“You have been activated,” a robotic woman’s voice says from an unknown number on Jerry Shaw’s cell phone, and Eagle Eye begins, but the promising thriller fails to deliver anything special to the big screen.
The viewer will have no problem forgetting this good-not-great movie after they leave the theater.
Though the first scene promises a Bourne-like movie, the following scenes dash all hopes of anything close.
The first half hour of the movie is so thick with overacting and cliches, it leaves the audience wondering what they spent their money on.
The film picks up a bit (though ridiculously) when hundreds of packages of military equipment are mysteriously delivered to Jerry Shaw’s apartment. Jerry, a directionless young man played by Shia LaBeouf, then receives the phone call from the mysterious woman, and the whirlwind plot takes off.
Though interesting at parts, the film ultimately fails to bring a spark to the typical thriller plot. Directed by D.J. Caruso (Disturbia), the movie’s fast pace attempts to cover up for the clichéd characters and ridiculous plot twists.
LaBeouf, in the starring role of Jerry Shaw, falls short as the leading man in the film. Though shining in movies such as Disturbia and Transformers, he brings nothing new to the overused role. Even more average is Rachel Holloman, played by Michelle Monaghan, the single mom whose life is centered around her kid and whose ex is too lazy to get in the picture.
The film follows these two predictable characters as they flee government officials while complying with the commands of the mysterious woman on the phone. Her orders take them through junk metal yards, air port terminal, and some mediocre car chases.
Sudden plot twists, suspense, and a whirlwind pace manage to keep the viewer engaged, but they are unable to explain half of the ridiculous events in the movie. From the impossible requests by the robotic woman to the sudden disconnected ending, the movie is too much of a stretch to be taken seriously.
Though Eagle Eye brings up relevant points about governmental boundaries and cyber-terrorism, the film leaves the audience with nothing memorable. The clichéd roles and over-the-top plot make this movie easily forgettable.
