'Eagle Eye' review

Shia LaBeouf (Credit: Ralph Nelson/DreamWorks)

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Two strangers—copy associate/slacker Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and paralegal/single mom Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan)—become pawns in an elaborate game of cyber-terrorism in which their every move is closely monitored and their every action is dictated via cell phone and modern technology. As Jerry and Rachel are forced into dangerous and illegal situations they attract the attention of FBI Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton) and Air Force investigator Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson).

Big question: Can this reunion between LaBeouf and “Disturbia” director D.J. Caruso top the surprise success of their first pairing?

Catch it: Rising stars legitimately worth watching, LaBeouf and Monaghan ground a seemingly far-fetched thriller with engaging performances. Add a scene-stealing Thornton and several stunning action setpieces involving massive car crashes and out-of-control cranes (also on even bigger display in select IMAX theaters), and you have a crowd-pleasing action flick for fall.

Skip it: If you love a good mystery prepare to be disappointed. The more that’s revealed about the forces at work on Jerry and Rachel, the less interesting the plot becomes. The film ultimately devolves into the kind of portrait of technology run amok that we’ve seen too many times before.

Bottom line: With its savvy mix of technology, politics and ordinary people swept up in extraordinary events, “Eagle Eye” has the foundation for a great contemporary paranoid thriller. Two briskly paced hours later it still has just the foundation for a great contemporary paranoid thriller. The film is a respectable fix for adrenaline junkies and fans of the actors, but squanders the potential for anything more on sci-fi clichés.

Video: Watch a review of 'Eagle Eye'

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