BEHIND THE LINE
Eagle Eye
Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Bob Thornton, Rosario Dawson
At first, I thought I was watching Wanted. There’s this guy, a few months’ behind his rent, working at a job that doesn’t satisfy, when suddenly he finds himself awash with money at the ATM, an alpha female is dictating orders left and right, and he’s in an endless chase involving cars, trains, guns, and one big massive conspiracy. Well, ARIA is no Angelina Jolie, which is a disappointment, but that electronic lady can sure bully anyone around.
Few more minutes in, and this time I felt like Maximum Overdrive was on the screen. (Along with The Blob, Maximum Overdrive is one of the scariest films I’ve watched in my younger years.) Only this time, instead of machines becoming self-aware and bringing mechanical doom on everyone living, horror has gone electronic and specific. ARIA chooses only an unfortunate few (“You have been activated”), and sends the entire digital crew to “service” them.
Finally, due to its strong political overtones, the film seemed like the more improbable cousin of Enemy of the State. More improbable, and definitely more intense. Removing the bugs from your shoes and your clothes, not using your credit cards, and basically becoming a hermit are not enough to guarantee safety, especially from someone who can read the English language through coffee cup vibrations. As ARIA herself says: “We know who you are. We are everywhere.” If the words weren’t enough to creep you out, her intonation surely would.
So watching Eagle Eye brought to mind an assassin thriller, a Stephen King horror, and a Big Brother nail-biter. In my world, that’s one heck of a fantastic combo. Critics might call this sort of movie “preposterous” and “fantastical,” and urge everyone to avoid it. I, on the other hand, would call the movie “preposterous” and “fantastical,” and, with a big smile on my face, urge everyone to watch it. Even if you had to sit in the 3rd row closest to the screen, if it came to that.
Filed under: Cinema, The Couch Potato
The Sunbaked King 
definitely “enemy of the state”-like.. kinda reminded me of i-robot too. sayang wala si will smith! haha. miss you ker.
“read the English language through coffee cup vibrations”
there’s a way around this. just pound the table with your fist.
Once again as imagine “Eagle eye” has come up with much to gain. Lot of character been involve. Dramatically changing fast moving thriller it was. Different angles of view and ideas shared with grate deal of assurance of entertainment. Wow I saw it for many a times. Really because it was good at http://www.80millionmoviesfree.com
@ Toj: Yes, Enemy of the State. I, Robot di ko napanood. Miss you too, Toj! Sayang ang short time lang ng stay niyo sa bonfire.
@ Tristan: Hahaha, they didn’t realize that ARIA could read coffee cup vibrations. The alert major would have done that if he knew.
@ Fraksha: You are a spambot.