Movie Review

Stealth

Stealth is another slice of high-powered action cinema from director Rob Cohen: it's definitely summertime on planet Earth yet again. This time we venture to the skies to catch up on the fighter jet combat that people like me have been sorely missing since Top Gun and the Iron Eagle series. The idea is that we have now taken a step up, as there were no fancy computer effects back in the 80's and early 90's. Such is the appeal of Stealth: it is filling a niche that amazingly hasn't been overdone in recent years. It is trying to rekindle that vanishing flame that reminds people that these types of movies are supposed to be fun; far too many entries in this genre are wannabe-dramatic claptrap.

It is "the near future." There are three ace pilots (Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, and Jamie Foxx) in the U.S. Navy's secret experimental jet fighter program. They fly the Talon combat aircraft, which resemble modern stealth planes but are smaller, more compact, and beyond the pale in tactical efficiency. The young naval rascals finish training with these flying war beasts, rest for a bit, and then head to the aircraft carrier with their machinery. They free-roam the globe with a mission: to subdue imminent terrorist threats. But at the last minute they learn that they are going to be accompanied by a fourth wingman: Eddie. Eddie is something called a UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle); he is an artificial quantum brain which is linked to his aircraft?s computer systems. "He" is realized in the form of a large, round computer ball surrounded by glowing neon lights (which surely represent its "quantum synapses").

So Eddie is an unmanned plane that can do everything the human pilots can and more. It bugs the humans that Eddie will be flying with on their patrols and emergency missions, but they have no choice; their Commanding Officer, Capt. Cummings (Sam Shepard), insists that Eddie is now part of the team, no questions asked. But, just as you thought, problems arise with Eddie almost immediately; I mean, he IS a soulless computer program with no moral judgment. This leads to dogfights, botched ground strikes, and the capture of a real live American serviceperson. You know it's up to our brave men and women in uniform to save the day.

There are a lot of people who denigrate this kind of movie as a knee-jerk reaction. They call it "stupid, loud, overly macho, and lacking intelligence," etc. Well, even if they"re right, it's not like this movie is trying to make you believe otherwise. The marketing is appropriate, and the movie delivers exactly what you would expect. I expected a fun summer flick about deadly airplanes and that's what I got. And since when did people stop liking this kind of movie? Does everyone think they're so sophisticated and film-knowledgeable now that they can't just sit back and enjoy the ride that something like Stealth provides? It's hard to take moviegoers seriously when they knock something like this, but help a dud like Mr. and Mrs. Smith (C) make $180 million dollars.

Not all the action in this movie is first-rate. Especially in the middle section, a lot of the flying and dog fighting is done in that herky-jerky style that we see in every single action film nowadays. There's quite a bit too much of the planes flying towards the camera at an angle, which is disorienting and slows down the actual motion of the choreography. Slow down, pull back, and show us the entire combat canvas - especially if it's in the open sky.

That said, there were some scenes that I was quite impressed by. The Rangoon nosedive sequence, in which Josh Lucas almost blacks out from blinding speed, was excellent; it gave off a true sense of insane velocity and had me on the edge of my seat. Such is exactly the kind of scene that a movie like this is all about. I also thought that Jessica Biel's ejection scene was very well-done: fiery debris zooming through the air while a little person is falling through the clouds. I haven't seen stuff any better than this all year. There's also some sweet explosions, filmed in slo-mo, with guys and vehicle parts being tossed backwards from the concussive blasts. Stealth really does have some great visual and kinetic moments.

Josh Lucas does a fine job here as the lead action hero. He is an exceptionally good-looking man; almost too fresh-faced even for the role of hotshot Navy pilot. I can see him doing more of these big-budget flicks and pulling it off with aplomb each time. I could even envision him as James Bond or some character along those lines; he's an impressive onscreen presence. Jessica Biel looks cute as always, although she's quite buffed up here, about to the level of what she was in Blade: Trinity (C). She does a good turn as the female hotshot who doubles as a sarcastic love interest. Jamie Foxx doesn't have much screen time, and what is there doesn't have much meat, but he's a likable entity and fills his role properly. And Sam Shepard is suitably gruff and world-weary as the CO. Isn't Shepard a sensitive playwright dude in real life? How come he gets cast as these hard-ass military types (see also Black Hawk Down)? Stealth is a fun romp through the world of high-flying military combat. I embrace it even if everyone might think I'm stupid. You should give it a shot.

Scott's Grade: B-

A	15.1%
B	59.2%
C	24.5%
D	1.2%
F	0.0%