Cause that wasn't true - He never got a call but at a certain time he was going in to get the father.

And since the girl knows CM face, what do you think would have happened to her after they wait in the restrurant. She would have been next.

I'm not going to try and say it any better than this. Very well said. This is one of the ten best films so far this year...maybe even top 5.

No response from either of you guys - wonder if I was on track?

Anyway after seeing it again this weekend - it seemed like the guy was going into the house right after the hotel room exploded - why else was he out of the car and standiong at the front door.

Simply put, this was one of the best white knuckler thrillers that I've seen in recent memory. Better than last summer's Collateral. I thought that the short runtime was going to hurt it, but it didn't, as the movie didn't take long to get rolling, and when it did, it was tension paced from start to finish, with a very satisfying climax. Rachel McAdams was excellent as Lisa, and Cillian Murphy was effectively creepy, and much better here than he was in Batman Begins, where I felt his performance was uninspired and forgetable. Rachel McAdams is going to be a huge star, as her range as an actress is very impressive, and I loved how she portrayed Lisa as such a spitfire. She's good looking, too. I also wonder if there is something in her contract stating that she has to appear in movies with bit players from the film The Wedding Singer, as that woman who had the Dr. Phil book was in that, as was the grandma in Wedding Crashers.

I also noticed Robert Pine was in this, who I came to know from the show Chips in the 70's, and who I last saw in a bit part in Independence Day. When McAdams told him and his complaining wife to fill out a comment card, and then shove it up their asses when they were done filling it out, it was hysterical.

*snort*

I'm going to have to use that sometime.

Red Eye was an engrossing thriller from start to finish, and I highly recommend it to everyone. It's more than worth the price of admission.

A

I agree with your view on Rachel McAdams. AFter seeing her in this film, its almost certain that she's gonna be such a HUGE star.

I can't comprehend the praise for Red-Eye;

The premise was flawed
The acting was good, but not exceptional
The direction was pedestrian at best
The visuals were cheap
Limited special affects
Mediocre score

Sure, it was an anjoyable ride, but a "white-knuckle thriller"?

I don't think I was watching the same film as you guys. I'll say it again:

Enjoyable, but mediocre. B-/C+

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/red_eye/

The critics seem to agree with the people who liked it, for the most part, so you are in the minority.

The premise wasn't flawed.The acting was very good.
The direction was tight and suspense filled, which was exactly the direction Craven was obviously going for. What more did you want?
The visuals and FX were fine. Not every movie is supposed to be for the video game crowd.
The score did it's job.

Why was the premise flawed?

Any details?

Who care's if I'm the minority, first of all? What the hell does that have to do with my opinion? sheesh.

Yes, the premise was flawed. Read above. There was a discussion on it. The plot was weak.
Acting was fine. I don't have any problems with it. But in no way was it above average.
I don't care in video game FX. I despise them, actually. I was hoping for more than constant reuses of exterior takeoffs from three different type of planes throughout it (We saw a 737, an airbus, a lockhead, and then some made up plane ALL masquerading as this one flight... Sorry, but maybe I know enough about planes to be annoyed with this). The FX at the "climax" were some of the lamest in recent history. Quick, cheaply done. I have higher standards.
I feel that one of the most important aspects of a film, ESPEICALLY a thriller, is the perfect score. This one had a recycled score that was lame.

And you'll notice on RT that, while 4/5 critics gave it a positive review, they were far from the superb reviews we see here (no 10/10s, anyway)

My rating, actually, is just the same as the overall concensus;

B-/C+ = ~6.5

bump - hope you don't mean this because the logic in MovieDude's / Baba's post are flawed.

and not mentioned here?

Obviously you care, or you wouldn't have just gotten upset. And you decided to add commentary on the opinions of those who liked it first, so don't get so upset when your own opinion is called out. sheesh.



Make an argument for why it was weak, or your argument that it is weak is weak.



Definitely above average. Average acting is very noticeable.



Higher standards than who? All of those published critics that know far more about film than you do, or higher than us on this messageboard. Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back trying to convince yourself that you know more than the rest. The effects at the end were fine. Nothing wrong with the missile, and nothing wrong with the way it leveled the hotel room. Nothing wrong with the shot of McAdams hitting the hit man and ramming the vehicle into the front of the house, either.



So, do you want to put your music knowledge up against mine since you put your plane knowledge up against mine and everyone elses? The score worked. Scores don't have to be "in your face" to be effective.



That's an average rating, not a consensus rating. Zack, you'll just have to accept that most people really liked it, and if you don't want your opinion called out, then don't comment on the opinions of others, and just state your own without the need to try to take others down to give your own opinion more weight.

I really enjoyed this movie. It was suspensful from beginning to end. McAdams was beautiful and good, Murphy was creepy and good. B+

A-

I liked it. A lot. The suspense was good and the performances by McAdams and Murphy were up to par. There isn't anything groundbreaking really in it, as in alot of it has been done before, especially at the end in the house. Where McAdams is throwing the chair down the stairs at Cillian, and how Cillian is breaking the house, its all very reminisint of other thrillers a la Scream. It didn't have anything remarkable or rememborable, but its one of the most enjoyable watches of the year, I don't think I had so much fun in my seat at any movie thus far. Excellent.

