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Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye

A 2008 movie starring Shia LaBeouf

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Almost, sort of, a little bit, but not quite.

  • Aug 21, 2009
  • by
Rating:
+2
What benefits this movie is the emotionality of the two characters, despite the fact that it's all very contrived and manipulated when you look at it after the fact. During, however, you can connect to the two main characters enough to be able to enjoy scenes where the plot doesn't progress, but the characters are fleshed out beyond initial assumptions.

That's not to say that they turn into fully 3-dimensional characters that people will be espousing lyrical praise for, but I admit I do enjoy the scene on the plane, where he's trying to distract her from the highly terrifying situation they're in (really: having to inject an experimental drug into your system by means of device that looks like a gun, while riding on a military aircraft and being shut into a tiny enclosed space while worrying about your need of oxygen? More than stressful.)

The scene is an example of the (rather underused) chemistry between SL and MM. Shia proves himself to have charisma beyond his usual play as a goofy character who speaks in nothig but sarcastic, young-rebel quips. It shows a surprising level of restraint (or just common sense to know that with the strenuous time limit these two are in doesn't allow for nookie) to not have the two superficially good looking leads rip each other's clothes off at the soonest opportunity (like being stuck in an enclosed space...), but then again, it probably would have shown an even greater amount of restraint to not have the ending scene with the cheek-kiss. Can a man and a woman star in a movie without having romantic tension? No? (I recall a quote about what happens to relationships that start based on extreme circumstances...)

All in all, as deluded and wacky as the plot is (plus the frenetic camera style in lieu of having action that makes sense and isn't on crack - it worked with the Bourne movies, but not this one) I appreciated Shia showing his dramatic side. He slips into his nostril-acting (prevelent in lesser but more successful works such as Transformers and Indiana Jones) in stressful situations, but in the case of his brothers funeral and the aforementioned plane scene, along with the Circuit City sequence, he shows his chops as a decent actor. If he starts making better choices with films, gets the right Director to mentor him (a partnership with Martin Scorcesse would do this kid good) I can see his talent building into something that feels more genuine and natural.

You've made enough money off of Transformers, Shia, it's time to start choosing more art-y roles, okay? You have the potential. Use it.

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More Eagle Eye reviews
Quick Tip by . July 19, 2010
posted in Movie Hype
This film will have you on the edge of your seat. I loved Shia in it :)
review by . October 24, 2009
Nicely paced thriller with a what-if scenario which was not the freshest but still entertaining. The characters were nicely fleshed out through believable motivation and the skill of the actors. As far as family friendly viewing, it was pretty mild without overt gore, excessive raw language or lewdness. The suspense might be too much for some, but overall this was a pretty good flick.
review by . December 21, 2008
… with a thud!     While this movie gets high marks for almost non-stop action and cute lead characters, the high-tech plot is so outrageous that you'll have to catch your jaw before it hits the floor.     Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):     1. The President of the United States makes a hasty decision which causes a big backlash and many retaliatory casualties. (Okay, maybe some parts aren't that far-fetched after all)     2. …
review by . March 27, 2009
DVD
Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is an ordinary young man who works at a copy center who suddenly finds himself on the run from the FBI.   A woman's voice on the phone has him racing all over the place and facing death at every turn.  Running with him is a young mother (Michelle Monaghan) who is told her son will be killed if she and Jerry don't do what they're told.  They make their way to Washington, D.C. and finally find out who is controlling their every move. I've enjoyed …
see all Eagle Eye reviews (5)
About the reviewer
Christina Martin ()
Ranked #497
Member Since: Aug 20, 2009
Last Login: Sep 2, 2009 08:00 PM UTC
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About this movie

Wiki

Eagle Eye is an action/thriller film released in September 2008. It was directed by D.J. Caruso and stars Shia LaBoeuf and Michelle Monaghan.

The film features LaBoeuf and Monaghan as a young man and single mother, respectively, who are tormented and blackmailed by an anonymous caller into carrying out plans for a possible terrorist act.

Eagle Eye received mixed reviews from critics but performed generally well at the box office, grossing more than $170 million worldwide. It was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 28, 2008.
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Tags

Movies, Drama Movies, Action Movies, Adventure, Drama, Thriller, Thriller Movies, Adventure Movies, Shia Laboeuf, Chase Movie
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Details

Genre: Action, Thriller, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 118 minutes
Studio: Dreamworks

First to Review

"The eagle has landed"
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