Stealth
2/4
Starring: Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Sam Shepard, Jamie Foxx, voice of Wentworth Miller
Rated PG-13 for Intense Action, Some Violence, Brief Strong Language and Innuendo
While it's unfair to lay the blame of "Stealth's" failings completely at the feet of director Rob Cohen (the script is ambitious but half-baked, and the performances are flat across the board), most of it has to do with Cohen's utter lack of talent as a filmmaker. Cohen can only make brainless popcorn flicks, and he's not even very good at those ("The Fast and the Furious" was wimpy and I'm going to pretend that the third "Mummy" movie doesn't exist). At least he has flair, unlike another special effects director who shall remain nameless...
Ben Gannon (Lucas), Kara Wade (Biel) and Henry Purcell (Foxx) are the top three pilots in the Naval Air Force. As such, they are assigned to fly on the cutting edge of military technology. Now, the three of them are given another wingman. His name is EDI (Miller), and he's completely, 100% machine. Ben and Henry aren't cool with the idea, but Kara is ambivalent. Despite their reservations, their commander, George Cummings (Shepard), orders them to fly with EDI. Things change when EDI becomes aware of himself and stops obeying orders. Now they'll have to stop him before he starts a war by himself.
The acting is, shall we say, uninspired. All of these actors have given good performances elsewhere, but they're all coasting through. Josh Lucas is usually reliable, but he lacks any sort of life. Jessica Biel has absolutely nothing to do, which isn't so bad because she is pretty stiff. Jamie Foxx uses his considerable charisma to get by. Sam Shepard looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. I can't give an opinion on Wentworth Miller because his voice is so mechanized. The ever reliable character actor Joe Morton is also flat.
The script is ambitious...at least for a movie with a $135 million price tag. The film talks about the ethics, risks and consequences of using computers to fight battles. That's all well and good, but unfortunately the script by W.D. Richter is pretty shallow, so there's not much follow through on these ideas (none of which are particularly revolutionary). The character development is attempted, but ineffective. Of greater concern is the sexism of the film. There are some lines that are pretty demeaning towards women in the first half; they're disguised as innuendo, but it doesn't work and it made me feel a little unclean.
Rob Cohen is clearly in over his head. The script tries to do a lot; the film changes formulas repeatedly, particularly in the second half, and Cohen struggles to keep up. The film keeps tumbling all over itself towards the finish line and ends on a note of mediocrity instead of adrenaline, or at best, dumb fun. The film looks great, but so did the third "Mummy" movie.
In the end I can't recommend it, although I have to give it credit for at least making a solid attempt at being something different.
Starring: Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Sam Shepard, Jamie Foxx, voice of Wentworth Miller
Rated PG-13 for Intense Action, Some Violence, Brief Strong Language and Innuendo
While it's unfair to lay the blame of "Stealth's" failings completely at the feet of director Rob Cohen (the script is ambitious but half-baked, and the performances are flat across the board), most of it has to do with Cohen's utter lack of talent as a filmmaker. Cohen can only make brainless popcorn flicks, and he's not even very good at those ("The Fast and the Furious" was wimpy and I'm going to pretend that the third "Mummy" movie doesn't exist). At least he has flair, unlike another special effects director who shall remain nameless...
Ben Gannon (Lucas), Kara Wade (Biel) and Henry Purcell (Foxx) are the top three pilots in the Naval Air Force. As such, they are assigned to fly on the cutting edge of military technology. Now, the three of them are given another wingman. His name is EDI (Miller), and he's completely, 100% machine. Ben and Henry aren't cool with the idea, but Kara is ambivalent. Despite their reservations, their commander, George Cummings (Shepard), orders them to fly with EDI. Things change when EDI becomes aware of himself and stops obeying orders. Now they'll have to stop him before he starts a war by himself.
The acting is, shall we say, uninspired. All of these actors have given good performances elsewhere, but they're all coasting through. Josh Lucas is usually reliable, but he lacks any sort of life. Jessica Biel has absolutely nothing to do, which isn't so bad because she is pretty stiff. Jamie Foxx uses his considerable charisma to get by. Sam Shepard looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. I can't give an opinion on Wentworth Miller because his voice is so mechanized. The ever reliable character actor Joe Morton is also flat.
The script is ambitious...at least for a movie with a $135 million price tag. The film talks about the ethics, risks and consequences of using computers to fight battles. That's all well and good, but unfortunately the script by W.D. Richter is pretty shallow, so there's not much follow through on these ideas (none of which are particularly revolutionary). The character development is attempted, but ineffective. Of greater concern is the sexism of the film. There are some lines that are pretty demeaning towards women in the first half; they're disguised as innuendo, but it doesn't work and it made me feel a little unclean.
Rob Cohen is clearly in over his head. The script tries to do a lot; the film changes formulas repeatedly, particularly in the second half, and Cohen struggles to keep up. The film keeps tumbling all over itself towards the finish line and ends on a note of mediocrity instead of adrenaline, or at best, dumb fun. The film looks great, but so did the third "Mummy" movie.
In the end I can't recommend it, although I have to give it credit for at least making a solid attempt at being something different.
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