Eagle Eye

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: September 16, 2008

DVD Release Date: December 27, 2008

Plot 411: Jerry receives instructions from a mysterious caller and must follow her instructions or face being arrested.

Review: Jerry (Shia LaBeouf) returns home to find his apartment filled with bomb-building materials. Thoroughly confused, Jerry receives a call from a woman (Julianne Moore) who informs him that the FBI are coming and he must escape. Instead, he hesitates and is caught by Agent Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton). The next time the woman calls, Jerry listens and soon he finds himself partnering up with Rachel (Michelle Monaghan). This is a good movie for those who like action and suspense. I enjoyed it a lot more than Transformers: Rise Of The Fallen, but then again, that's not saying much is it? I'm still not convinced that LaBeouf is a good actor. He keeps picking these action films, but I don't think he has the right look for them. I thought it was very odd that the two main characters, Jerry and Rachel, didn't end up as a couple. Isn't that how all of these things work? Wonder what that says about me (or how society has condition me to think)? Anyway, the other aspect of this film that was overtly obvious was that technology is becoming too advanced for humans to control, and this is a cautioning tale about the evils of science and technology. Not really new and not really carried out in a new way. Also in this film are Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Ethan Embry and Anthony Mackie.

Watch It: If you like conspiracy theories and governmental cover ups.

Skip It: Because it's a little heavy handed with its socio-political message.

The Hurt Locker

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: September 4, 2008 (Brazil) / June 26, 2009 (USA)

DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010

Plot 411: An Army bomb squad team count down their days to rotation in 2004 Iraq.

Review: Jeremy Renner plays Staff Sergeant James, an explosive ordinance disposal team leader who joins Bravo company midway through their rotation. His team is made of Sergeant Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Eldridge (Brian Geraghty). Unlike their previous leader, James is a reckless cowboy and Sanborn and Eldridge don't know what to make of his style. As the men proceed through different missions, the audience is able to see what makes each character tick, learn their motivating factors and experience what it might be like to be caught in the middle of a war. The movie was truly a wonderful piece of work, if you can call a war movie wonderful. It shot like a documentary with its gritty feel. The heat of the location came through in the sweat of the actors. Despite being fictitious, the movie had a lot of elements that made it very believable. The constant battle between James and Sanborn brought an interesting dynamic to the group. James liked to do things his way and one could argue that his actions put his team in jeopardy. Sanborn disagreed with his methods, but he wasn't the one face-to-face with an explosive. Even though there was a difference of opinion, James, Sanborn and Eldrige were a team and you had to trust your team with your life. I guess this is an example of intense situations bringing people together. I'm totally amazed that this movie didn't win any major awards.

Watch It: For a realistic portrayal of the war in Iraq and an interesting psychological study of the character. It's hard to understand what would make a person volunteer for this particular job?

Skip It: If you like your war movies to include lots of flying bullets, conflicts and dead bodies. This isn't Saving Private Ryan.