Combine a killer chase scene, monstrous visual effects, an omniscient boss forcing you to obey, and government corruption. Add a gold star cast (including Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monagan, Rosario Dawson and Billy Bob Thorton) and voila! You now have an awesome movie.
At first glance “Eagle Eye” seems like a mere echo of “The Matrix” but after seeing the movie, though it may have be in the same state as “The Matrix,” “Eagle Eye” is on the other side of the planet.
Though the action scenes somewhat mirror “The Matrix” (but definitely are not as wild as the semi truck chase scene) the fact that civilians are the main characters and heroes creates a great attitude in the film.
Instead of taking a computer hacker/video game programmer and training him to be the savior of the free world, a mysterious voice chooses a Stanford drop out working at a copy store and a paralegal divorcee whose ex-husband refuses to pay child support as the leaders of an unwilling terrorist group.
The premise of the movie lies in the ever-popular yet controversial Patriot Act and the perception of how it violates constitutional rights to privacy and a militia. As well as the ever-present paranoia that the government is tapping the phone lines around you as if you are the next Unabomber.
After Jerry Shaw’s (LaBeouf) seemingly “perfect” twin brother dies, something is “activated.” A voice calls him on whatever phone is nearby and tells him exactly what to do.
Soon after Shaw is activated, single mother Rachel Holloman (Monagan) receives a threatening phone call saying she also has been “activated” and must comply.
The two characters meet in an interesting twist of fate that begins to dominate the essential plot of the movie and the wild goose chase commences in an effort to evade the biggest cyber terrorist attack the world has ever seen.
Overall, the director does an amazing job keeping the audience entertained throughout the entire film. There is sufficient background information that allows endearing qualities within the characters to shine without being overly sappy. The movie has enough substance to keep anyone interested throughout the film and enough eye- popping action scenes to knock your socks off.
Trust me, you will leave the theater with the movie fresh on your mind, if you are a guy you will be obsessing over Holloman’s good looks whereas the ladies will surely love the fact that LaBeouf has a twin. The one thing that everyone will be hoping is that the next phone that rings won’t be a mysterious voice telling them to jump out of a high-rise building.
