans has already been done in everything from “2001: A Space Odyssey” to “I, Robot” and “Battlestar Galactica,” but in today’s technology-addicted world, the overall theme is more relevant than ever. The movie will make you look differently at ordinary traffic lights on the drive home from the theater.
For the most part, “Eagle Eye” is an enjoyable thrill ride of an action flick, with enough character development to keep you interested. Just don’t think about it too hard, or you might have an aneurysm.
Grade: BC
