Rating of
3/4
Not as Good as I Thought It Would Be
Franz Patrick - wrote on 12/03/08
I was surprised that I didn’t like this film as I thought I would, but I still liked it because it delivered what I wanted to see: insane action stunts, an interesting idea executed in an above average way, and a group of talented actors that made me laugh and feel concerned for their characters’ safety. It’s funny because I wanted to watch this movie not because of Shia LaBeouf (as my friends did), but because the executive producer was Steven Spielberg. And anything that Spielberg has something to do with, something inside me is convinced that it’s going to be great. Unfortunately, my expectations and reality were not on the same level. Still, the idea of big brother and machines in connection with moral and social questions reminded me of one of my favorite films, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” so I was engaged throughout. Not only that, Rosario Dawson, Billy Bob Thornton, and Michelle Monaghan were always a joy to watch for sheer star power. This is a typical “guy movie” because there’s a lot of loud explosions and the soundtrack was a bit too loud at times. Sometimes, those factors got in the way of the bigger picture because movies like this thrive on the idea more than the action sequences so I wish they had explored the idea of Eagle Eye a bit more. I certainly wanted to know more as the credits started rolling, despite the two hour running time. Directed by D.J. Caruso who also directed the surprisingly effective “Disturbia,” I think he needs a little more experience on how to focus on the characters and the ideas that should drive the film, not the fancy (but nonetheless thrilling) action sequences because stunts can only go so far. With a little more depth, I think this would’ve been a far superior blockbuster.
