“Echelon Conspiracy” is a cautionary tale about the dangers of Big Brother-type computer programs. The plot, however, hinges on events so coincidental and implausible that it’s hard to take the movie seriously. However, if you’re willing to suspend a lot of disbelief and you really want to see a movie, “Echelon Conspiracy” might prove diverting. Max Peterson (Shane West), a computer security expert, travels around the world setting up protection software. After finishing a job in Thailand, he receives a mysterious gift of a state of the art cell phone from an unknown admirer. Then Max starts receiving text messages. The first one advises him to postpone his flight home. He does and the plane he was supposed to be on crashes. New text messages send Max to a casino in the Czech Republic where recommended slot machines and blackjack tables guarantee wins. Unfortunately for Max, his actions draw the attention of the casino’s security chief, John Reed (Edward Burns) as well as FBI agent Dave Grant (Ving Rhames).
It’s interesting how many recognizable names are in the cast – that is, except the lead. Shane West isn’t exactly a household name. Along with Ed Burns and Ving Rhames are Jonathan Pryce as a mysterious billionaire owner of the casino and Martin Sheen, who plays against type as the hawkish head of the NSA. The screenplay by Kevin Elders and Michael Nitsberg throws in a requisite chase scene and a couple of shootouts, all of which are pretty routine. And the ultimate resolution seems like a rip-off of the 1983 Matthew Broderick movie called “War Games” in which Broderick’s character uses the computer’s logic to ultimately save the day. I’m not surprised that “Echelon Conspiracy” arrived in theaters with little or no publicity. 3/3/09
1 comment:
Maybe I am not yet "overexposed" to this kind of action drama like some but I rather enjoyed this film. It will probably wind up on late night TV on cable and in the back corner of the video stores but it kept my interest throughout. I thought the action was well done and the acting was more than competent. A little strange seeing the Russians being the good guys for a change. If it still in the theaters, go see it.
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