Ever had a Bad Plane Trip? (Red Eye (DVD))

Member Name: katygriff

Product:	Red Eye (DVD)
Date:	29/03/06 (149 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun and Thrilling.

Disadvantages: As Most Films - Predictable.

Ever since seeing Cillian Murphy in 28 days later I have been a massive fan of his as he is a fantastic actor and one who impressed me straight away. Then we have Rachel McAdams who is also quite new to the Hollywood scene and has established herself as a fun actress rather than an annoying young, pretty one. Red Eye appealed to me because of these two actors and also because it is directed by Wes craven who I usually like so I was looking forward to having the DVD to review for you all.

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So What is the Film About?

(Reading from the back of the box)
Lisa Reisert hates to fly, but the terror that awaits her on the night flight to Miami has nothing to do with a fear of flying.

Moments after takeoff, Lisa’s seatmate, Jackson menacingly reveals the real reason he’s on board: He is an operative to kill a rich and powerful businessman … And Lisa is the key to its success. If she refuses to cooperate, her father will be killed by an assassin awaiting a call from Jackson. Trapped within the confines of a jet at 30,000 feet, Lisa has nowhere to run and no way to summon help without endangering her father, her fellow passengers and her own life. As the miles tick by, Lisa knows she is running out of time as she desperately looks for a way to thwart her ruthless captor and stop a terrible murder.


Verdict on the Story:

The premise of this film is excellent because the thought that you are stuck on a plane with a madman is enough to make any of us terrified so this film identifies what I see must be a fear of most people. The actual script is excellent and in true Wes Craven style you love the goodies and hate the baddies and they are extremely easy to identify who is who.

The great thing about this story though is that it uses just the right amount of comedy, drama and horror so it keeps you entertained throughout and I could not take my eyes off of the screen in fear of missing something.

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Cast and Characters:

Rachel McAdams – Lisa Reisert
Cillian Murphy – Jackson Rippner
Brian Cox – Joel Reisert
Jayma Mays – Cynthia


Verdict on the Cast and Characters:

The cast could not have been chosen better as they have chosen up and coming actors who are not your average lets just play teenagers in teenage movies such as Lindsay Lohan for example. You can actually believe these actors are putting their all into their characters so it makes the film a lot more enjoyable. McAdams shines as the lead character because she is so likeable but Murphy steals every scene he is in as the slightly demented Jackson who in turn is so horrible you cannot help but hate him.

Characters in the meantime are great and are extremely clean cut so you know exactly what their purpose is in the film. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the film I cannot say that they are particularly memorable characters and you will not be thinking about them much when the film has finished.

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Things to know:

Runtime – 82 minutes
Certificate – 12
Price – £11.96 at Amazon
1 Disc DVD

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Appearances:

The actual DVD case is quite dark looking with the front cover being almost black. The cover art shows a plane with a hand in one of the windows and the catchphrase for the film is ‘fear takes flight’. On the actual DVD itself is the same picture so you will know which way to put it in your DVD player, a fact I had to tell my Mom the other day that the picture always goes face up in the player.

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Verdict on the Special Features:

The first feature on my list is the making of red eye which I loved watching as I always hope there is a making of on every DVD. It gives you interviews with the actors and creators and why the film was made. This was very enjoyable because of the insight into how the script worked and why everybody was attracted to doing the film. It lasts around eleven minutes so you get quite a lot to watch.

Wes Craven a new type of thriller is interesting because it shows why he likes the horror genre and why with this film he decided to tone down the horror and focus on other themes such as the thriller aspect. It lasts over ten minutes so another lengthy feature and definitely worth watching.

My favourite of all features is the gag reel and for this film the gags come thick and fast. Not sure what it is about people making mistakes and bursting into laughter that just makes you want to laugh along with them so a fantastic feature.

The commentary is a film-maker one so features Wes Craven himself with a producer and editor. I have watched about an hour of it and it is really good as Craven gives you a lot of insight into exactly why he did the film and exactly why he chose the actors he chose. Really interesting viewing.

There are also previews on the DVD which gives you a trailer for future films that are coming out. This trailer is for Just like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon which looks great.

I have to say that in my opinion I think they have chosen really enjoyable special features to put on the DVD as the making of, commentary and gag reel are my favourites on all DVD’s. As they do not last long in total they are easy to work your way through and you shouldn’t get bored.

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Overall Verdict:

If you want to see a film that is full of good acting, a pretty sharp script and has a theme of terror mixed with thriller then you should enjoy this film. Wes Craven films are usually quite scary but you do not have to worry too much about this one as although the picture on the cover may look like it is a horror film I would not class it as that. Take into account it is only a 12 certificate and you can expect some mild terror but no masses of blood and gore which in my opinion is a great thing as the film focuses on events to create the tension and not just massacre.

For a film which has quite a depressing cover and quite a nasty theme, the actual sets, clothing and the way the film is shot is quite fun and light so the film is more enjoyable to watch than watching your usual Wes Craven film.

The good thing about this film is its ability to entertain and me and my boyfriend sat there staring at the screen and pulling faces when things happen. The one tiny little problem about this film is that it is quite predictable from beginning to end but I do tend to think that most films are nowadays so I can’t really count it as a huge fault in the film.

In conclusion I am going to give this DVD five stars because I think it is a great film and although it is not jam-packed with special features I think the ones it does have are very enjoyable. I will say though that this film is not for everybody and only those who like a toned down thriller that is a tad predictable should give it a go.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

Summary: Very Entertaining.