Movie Review: Red Eye
In Red Eye, Rachel McAdams stars as Lisa Riesert, an unassuming hotel manager from Miami who has just attended her grandmother’s funeral in Dallas and has booked a seat on the “red-eye” back to Miami. While in line to check-in, Lisa meets a witty young man with piercing blue eyes named Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy). Sounds a bit too much like Jack Ripper… Lisa joins Jackson for a beverage before the flight and as it turns out, her and Jackson are sitting next to each other on the same flight back to Miami. Coincidence? Well, no, it’s never a coincidence. As it turns out, Jack Rippner is part of a sinister plot that involves the assassination of an influential politician and that plot requires Lisa’s assistance. Of course Lisa wants nothing to do with Jack’s plans but, if she doesn’t help, her father (Brian Cox) will die as well. Hijinks in the air ensue.
I have to say, I went into Red Eye with the lowest of expectations. I hadn’t heard a lot of good things about the movie and although that doesn’t always matter, the whole premise of the movie just seemed a bit “out there”. Nevertheless, it’s a Wes Craven directed movie and I know he has the ability to spit out a decent flick every couple of decades. Not so much lately, but his last big hit, Scream, has afforded him some consideration. Well, I hate to say this, but time might be running out for Mr. Craven. Red Eye is a complete mess.
Perhaps not a complete mess, but just so out there and so ridiculous that it really shouldn’t be allowed to show in any theatres anywhere in the world. It should go straight to DVD to spare movie fans the pain and suffering of having to sit through its absurdity.
The movie does have a few highlights. Rachel McAdams is gorgeous and continues to climb my personal top ten list of women I love. Cillian Murphy is pretty creepy but not nearly as creepy as a lot of people claim him to be. Brian Cox is skinny, although I personally prefer him with a bit of meat on his bones (in a totally non-homosexual way). The ending of the movie, as far-fetched and ridiculous as it is, is actually quite exciting. And I loved seeing some jerkoff guests at the hotel being told to shove their comment cards up their ass. If only that could happen in real-life.
In the end, despite the few high points in Red Eye, the fact that the movie had a pretty farcical plot and just so many cockamamie moments made it very hard for me to get too excited (that sounded so much better in my head). Just the fact that these so-called assassins felt the need to get some innocent hotel manager involved in their plot that included guns, knives, boats and rocket launchers was total tom-foolery. Having people running around airports, stealing cars, crashing through houses and doing all this with a pen stuck in their throat sounds cool and all but I think by this point in the movie, I had rolled my eyes so many times that I was starting to look like that chick from The Exorcist.
I must admit when Red Eye ended, people in the crowd started clapping so I warn you to take my words with a grain of salt. I may be way off on this one but I just found this movie so ridiculous and out there that I would warn you to stay away, far away. But then again, Red Eye isn’t even an hour and a half long, so it’s not like you would be taking a huge risk. (4 out of 10)
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