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Eagle Eye: 2-Disc Special Edition
R1 - America - Paramount Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (22nd March 2009). |
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The Film
 Political films are one of the best sub genres in film, in my opinion, but each film rides a fine line between believable conspiracy and outrageous fantasy. Films which fall into the former category, such as "The Parallax View" (1974) and "Three Days of the Condor" (1975), are seminal examples of the incredible heights these films can achieve, whereas those that fall into the latter, films like "Eagle Eye" (2008), are so implausible and over the top that any sense of credibility is lost. That isn’t to say that "Eagle Eye" is a bad film, per se, as it is entertaining and features enough twists to the plot that it’s never uninteresting. It’s just that once a film like this takes things too far outside our range of acceptability it loses that footing in reality which provides such a good edge. Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) is a sweet-talking slacker with little to his name other than some charm & wit. When he learns that his estranged twin brother had just died in a car accident, Jerry suddenly finds himself involved in a series of seemingly impossible life-threatening tasks being given to him by a female voice. When he’s set up to be taken down by the FBI, Jerry is teamed up with Rachel (Michelle Monaghan), a woman whose son is being used as bait if she does not work with Jerry to complete his mission. On their tail is Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton), a special agent who slowly discovers that Jerry may have been set up, and Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson), an Air Force Investigator who stumbles upon something groundbreaking that our government has been keeping top secret. The idea for this film had apparently been floating around in executive producer Steven Spielberg’s head for the better part of a decade before he finally decided the let someone else take the reigns and make the picture. I’m sure many revisions have been made in that decade to bring the script up to date, and "Eagle Eye" is certainly a prevalent film for our times. The main themes of the film are America’s War on Terror and the increased flexibility provided to our government security groups post-9/11. The idea here is that the cameras and cell phones that we see and use every day can be used to eavesdrop on our conversations and track our every movement. Increasing the threat here is a new, sophisticated form of artificial intelligence created by the government to make military predictions for our country. I suppose that some of the plot points in the film might seem outrageous now, but it’s scary to think that sometime in the future technological advancements will put computers in control of the majority of our infrastructure. I do find it utterly impossible for either Jerry or Rachel to have survived through half of the tasks that they were given, but I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to think that most of what was being remotely-controlled is possible. Shia LaBeouf has the distinction of being one of those actors, sort of like Tom Hanks, who’s just easy to watch on screen. I think he does a good job at nailing his roles and immersing himself in his characters. He’s just as affable and enthusiastic as usual here to begin with, but once the real action of the story picks up he does a great job at dialing back on the self-deprecating humor I typically associate with him and delivering a solid performance. The guy should do more dramatic roles because I think he’s actually a much better straight actor than a comedic one. Michelle Monaghan isn’t someone I’ve been crazy about. I didn’t really care for her in either "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" (2005) nor "Mission: Impossible III" (2006) but, thankfully, she is a much less annoying character here. I still don’t find her to be a good actress but she’s easy enough on the eyes that I’m sure most can overlook that. Billy Bob Thornton plays something other than a sarcastic asshole in a comedy for a change. I wish he’d get back to doing more solid work and avoid fouling up his resume with crap like "School for Scoundrels" (2006) and "Mr. Woodcock" (2007). He can be a great actor when he wants to be and, for the most part, he’s great here. Rosario Dawson plays a character that was written simply to give us some way to learn the entire plot that the film centers around. She does a fine job; she just doesn’t feel very important to the film. Michael Chiklis has a supporting role as the Secretary of Defense. It’s good to see him in something other than a "Fantastic Four" (2005 & 2007) movie because the guy is one of those television actors that works well on screen. I think Steven Spielberg made the right call stepping aide to let D.J. Caruso direct this film. I’m not sure how the film would have done were Spielberg calling the shots, but Caruso does a good job, albeit a generic one. This is the second time that Caruso and Shia LeBouf have worked together, the first being 2007’s surprise hit "Disturbia". There isn’t much style to the film, but one trend that Caruso does choose to use is the quick editing trick many directors keep tossing in. The car chase scenes almost gave me road sickness because there are way too many cuts and not enough focus on the action. I thought that Caruso would really break out after seeing "The Salton Sea" (2002), a fantastic film about drug addiction. I will say that his films are at the least easy to watch and always entertaining.
