Technology has become the focal point of debate as surveillance and security have crossed the boundaries of privacy.
The eye in the sky is watching you, so be careful what you say.
Jerry Shaw, a downer accustomed to working at Copy Cabana and hustling his friends at poker, has been “activated”, or, in other words, chosen. Following the death of his twin brother, Ethan, a military hero, Jerry’s mundane life halts with the discovery of terroristic weaponry scattered about his apartment.
Shia Labeouf, fresh off his role in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, plays the scruffy twin, thrust into a world of conspiracy and espionage.
Seconds after setting his eyes on chemical agents and guns in his home, a shell-shocked Jerry receives a call from a mysterious woman transmitting instructions to him over his cell phone.
A fellow pawn in the top-secret game, Rachel Holloman receives a call from the same computer-voiced woman, with a set of instructions herself.
Michelle Monaghan fills the role of the devoted mother, whose compliance with the all-seeing voice rests on her hope of preventing any harm on her young son.
The two unsuspecting civilians become entrapped in an anti-terror mission, becoming targets of the federal government along the way. The mysterious caller backs up her threats of annihilation if compliance is not met, showing Jerry and Rachel the price of disobedience.
The film’s big reveal, the caller’s identity, comes as a shock, although the trick has been done on film before, like in I, Robot. Nonetheless, Eagle Eye makes good use of the villain-against-democracy, placing unlikely heroes in several situations that test not only their teamwork and will to survive, but their willingness to save their country.
The many action sequences deliver explosive special effects on a magnitude that can be, at times, dizzying, but are still satisfying. Approximately two hours long, Eagle Eye delivers a near-future depiction of our susceptibility to the power of technology, and the possibility of a battle against our own electronic creations.
2.5 out of 4 stars