July 30, 2005
Stealth
Josh Lucas .... Lt. Ben Gannon
Jessica Biel .... Kara Wade
Jamie Foxx .... Henry Purcell
Sam Shepard .... Capt. George Cummings
Richard Roxburgh .... Keith Orbit
Joe Morton .... Capt. Dick Marshfield
Every review I read of this film said it sucked big time. Major suckitude. However, that didn't stop me from wanting to see it. Based on the trailers, I wasn't expecting anything but an action fueled summer popcorn movie and I wasn't disappointed (I feel like I've said that about another movie this summer).
Heavy on action and special effects, this movie doesn't disappoint in those areas. There's a lot of zooming around in planes (very Top Gun-esque) and some amazing fight sequences. Lots of stuff gets blown up. I saw in a behind the scenes interview that one of the explosions was planned to be so big the filmmakers had to register it with NASA so that the countries with satellites in orbit would be warned because you'd be able to see the explosion from space. There's one explosion in particular (not the seen from space one though) that literally took my breath away when it happened.
The plot is pretty skimpy. The acting is less than great, which is sad because you've got some pretty great actors (Sam Shephard, Joe Morton, hell even Jamie Foxx). There are also some moments where it is pretty impossible to suspend your disbelief and quite a few times I actually said "WTF?!" out loud (luckily, I was only 1 of about 10 people in the theatre and the sound was loud enough that I don't think anyone heard me; at least, I hope they didn't).
I'd say wait for this to come out on DVD or see it if it hits a discount theatre. I'm not sure its worth matinee prices, considering there's not much difference between matinee and full price anymore.
I'm putting a spoiler below the cut so only read it if you don't care.
There was one scene that I didn't see coming and I really should have.
[spoiler]
Jamie Foxx's character, Henry, is pretty much the one person in favor of the AI fighter plane. He feels that it's better to send a machine into combat rather than him, that way he can make it home for Thanksgiving. There are several scenes in which he waxes poetic about the beauty of the Earth versus being up in a fighter plane and killing people. That should've been my big clue right there, but when Henry dies fighting EDI, I was shocked. I believe I might have even audibly gasped. [end spoiler]