What do you get when you mix the brains of "Eagle Eye" with the brawn of "The Bourne Identity" with a pinch of "Enemy of the State?"  The answer is "Echelon Conspiracy."  Apparently, this film went straight to video because I had never heard of it.  That's odd, because this sleeper of a film has a pretty good cast.  This techno-action flick stars Shane West, Ed Burns, Ving Rhames and Martin Sheen.

This time around, another super computer has its own agenda.  Can a computer guy save the day or does he want the super computer to become the ultimate power on Earth?

How cool would it be to receive a very advanced cell phone that nobody has yet?  How cool would it be if that cell phone was sending you messages that saved your life and made you money?  But what if that same phone caused death?  Just like in "Eagle Eye," the super computer can watch your every move via security cameras world-wide.  I don't know about you, but there seems to be a rash of films that depict technology hurting the human race as well as "End of Days" disaster films.  What is Hollywood trying to tell us?  Apparently we should all build a subterranean bomb shelter and stock up on supplies at Costco.

Well, in "Echelon Conspiracy," the super computer wants to play a terrifying game of chess and picks its human pawns very carefully.  Don't play by the rules and you'll wind up dead.

The story centers around Max Peterson, a computer engineer played by Shane West (Dracula 200 and TV's ER).  His life is saved by the mysterious phone and then goes on an odyssey all across Thailand, Europe and the US in order to complete a mission he has no idea he's involved in - all along, not knowing who to trust.

The supporting cast includes ex-FBI agent-turned private security John Reed played by Ed Burns (Saving Private Ryan, Brothers McMullen), Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible trilogy, Pulp Fiction) plays FBI agent Grant, Martin Sheen plays a corrupt FBI director and Tamara Feldman (TV's Gossip Girl and Dirty Sexy Money) plays an alluring love interest with an edge to her.

The pace is fairly decent with only a few slow pockets, but where the film lacks is under the supervision of fairly new director Greg Marcks ("11:14").  While I believe the young director has talent, this film has a few awkward passages that a seasoned director would have handled differently.  Conversely, his choice of lenses and camera movement were enjoyable.

Parents:  There is a bunch of swearing and one nude scene, so use discretion with respect to your kids.

I enjoyed the film more than Eagle Eye.  Eagle Eye may have more action and bigger name actors, but Echelon Conspiracy is smarter, better planned out and no implausible reality factor.  For a film that was supposed to be lower budget, we sure do get to see some great locations like Thailand, Prague and Russia.  I think the film spent most of its budget on locations, travel expenses and actors.  This story could have been told in America and spent money on other more important things like a stronger director and such.  Just my opinion after all.

The only minor quips I have about Echelon was some of the weapon choices and the choreography of the final shootout sequence. Today's SWAT units don't use M-16 rifles like they did in the 1970s and 80s.  Most (if not all) SWAT units have different weapons in the squad including snipers, shotguns, and more current assault rifles.  The prop department probably got a better deal on those dated rifles.  Would have been better with MP5s and such.  But that's a minor thing that most people would forgive.  The final shootout looked too staged and came off a bit odd.  It would have benefited from the services of a technical advisor or weapons expert.

Rent it - you just might like it if you liked Eagle Eye.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older