Eagle Eye (Blu-ray)

Filed Under: Blu-ray, Reviews | Article Tags : Blu-ray review

By: The Dweeb

Blu-ray Features Video: 2.35:1 Audio: Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1,  French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Deleted Scenes Asymmetrical Warfare: The Making Of Eagle Eye Eagle Eye On Location: Washinton D.C. Is My Cell Phone Spying On Me? Shall We Play A Game? Gag Reel Road Trip: On Location With The Cast And Crew Photo Gallery Theatrical Trailer Theatrical release: 9/26/2008 DVD released on 12/28/2008 by Dreamworks Running time of 117 minutes Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Billy Bob Thornton, Rosario Dawson, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Chiklis Director: DJ Caruso Plot: Jerry and Rachel 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

We’ve seen this before, in some other films somewhere, I just can’t put my finger on it. Eagle Eye is caught somewhere between Hitchcock, War Games and 2001, filled with all kinds of lame along the way.  Never mind the plot holes, or the improbable situations that require the viewer to check the brain at the door. This is a film that is essentially a chase movie, although we don’t know what we’re being chased by or what for until the end. Its a huge buildup that invariably leads to its lame conclusion. Of course there is no way to live up the high expectations the film built on. Some super massive conspiracy? The shadow government? Nope, its a damn computer! Whoops. I spoiled it there didn’t I? And always involving some sort of explosion. Didn’t know motherboards were so volatile.

Eagle Eye is a film that tries to take on an ambitious theme, that of the right to privacy and the increasing loss of freedoms and encroachment into a surveillance society. Also the fact that technology has interconnected virtually everything (including construction equipment and televisions in Circuit City according to the film),  and we are growing more dependant on computers to run our lives. What happens when the machines turn on us? Who is watching the watchers?   These are such a serious topics you just can’t water it down with some Hollywood film that, lets face it, is very average.  Are they trying to make a point here or is it just entertainment?  Will this movie stop and compel you to take action? No.

Maybe it could have been a better film without one of the most irritating actors I’ve seen, relative newcomer Shia LaBeouf. Oh sure, he was okay in Transformers but even then he started grating on my nerves. I have decided that this kid cannot star as a lead in any more films, his range of acting has already been put on display. From the nervous talk to the endless repeating of No!No!No!No! I think this guy has run his course, what’s his appeal anyway? His unwilling partner in crime, played by Michelle Monaghan does get to keep up with him, but her character arc doesn’t seem to go anywhere. She needs more to do than just show up at the Capitol I think.

Technically speaking this Blu-ray is fairly standard in design and is typical of most DVD releases. The picture and sound quality are of course top notch, but there aren’t many added features to make the film interactive or something more worthwhile than its DVD counterpart. Why would someone pay more for pretty much the same thing? Sure, there’s all the standard extra featurettes, most interesting is the Cell Phone Spying On Me segment, where they actually discuss the topics mentioned in the film. But the rest is all typical.

This one had potential, but for me it was an eye roller.

Reviewer’s Opinion: BORROW IT!!