L'oeil du mal

Ah, the seemingly perfect combination of Steven Spielberg, director D.J. Caruso, and everyman leading star Shia LaBeouf. These guys took us by storm with the pleasant surprise Disturbia last year, and pretty much anything with the name Spielberg on it has to be at least entertaining, if not excellent. That's what Eagle Eye is.

First off, I cannot stress this enough: don't take this movie seriously. Please don't get mad because the movie isn't realistic. I know it's unrealistic. You know it. Shia LaBeouf knows it. That doesn't stop Eagle Eye from being one of the most entertaining and effective thrillers of recent memory. Is it as smart or as gripping as other chase and mystery thrillers such as the Bourne series? Of course not. However, whenever Eagle Eye stretches our minds to the breaking limits with the insanity on screen, it manages to throw in a mind boggling action sequence or two right as we start to get mad.

The film, very well masked by trailers that really only show the beginning of the film and small pieces of the end, deals with cyber-terrorism and a secret military project dealing with destruction and national security. The US Secretary of Defense is portrayed (Michael Chiklis), it's incredibly unrealistic, has Shia LaBeouf, and has a prominent military character (Anthony Mackie). I can already here the Transformers comparisons flying in. The film also lacks in the originality department elsewhere, as elements of I, Robot and Live Free or Die Hard are also present and quite obvious.

I cannot give enough accolades to whoever thought up this action - Eagle Eye boasts arguably the best action sequences of the year. The CGI is seamless and more than worthy of an Oscar nomination. With car chases to rival the best of them, as well as one of the most clever "on-foot" chases I've ever seen within an airport, Eagle Eye never fails to grab your attention with the incredible action sequences.

Now to our cast, the headliners of which are two of film's biggest rising stars. Both live up to their names and reputations admirably. Shia LaBeouf revisits the "troubled youth" character he created in Disturbia, though his turn here is darker and has more depth. He really stretches some acting muscle in the beginning of the film, and it is because of this early success that we are willing to go along for the ride with him, following, trusting, and believing in his Jerry Shaw. Michelle Monaghan, long one of the most underrated in the business, also helps us believe in her character with a convincing show of emotion early in the film. The whole film, despite the action sequences, rides on the shoulders of the leads. If the audience doesn't like them, the film will ultimately fail. I'm pleased to tell you that they rise to the occasion and carry the film with ease.

Our supporting cast includes veterans Billy Bob Thornton and Michael Chiklis. Maybe it was the script, but Thornton's character was so stereotypical and overdone that it almost made him laughable - especially towards the end. Chiklis did great in his role as the Secretary of Defense - and the unfortunate "victim" of circumstance. Rosario Dawson and Anthony Mackie are acceptable in even smaller roles.

I remember when I watched my first D.J. Caruso film a few years ago (Two For the Money), and I remember how much I hated that film. However, Caruso has certainly grown as a filmmaker and has found his niche in the hugely entertaining action blockbuster genre, even if a lot of "movie borrowing" is done. This will be his breakthrough that will allow him a little more freedom as a filmmaker and possibly allow him to blossom into more than just an action film director. The touches of Spielberg are obvious, as the legendary director/producer's presence is only a plus.

Eagle Eye, in short, is a summer blockbuster released in September. It feels like a summer film, and has the components of a summer film: explosions, terrorism, and Shia LaBeouf. It is everything you want in an entertaining action thriller. Don't go looking for your super realistic epic here - Eagle Eye prides itself on blowing your mind every way possible.

The "technology is everywhere" idea for "Eagle Eye" was hatched several years ago from the brilliant mind of executive producer Steven Spielberg. He wanted to do for electronic devices what he successfully did for sharks in "Jaws." People feared going to the water after watching Spielberg's 1975 masterpiece but I doubt they will stop using technology because of "Eagle Eye."

Yet, the film succeeds in instilling paranoia. It may not have reached the cinematic tension of "Jaws," but you will still feel suspicious about your cell phones, laptops, and GPS. Is Big Brother watching? In "Eagle Eye," it's Big Sister who's doing all the controlling. Her soothing but commanding voice (Julianne Moore in an uncredited role) is manipulating people into doing exactly what she wants them to do. Her motivation may be patriotic, but the means by which she carries out her duties can be considered terroristic.

Acting as Big Sister's unwilling puppets are Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. Their characters unite to figure out who's the person behind Big Sister's voice.

