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"Eagle Eye" Review

by Jane Boursaw on September 28th, 2008

I was looking forward to this movie, because I love both Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, and I also love action-thriller movies. While Eagle Eye certainly delivers lots of thrills, it doesn’t pass my would-I-see-it-again-right-away test. It’s still a pretty good movie, though, and it makes you think about HAL the computer, The Bourne Supremacy and a bunch of other conspiracy-type movies. 

LaBeouf plays Jerry Shaw, a copy-store clerk who’s been living in his twin brother’s shadow his entire life. While his brother did well in college and now holds a big-time government security job, Jerry has been schlupping around the globe just getting by.

More after the jump…

When Jerry gets word that his brother has been killed, strange things start happening. A supply of weapons and high-tech stuff is delivered to his apartment, and he starts getting phone calls from an un-named female voice, who tells him what to do and when to do it — as in, “Get out of your apartment now, Jerry,” right before the feds knock down the doors.

Meanwhile, Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) is getting similar phone calls. The female voice says Rachel’s son — who’s on a band field trip to the White House — is in danger unless she does exactly as she’s instructed.

Neither Jerry nor Rachel are keen about following the droney commands, but they really have no choice in the matter. The voice knows where they are at all times — to the point where a stranger’s cell phone call on a train is actually for Jerry. So Jerry and Rachel travel around Chicago, committing various felonies to comply with the voice as best they can. It seems they’ve been “activated” — an ominous threat, to say the least.

Meanwhile, an FBI agent (Billy Bob Thornton) and Air Force investigator (Rosario Dawson) are trying to figure out why these two ordinary people have suddenly turned into super criminals.

Shia LaBeouf has that wise-cracking, every-guy quality that makes you think he could be your next door neighbor. And other than the fact that she’s stick-thin, Monoghan can pull off the girl next door thing, too.

While these two don’t have a ton of chemistry, there’s one scene where Jerry is trying to calm Rachel down, and a few sparks started to fly. That worked for me. I wish the supporting cast had more to do than issue orders and look ticked off, but they have no problem delivering those goods.

The twisty-turny plot leaves something to be desired. With four screenwriters on the job, I figured as much. But the action is fantastic, with enough explosions, car chases, and geeky government conspiracies to keep things interesting. If you like action-thrillers and/or any of the cast, this movie is worth checking out.

Images: Eagle Eye, DreamWorks SKG, 2008

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