| by Rachel Alper | 12/03/08 | 12 views |
Rating: 4 out of 5
What would the world be like if, unbeknownst to you, the government watched and heard all of your conversations and actions? “Eagle Eye,” the conspiracy thriller created by Steven Spielberg, gives the audience a glimpse into the life of a defense program gone array, as it spies on American citizens.
Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is a broke, 20-something-year-old trying to make ends meet as a copy assistant at Copy Cabana, a knock-off of Kinko’s Copy Center, but makes most of his money playing underground poker games while on break at work.
Upon learning about the death of his twin brother, Ethan, Jerry arrives home after the funeral to find his apartment full of new military weapons. He receives a call from a woman telling him to run because the FBI is after him.
In another part of town Rachel Hollowman (Michelle Monaghan) rushes to get her son off to his school trip to the nation’s capital for orchestra band. When she heads out for a night on the town with her girlfriends, she gets a phone call from the same women threatening the life of her son. To keep him safe Rachel has to follow the caller’s explicit instructions.
The two become the country’s most wanted fugitives in an attempt to follow the anonymous caller’s wishes, all a part of the reason why Ethan died. The voice threatens the lives of their families and friends to provoke them into dangerous situations, using the latest technologies, cell phones, cameras, and GPS units. It is not revealed why the two are chosen until they have completed her plan to activate Operation Guillotine – the plan that assassinates all the country’s leaders and for the voice to pick a new President.
As the story unfolds, there are unexpected twists and turns, unveiling just how serious the government takes the Patriot Act and the Declaration of Independence. High action car chases, running through mobs of people, and escaping the head of the FBI, Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thorton), and Air Force Chief Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson), make this movie suspenseful and fast paced. The music heightens the senses, and as it speeds up, the heart begins to race faster and prepares for another thrilling scene. These thrilling scenes fill the fast moving two hour long movie; it will be over before you realize it.
The script is serious, but includes humor to keep the mood light. The characters are engaging and pull the audience into this action thriller. LaBeouf and Monaghan have great chemistry, playing off each other’s emotions very well. The movie tugs at the heart at times, but not in a cheesy way. “Eagle Eye” is a good combination of suspense and drama, mixed with a little wit to keep audiences attentive for the whole movie.
Shia Labeouf continues to dazzle viewers as one of the biggest up and coming actors of today. He does an excellent job playing the role of Jerry Shaw; he is daring, bold, and aggressive and it is no wonder director D.J. Caruso (The Shield, Smallville) chose him. This is the third movie LaBeouf teams up with Steven Spielberg for, and LaBeouf does not let him down.
When the movie finishes, you will walk out of the theater and stare at every camera and cell phone thinking, “Are they watching or listening to me?” “Eagle Eye” gives audiences something to think about, while watching a very suspenseful action drama that captivates the viewer with its intense scenes. If car chases, super technology and government cover-ups interest you then this movie is definitely a must see this fall.
     
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University of Delaware
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