Video
"Eagle Eye" is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, and for the most part this is a solid standard definition transfer. The majority of this film takes place at night or in the shadows, so colors don’t have much of an opportunity to show off. Black levels are consistently deep, although on occasion they were so deep that it was hard to make out some of the finer detail on screen. White levels, or what little there were, looked natural and not too hot or overblown. There is a fair amount of grain present, but it doesn’t significantly detract from the overall picture.
Audio
The film’s soundtrack is available in English Dolby Digital 5.1, along with Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1 surround options as well. This is an energetic track with plenty of loud action that utilizes the rears. Dialogue is clear and easily discernible. While it would have been nice to get something a little more powerful, such as a DTS option, the Dolby Digital track is perfectly acceptable. Optional subtitles are also included in English, French and Spanish.
Extras
Paramount has given "Eagle Eye" a 2-Disc Special Edition set with plenty of bonus features that include deleted scenes, an alternate ending, featurettes, gag reel, photo gallery and some theatrical trailers. DISC ONE: First up are 3 deleted scenes which are available to watch individually or all together with the “play all” option, which runs for 3 minutes and 36 seconds. They are presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, but the quality is noticeably lesser than that of the feature film. They are: - “Ethan’s Wake” which runs for 37 seconds, Jerry appears uncomfortable and out of place at his brother’s wake in his parents home. - “Minuteman” which runs for 1 minute and 13 seconds, Agent Perez is given some background information on Ethan’s role in the military. - “Twins” which runs for 1 minute and 46 seconds, Jerry discusses growing up with his twin brother, Ethan, and what it felt like to be in his shadow. “Road Trip: On Location with the Cast and Crew” featurette which runs for 3 minutes and 7 seconds, if you couldn’t tell by the running time this is a EPK fluff piece where the director D.J. Caruso and stars Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan provide a quick overview of what to expect from the film. Bonus trailers are included for the following films: - “The Duchess” which runs for 2 minutes and 31 seconds. - “Van Wilder: Freshman Year” DVD which runs for 52 seconds. - “The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Collection” on Blu-ray which runs for 1 minute and 8 seconds. - “The Uninvited” which runs for 2 minutes and 20 seconds. - “Tropic Thunder” which runs for 2 minutes and 32 seconds. - “Ghost Town” which runs for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. - “Without A Paddle: Nature’s Calling” which runs for 1 minute and 30 seconds. DISC TWO: First is an alternate ending which runs for 1 minute and 7 seconds, intended to either set up a sequel or leave the film more open-ended, this was wisely cut from the final film. It comes across as incredibly clichéd and cheesy, even for this film. “Asymmetrical Warfare: The Making of Eagle Eye” is a featurette which runs for 25 minutes and 30 seconds, is a brief behind-the-scenes look with the cast and crew of the film discussing various production aspects from the film. Producer Alex Kurtzman talks about how he initially got the idea for the project from executive producer Steven Spielberg, director D.J. Caruso discusses his approach to the project and how he pulled off many of the film’s large action sequences, director of photography Dariusz Wolski discusses the look they were trying to achieve and principal actors LaBeouf and Monaghan discuss their respective roles. “Eagle Eye On Location: Washington D.C.” is a featurette which runs for 5 minutes and 58 seconds, this provides a look at shooting the film’s climax in our nation’s capital and what it was like to shoot there. “Is My Cell Phone Spying On Me?” is a featurette which runs for 9 minutes and 14 seconds, the cast and crew of the film talk about the covert technology used in the film and how it applies to surveillance in the real world. “Shall We Play A Game?” is a featurette which runs for 9 minutes and 22 seconds, director Caruso sits down for a discussion with his mentor, John Badham, director of "WarGames" (1983). The two directors seem to be good friends, so this is a very relaxed discussion discussing other films similar to "Eagle Eye" and "WarGames". A gag reel which runs for 7 minutes, this is your standard fare featuring the cast messing up their lines and cracking a few jokes. The photo gallery features 39 images, all of which are a mix of on-set and behind-the-scenes shots. Finally, there the "Eagle Eye" theatrical trailer which runs for 2 minutes and 35 seconds. It is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen.
Overall
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