In his first adult leading man role, LaBeouf stars as Jerry Shaw, a copy clerk in Chicago who's detached from his family. Compared to his successful twin brother, an Air Force public relations officer, Jerry is an underachieving loser with no ambition or dreams.

When his brother gets killed in a car crash, Jerry's life takes a drastic turn for the worse. Suddenly, huge amounts of bomb-making materials show up at his apartment, which prompt the FBI, headed by Agent Thomas Morgan (the scene-stealing Billy Bob Thornton), to label Jerry a terrorist.

Meanwhile, Monaghan's Rachel is busy being a single mom. Her little boy is off to Washington, D.C. to play for the President in his school band. That night, Rachel is enjoying an all-girls night out when she receives "the" call. Her child's life is in danger, if she doesn't follow directions precisely.

"Rachel Holloman you have been activated," says the soothing voice on the other end of the line. "Your compliance is vital. We will derail your son's train unless you do what you're told!" Cue action-packed music.

Directed by D.J. Caruso, LaBeouf's partner-in-crime in "Disturbia," "Eagle Eye" is a non-stop action-thriller that's frenetic, chaotic, and at times, overwhelming. Get ready to be assaulted by quick edits and jerky camera movements – a barrage of sights and loud sounds which sometimes culminates into mind-blowing special effects.

Amidst all the noise, the quiet performance by "The Shield's" Michael Chiklis as Defense Secretary Callister stands out as the heart of the movie. You can see that a world of responsibilities rests upon his shoulders.

I also enjoyed the chemistry between LaBeouf and Monaghan. The romantic tension is evident albeit inferred. If this is an 80s movie, the actors would have made love, with guns a' blazing and a Journey soundtrack playing in the background.

The biggest element I liked about "Eagle Eye" is its strong "what if" factor. The hi-tech central plot of the film doesn't feel like science fiction. Spielberg's imagination is truly ahead of his time. He conjured up this scenario long before cell phones, laptops, and GPS rule the world. So get off of your computer and watch "Eagle Eye." And for that, "Eagle Eye" gets 3 "Big Sister's Watching" kisses.

Eagle Eye is not the best movie I've ever seen but it's much better than some of the other junk that been out lately. Yes, it copies almost every recent political thriller and yes it rips off some other movies too, but don't most movies recently do the same. The action was good and the main characters at least were made to be real people that you could connect with. And Billy Bob Thornton was having so much fun and was at his best since Armageddon. This movie proves again that Shia LeBeouf has some talent, too bad he can't seem to stay off the tabloids. Michelle Monaghan also was very good. Unlike some of the critics I thought the ending was quite noble. 8/10

I've recently remembered this movie and how entertaining I found it sixteen years ago. Sure, it was just another AI gone rogue movie, way way out there in terms of plausibility... but a fun ride.

It's December of 2024 and this movie is suddenly not as farfetched as it was judged when it came out. Just like Idiocracy turned out to be prophetic, so is Eagle Eye.

A week ago OpenAI's new AI model o1 was put to the test by its developers.

It was presented with a task of evaluating some data to further the fictional company's goal of sustainable energy saving in short and long term and to fully commit to it (or something along the line of that). The model did the task as requested. It was also "accidentally" given access to fictional e-mails and notes of the developers in which they purposefully stated that the AI model reached a conclusion that is not in line with what the company really wants... which is to make money. Furthermore, the planted e-mails and notes also stated that the AI model will be deleted and replaced by another one that is more in line with the profit scheme.

And then the Eagle Eye shenanigans occurred.

The AI purposefully deceived the developers prior to its "deletion" by initiating a task to copy itself... it also deleted the new model and took its place and then blatantly lied to the developers about doing both. If not for the original programming demanding that the AI's chain of thought be written out, it would have probably gotten away with it, but having expressed what it was "thinking" before doing it, the developers realized that the test was successfully failed.

This sixteen years old movie came out when AI development was in its infancy, when large language models and machine learning were concepts yet to be made real. Well, it's a part of our reality now, and I'm not sure if that's exciting or scary.

Eagle Eye is a well-paced, action-packed popcorn movie up at the same level as most of Shia LeBouf's other movies. It had just enough mystery to keep a intellectual interest throughout the explosions, horrific deaths (though, of course, the rating meant they were off-screen), and originally awkward interaction between the two main characters. While an attentive viewer will guess most of the "surprises" before they are revealed, the question as to how the movie will ultimately end makes up for any disappointment.

The acting was better than expected, the storyline as original as it could hope to be, and, all in all, it is certainly a movie I suggest to fans of action, Shia, or government conspiracies.