Wow, I was not disappointed at all. A fun, wild ride, with two incredible leads (my bias towards Rachel is evident, but Cillian was just as good, if not better). I don't really care if it was predictable or clichéd (yeah, low battery, who cares? I would rather that than everything to run smoothly and the movie to be over in 20 minutes), it was enjoyable and really a lot of fun. Probably as much fun for me as Phone Booth was in 2003. Short and sweet.

Grade: A

a great thriller... not Craven's best, but a very enjoyable ride indeed (and quite possibly the best movie of this genre since the original Speed...) B+

Yeah, but if the guy didn't go in until about five hours later. I think that the cops would have plenty of time to make it to the house after Murphy was arrested, McAdams explained the situation and they called the ground. And what are you talking about with the second part, I really have no idea what you're trying to get at. The whole plot is very flawed, although it is an entertaining way to spend 80 minutes.

What a ride, top notch thriller, Both Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy were great in there roles

A

Red Eye is nothing original. Yet it is a memorable thriller with fine performances from its two leads. Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams have great chemistry which adds to the suspense of the movie. My only complaint is perhaps that it was too short. I wanted even more suspense. Nevertheless it is a very solid outing for director Wes Craven and for its two rising young stars! B+

Certainly overall better than Flightplan, and rather enjoyable, with yet another good performance by Rachel McAdams.

The films seem to become more and more conventional as it moves along. It loved how it started out as something of a Romantic comedy, and then slowly grew darker. The initial scene with Rachel and Cilian are very, very effective. My only problem, and it's a big one, is that at the end of the day, this has been done before so many times, it's hard to keep one's attention in particular after the airport landing. However, McAdams is remarkably likeable in this film. It's amazing to see her shine in so many diverse roles within such a short period.


I thought that the undertones of rape very effective as well, giving the action quite a bit of depth. Lisa isn't just doing what every heroine in every action film is doing (trying to flee the bad guy who's trying to kill her); she's being forced to come to grips with a terrible event in her life, which she must stop from occuring again. And of course, any sympathy we might have had for the bad guy disappears the moment that the analogy becomes explicit.


Em, maybe a C? Being what it is, it's good. But it's nothing new.

A C is rather low just because it's not that original, don't you think? I mean, you seemed to like it.

The fact that it's conventional affects the film wholly: the script, dialogue, performances, etc. I mean, the actors do the best with what they've got, but there's only that much that they can do within a closed circuit.


A C for me means that there isn't anything particularly bad about the film, or that there are things good enough to make up for some of the bad things in it. In this case, McAdams' performance makes up for the weak post-airplane ending, but there isn't anything else besides her good enough to add to the film to such an extent that it would alleviate it above the norm.


If someone asked you if this film was worth watching, you would probably say yes. If they asked you if this would provide the person asking you with something that they haven't seen before, you might refer them to the film's initial part, or Rachel McAdams performance. But you'd probably be hesitant to call it all-out original.

If that is so, why exactly is this film worth raising to another level?

Oh, and by the way, as others in this thread have mentioned, the premise too is not much different from that of other films of its kind. In other words, it's illogical and rather stupid. The only thing that doesn't make the criminal's plot break down is if he scares her enough into thinking that she has no other option. Yet everything in the film proofs just how tough of a girl Lisa is. So why exactly doesn't she scream out when the phones are down, which would not only guarantee that he'd be swiftly brought down, but that he would have absolutely no means of calling anyone at all? When the phones would be back on, she could then call both the hotel girl and warn her, and call her father to tell him that he's in danger. Simple as that. Considering the more complex operations she attempts, that really does seem simple by comparison.

Enjoyable suspense with no jetlag. I loved the pace and flow, how it started out kind of slow and then built gradually until the airport landing. The way Craven mixed laughs and thrills was a nice touch. Great performances from McAdams (viva the new Julia Roberts!) and Murphy. Nothing groundbreaking or original, but nevertheless entertaining and unpretentious. B+.

Also, I'm with Box on the rape undertone. It gave the movie a shot of adrenaline as it segued into the third act (when most films need it most).

I liked how apparently a scarf is prime first aid for a neck puncture wound.

And that's pretty much what I thought about the whole thing. Silly, ridiculous happenings that I think required a little bit too much suspension of disbelief (NO ONE noticing Rachel McAdams freaking out, crying, slamming around in the bathroom, him HEADBUTTING her, etc.). But entertaining, sure. And kind of suspenseful.

C+

There are contexts applied to different kind of movies. At 85 minutes long, Red Eye couldn't really afford to go into too much detail to avoid the plot holes. Plus, it kinda would have killed some of the suspence and the momentum. I don't know, I also didn't really bother to may that much attention to those details, so they all just flew over my head for the most part.