Who says dreams can't come true? Only one year after Steven Spielberg, director D.J. Caruso and Shia LaBeouf combined forces to create the sleeper hit Disturbia,"" the team has reunited for an even bigger, faster-paced movie with this weekend's release of ""Eagle Eye."" According to Caruso, the movie will explore the idea that ""we love our machines and we love our technology... but be careful what you fall in love with.""
The film follows LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, who play two strangers brought together by a phone call from a mysterious woman. Threatening to hurt their loved ones, the caller forces LaBeouf and Monaghan's characters into dangerous situations, using basic technology to control and monitor their every move. The pair is also chased by FBI agents played by Rosario Dawson and Billy Bob Thornton, who suspect them of terrorist activity. The plot follows LaBeouf and Monaghan as they try to outsmart the FBI and the seemingly omnipotent caller and also discover what is really going on.
The story idea actually came from Spielberg a decade ago, according to Caruso.
""We finished ""Disturbia,"" and before the movie came out [Spielberg] mentioned 'Eagle Eye,'"" Caruso said. Spielberg was inspired by the way technology was involved in every aspect of our lives and wanted to create a movie that would make viewers walk out of the theater and turn off their cell phones in fear, much like the ocean-phobia Spielberg instilled in audiences through ""Jaws.""
Although Caruso said the film probably won't scare audiences away from technology, he did label it a ""cautionary tale"" against the ways technology can be abused.
""All of our movements and everything that we love about technology that's made our lives easier has basically invited Big Brother in,"" Caruso said. Michael Chiklis, who co-stars in ""Eagle Eye,"" agreed with Caruso.
""It gives you this incredible feeling of paranoia, because everything you do - you pay with a credit card, you go to ATMs, you use your cell phone - there are cameras everywhere, you can be tracked,"" said Chiklis, who plays the secretary of defense in the movie.
In contrast with its technological themes, the film uses very little CGI for its effects. Instead, Caruso relied on real effects and stunts.
""If you see movies that are based in reality and all of a sudden you see a CGI sequence, it almost takes you out of the movie,"" Caruso said. ""It feels so unrealistic.""
So when Monaghan gets into a high-intensity car chase, she is actually driving the car. When a construction crane plows through a building, its a real crane destroying a real building.
It is this devotion to realism that sets ""Eagle Eye"" apart from other action movies today. Caruso insisted on making every car crash, explosion and other devastation real - oin one car chase scene, for example, they destroyed 38 cars.
""I am a firm believer in my movies that when a car hits a car, you better have a camera in that car so the audience can feel exactly what it feels like,"" Caruso said.
The film is poised to be a non-stop thrill ride, especially since it can be viewed in IMAX. ""It's bigger than 'Disturbia,'"" Caruso promised. ""It's big.""
