Quantcast Daily Skiff
College Media Network

Daily Skiff

  • Front Page

Review: 'Eagle Eye' stimulating criticism of Bush administration

Shane Rainey

Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: Features
  • Print
  • Email
  • Page 1 of 1
Media Credit: Courtesy of DreamWorks SKG
"Eagle Eye" is an action-filled movie with an underlying criticism of the Bush administration.
[Click to enlarge]

As a senior in high school, I wrote my research paper on George Orwell's 1984, which explores the idea of "Big Brother" and the principle that someone is always watching. If "Eagle Eye" had come out a couple of years earlier, I would have written the paper on it instead of the book.

For 45-minutes of this film, I was fooled into thinking the movie was being directed by Orwell. However, executive producer Steven Spielberg and director D.J. Caruso have constructed a largely seamless movie addressing several emotionally-charged topics while being somewhat intellectually stimulating, overwhelmingly farfetched and exceedingly liberal.

Shia LaBeouf stars as Jerry Shaw, your everyday "average Joe" who walks to his apartment one evening to find a prodigious amount of illegal weapons and explosives. After receiving a mysterious phone call from a woman telling him that he has been "activated," he sets off on a Bourne Ultimatum-like chase across the country with complete stranger Rachel Holloman, played by Michelle Monaghan, in order to accomplish the movie's political agenda.

Without disclosing any major plot elements, suffice it to say that there existed several underlying themes anchored in policies implemented by our current president and his administration, the Patriot Act being one of them. This whole film addresses the idea of unchecked government running rampant and becoming "destructive of these ends" as described in the Declaration of Independence.

Left-wing propaganda aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and being a huge LaBeouf fan doesn't hurt either. The film was about 50 percent predictable and 87.4 percent farfetched and fabricated, just like that percentage. However, if intense action is a forte of yours, as it is mine, then this movie will leave you grasping for air upon its climax. Vigorous chase scenes are stacked upon CGI effects added to violent car crashes and enormous explosions to make the admission ticket well worth the money.

Many people undoubtedly will think the plot was predictable and the movie an astounding disappointment. I disagree. This film was supposed to be over the top and painfully implausible, just as it was meant to be entertaining with an implicit agenda. The plot was meticulously intricate, which kept me guessing for a long time and grasped my attention until the exhilarating climactic crescendo.

"Eagle Eye" is definitely not a "Dark Knight" caliber summer blockbuster. However, despite being hopelessly paranoid at times, it combines a well-thought story line with intense action and suspense to be a decent movie, which I enjoyed watching. In essence, you will either enjoy "Eagle Eye" or you will not, and as a famous person once said, "there is no middle ground."


Page 1 of 1

Article Tools

Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1

separd demetro

posted 9/30/08 @ 10:51 PM CST

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. (Continued…)

Post a Comment

  • NOTE: Email address will not be published

Type your comment below (html not allowed)

  I understand posting spam or other comments that are unrelated to this article will cause my comment to be flagged for deletion and possibly cause my IP address to be permanently banned from this server.

Advertisement

Daily Skiff Video

Loading...

Advertisement


  Classifieds

  Advertise

  Student Media

  - TCU News Now

  - KTCU

  - Image

  Blogs

  Follow us

  - Twitter (all news)

  - Twitter (sports)

  - Facebook

  Print Archives

  Search the Archives

  - Fall 2005 to Present

  - Fall 1998 to Fall 2003

  Staff List

  Jobs

  About Us

  Contact Us


  Get E-mail Updates

  News Feeds

  - All Stories 

  - News 

  - Sports 

  - Opinion 

  - Blogs 

  - Recent Article Comments 

 RSS Terms of Use

On the Web

-Setting up a TCU student checking account is as easy as watching the Horned Frogs win in football.

-See the freedom debt relief profile

-Compare free Texas moving quotes for your college move

-Daily Skiff readers who are accounting majors should get familiar with the CPA Exam to prepare for a future in accounting