Eagle Eye is latest blockbuster to use its own special effects and high tech moments to illustrate society’s lack of privacy in the modern world. Dystopian-lite presents are created to engage viewers in current affairs and concerns whilst providing the thrills and explosions and a little patriotism is always thrown in for good measure. The fact Eagle Eye conforms to these ideals makes it just another brainless and safe blockbuster only its amped up to the max so much it borderline insults your average blockbuster audience.

From the same director who made last years Disturbia (also starring Shia LaBeouf) which was fairly well received, however producer Steven Spielberg is now being sued for the similarities between the film and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Rear Window (surprising it took this long for someone to notice). Now director DJ Caruso remakes North by Northwest. You could say he’s the next Brian De Palma, albeit without any originality and style.

After an interesting opening that sees Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf ) withdraw overflowing amounts of cash from the $750000 that is spontaneously put there and then to see him enter his apartment packed full of terrorist gear and explosives, an interesting premise is constructed but it gets sillier by the minute; even the multiple chase scenes still cannot ground the picture and give it much needed verisimilitude – its a film that boasts so much apparent knowledge of our own real lives and yet cannot garner one scene of filmic realism.

The film sees its two main protagonists Jerry Shaw and single mother Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) lead around destinations to do objectives by a female voice who phones them. Jerry has been made out to be a terrorist and has the entire F.B.I on his trail. Rachel has a son that could be killed if the female’s voice’s instructions are not followed explicitly. The plot sounds quite tasty right? However when it becomes clear who is behind the voice the whole suspension of disbelief goes out the window along with Jerry.

The film then relies on its supercomputer (another film that resorts to HAL 9000 for inspiration) which controls absolutely everything, to get itself out of dead-end plotlines and to propel itself forward – it is repetitive and quite frankly preposterous. The characters Jerry and Rachel might as well be Wolverine in the film; in one scene we see Jerry leap out of a government building to crash onto a metal roof, bounce off and land on the rail line of a train station and get straight back up (he then dives out of the way of an oncoming train). It builds up to a climax which falls flat with the audience asking, why did the last two hours happen (why is Shia made out to be a terrorist?) but you might be so annoyed by the shortcomings you fail to care.

What’s even more frustrating is that Eagle Eye does raise important questions about the amount of privacy we get in our lives, but makes no attempt to address these questions instead opting for another chase scene involving our powerless protagonists in despair. It tries to represent everything that is wrong with the high tech era we live in however its far better at representing everything that is wrong with the blockbuster films of today.

The film, like North by Northwest, had the perfect chance to use suspense and enigmas to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Hitchcock of course did exactly that. Eagle Eye instead teases the audience and leaves them curled up on their seats from anger and embarrassment. All that’s here to enjoy is LaBeouf’s comic touch in some scenes and the action which is at times above average as a stand alone set piece but terrible as soon as the scenes that surround them emerge because like a bad jigsaw nothing fits.

All the implausible moments in this film can be summed up from the final reel; Jerry wearing an arm sling after being shot multiple times at close range. Its the ultimate cop out, that everyone can see coming.

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