Universal/ParamountReview in a Hurry: Big Brother may be watching, but Eagle Eye is barely worth a peek. Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan star as two strangers forced to carry out the plot of a mysterious, ubiquitous mastermind. Hmmm, they should've had a mastermind rework the plot of this silly cyber thriller.
The Bigger Picture: Throw out your cell phones, pagers, computers and satellite systems because Washington is collecting all your personal information. More disturbia-ing, Hollywood is collecting and recycling ideas from other, better films—in this case, Hitchcock thrillers and even 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The story follows a familiar model: regular guy thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Twentysomething slacker Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) goes on the run after receiving threatening phone calls from an unknown woman. No, she's not some ticked-off telemarketer but an enigmatic enemy who tracks his every move and turns him into the FBI's most-wanted terrorist fugitive.
She gives Jerry directions via cell phones, GPS, electronic signage, airport monitors, etc.—basically every way except skywriting. He's led to single mom Rachel Holloman (Monaghan), who's also following instructions in order to save her son. Together, they have to outwit this unseen woman before she has them killed.
After a promising, ominous first half-hour, things quickly become more and more ludicrous. Everything the antagonist does—despite the countless variables and accidents—goes exactly as planned. Bwahaha! That is until the script needs our heroes to derail the diabolical (but dumb) assassination plan, which borrows heavily from The Man Who Knew Too Much and the recent Get Smart remake.
The pace clips along, and there's plenty of action, but chase sequences get muddled with frenetic editing and shaky, extreme close-ups. Take your Dramamine.
If you don't choke on the preposterous plot turns, this potboiler also serves up a heaping helping of preachiness—a very Important lesson about the U.S. Constitution that We the People should heed. Well, we the audience first wanted you to form a more perfect movie.
The 180—a Second Opinion: Billy Bob Thornton excels at playing cranky badasses, so he's a good fit as irascible Agent Thomas Morgan. But does he really have to be pursued by a commandeered bomber plane? North by Northwest this ain't.