'Eagle Eye' review

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One minute Jerry (Shia LaBeouf) is an innocent copy boy mourning the loss of his twin brother, the next his apartment is filled with weapons, he receives mysterious phone calls and must obey all wild instructions under penalty of death. He’s got help in Rachel (Michelle Monaghan), who’s being similarly manipulated by constant surveillance and threats that her son will be harmed. Billy Bob Thornton stars as an agent who thinks Jerry’s a terrorist and Michael Chiklis plays the U.S. defense secretary, the lone dissenting voice as high-ranking officials approve an attack when they’re not even sure of the target’s identity.

Big question: Can "Eagle Eye" capitalize on the not-so-fresh fear of government intrusion while director D.J. Caruso (“Disturbia”) helps LaBeouf work towards being the next big action hero?

Skip it: “Eagle Eye” is as convoluted as the booby traps in the “Saw” movies and likewise mistaken about the moral issues being explored in its technology-based mess. The worst-case-scenario story gets off to a good, nervous start, but as the absurdity mounts unintentional laughs replace excitement and remind us that action movies need decent scripts too.

Catch it: For tips on how to treat your significant other right, as Jerry advises that you need to take them somewhere classy like Red Lobster or Olive Garden. That is, if you can’t get a reservation at Friday’s.

Bottom line: The movie's slick, the actors are strong and there are a handful of action sequences that really keep their foot on the gas, even as the vehicle spins out of control. While "Eagle Eye" is fine if you willfully ignore its many real problems, that’s not really a way to watch a movie and especially questionable in the context of terrorism and national security.

Bonus: Defense Secretary Callister (Chiklis) insists that “37 percent” and “probable” don’t belong in the same sentence. Good to know the government is out to prevent the nation’s weather forecasters from issuing any foolishly confident predictions.

Video: Watch the review of 'Eagle Eye'