Sidewalks On The Corner

Technology can be our greatest ally or our greatest enemy. For Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, their fight becomes a rage against the machine in EAGLE EYE.

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EAGLE EYE
Paramount Pictures
Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of action and violence and for language)
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie and Billy Bob Thornton
Running Time: 118 minutes
URL: www.eagleeyemovie.com

MOVIE SYNOPSIS:
“Eagle Eye” is a race-against-time thriller starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie and Billy Bob Thornton. Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations – using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move. As the situation escalates, these two ordinary people become the country's most wanted fugitives, who must work together to discover what is really happening – and more importantly, why.

J.P. TAKE'S
Enter a world where technology is so advanced not even human kind can't stop it. "Eagle Eye" is a suspense/thriller which examines human reliance on technology. From computers to cell phones, ATM machines to satellite dishes, technology is an integral part of everyday life. We spring into a routine of surfing the web, checking emails, texting, and viewing various TV shows. And we do it so much so that it literally takes control of our lives. That's the point of this film, GOD creates man, man creates machine, machine eliminates GOD. The film takes place in the not too distant future (2009 to be exact), where a super computer, created by the military, is brought online and all hell breaks loose because of it.

First off, "Eagle Eye" is not a serious brain teaser; in fact, you practically know what the film is all about before it's over. The only true mystery is the voice behind the chaos. From the start you can feel the tension building as Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is thrusted into a life or death situation when he receives a phone call from an anonymous female voice. There are some nice plot twists within the main story which involves the mistaken identity of LaBeouf's character and it sets the tone for the film. I find that some of the situation, however, are a little over the top and practically crazy, as the voice instructs Shaw to blindly jump from a high rise or leap from a plane and all of a sudden land in a garbage barge. But, of course, there are some realistic scenarios as well.

I was impressed with the entire cast of the film. LaBeouf gave one of his best performances I've seen since the 4th Indiana Jones film. I was very pleased with his range of emotions. LaBeouf went from the vulnerable as he shed genuine tears at his twin brother's funeral to a "gun ho" regular citizen pushed to edge. He came through it all like a trooper. Monaghan (Rachel Holloman) feels like the concerned mother as she fights for her child's life. I admit, I'm a Rosario Dawson fan and I can tell she has come a long way from "Men in Black II." She has shown a nice level of maturity in her performances lately. Dawson is a natural when it came to playing Air Force Agent Zoe Perez; she added a touch of “G.I. Jane,” as she showed she can be cool under pressure and still kick booty with best of them. Billy Bob Thornton provided both the grit and sarcasm as Agent Thomas Morgan. Michael Chiklis shows he can step away from his role from "The Shield" and get down to business as Defense Secretary Callister. Supporting cast member Anthony Mackie did a nice job as Major William Bowman.

Over all "Eagle Eye" gives a look into a possible reality involving man and machine, and it does that pretty well. The situations are understandable and somewhat realistic. Plus, the action is non stop and brutal. The ending lives up to the film as a whole. I actually wouldn't mind seeing it again.