•

BluRay/DVD Reviews

EAGLE EYE

By • Feb 7th, 2009 •

Share This:

EAGLE EYE belongs to a science fiction sub-genre that, were I to discuss it in detail, would spoil the film’s ultimate twist, but I will say this: those other films that belong to this particular sub-genre all did it better than EAGLE EYE. Where EAGLE EYE excels is in its action sequences, as much of which as possible was done live as opposed to in CGI. Even a shot from the trailer – of SHIA LABEOUF ducking under a crane as it sweeps through a high-rise office buildings’ wall – was done on set, hard as that may be to believe.

Sadly, all these efforts to make the film as “real” as possible seem to hurt it overall. The implausible plot demands a heavy dose of suspended disbelief, which is dispelled by the film’s naturalistic look and feel. Also, the production design of a set featured heavily in the third act would be more at home in a space opera than an action techno-thriller, and completely undermines the film’s otherwise “real-world right-now” setting. It’s not all bad though. The action sequences are truly impressive in their own right, and the actors deliver solid performances.

Among the special features on disc two are two short, interesting featurettes. The first, “Is My Cell Phone Spying on Me?” is more or less your standard “making-of.” It alternates between informing the viewer about the technical aspects of making the film, and interviews with experts who talk about the social ramifications of life in a world of complete surveillance. The other is “Shall We Play A Game?” which is an informal discussion between directors D.J. Caruso and John Badham (director of WARGAMES, and SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER) about the similarities between EAGLE EYE and WARGAMES. The remaining extras on disc two are somewhat lackluster, particularly the alternate ending, which is little more than a commercial for the video game ROCK BAND.

Although the performances by the actors are good, and the action sequences thrilling, the film never seems to make up it’s mind about whether it’s a realistic techno-thriller or a far-fetched science fiction film, and the hybrid end result will leave the viewer confused.

Tagged as: ,
Share This Article: Digg it | del.icio.us | Google | StumbleUpon | Technorati

Comments are closed.