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Cellular is director
David R. Ellis' first big shot at a star studded feature film. Faithful to
trailers and commericals, Cellular is set up as a suspense-filled
popcorn flick. It is just that. Ryan (Chris Evans) is your normal,
un-achieving beach junky. He has a hot girlfriend (Jessica Biel) and no real
ambition until he receives a phone call from Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger)
who has been violently kidnapped, locked in an attic, and has hotwired a
broken phone in attempt to call for help.
While Ryan is skeptical at
first, he is forced to help Jessica on his own, risking his own life to
ensure Jessica and her family's safety after hearing the kidnapper (Jason
Stratham) threats over the phone. Ryan's plight attracts the attention of
Officer Mooney (William H. Macy), a policeman at the end of his career, but
who is determined to get to the bottom of Ryan's mysterious cellular call.
The only thing the audience
worries about when seeing a high concept, popcorn flick like Cellular
is the entertainment value. You don't expect academy award performances or
incredible plot twists. You want to see good guy versus bad guy, heart
pounding suspense and action, and hopefully, guns. Cellular delivers
all the basics, and enjoyably weaves a decent story around a fairly thin
plot.
Kim Basinger unfortunatly
gives an over-the-top, cartoon like performance of fright, but thankfully
William H. Macy lends some off beat humor via all the "day spa" jokes, and
Chris Evans is fairly believable. Cellular is a pretty enjoyable
film, if you can shut your brain off long enough for the story to unfold
before you.
One thing Cellular is
not is suspenseful. The predictable plot doesn't force you to bite your
nails in sweaty anticipation, but some close calls might get your heart
pumping an extra beat. Bottom line, Cellular delivers the
entertainment value, and you'll definitely find yourself cheering for the
good guys. |
