Cellular Region 2
June 16, 2009 by Cellular Technology · Leave a Comment
Just when you think it’s getting silly, Cellular serves up another tantalizing twist. In the time-honored tradition of Sorry, Wrong Number and Wait Until Dark, Kim Basinger is well-cast as a resourceful damsel-in-distress who thwarts her kidnappers by connecting with a n’er-do-well cell-phone user (Chris Evans, later seen in The Fantastic Four) who races against time to rescue her from afar. One good cop (William H. Macy) assembles clues to uncover conspiracy, while first-time writer Chris Morgan and pulp-movie master Larry Cohen (who conceived the plot, similar to his own Phone Booth screenplay) serve up a consistently satisfying string of high-tension surprises. Jason Statham continues to prove his rising-star status as the film’s tenacious villain, and director David Ellis (Final Destination 2) takes advantage of his experience as a veteran stunt coordinator and second-unit director, making good use of locations in his native Santa Monica, and wringing credible suspense from a deliriously far-fetched premise. –Jeff Shannon
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great example of high-concept film making
A kidnapped woman (Kim Basinger), locked in a room with a broken phone, must rely on the young man (Chris Evans) who answers her desperate call for help on his cell phone, in order to save her from certain death.
“Cellular” is such a perfect, by-the-numbers, example of a high-concept action blockbuster, that within about five minutes of starting this film, I felt certain that I had every plot twist for the next 90 minutes figured out. What impresses me so much about this film is that I hadn’t. Writer Chris Morgan takes the concept of a man on a phone call that he cannot hang up, and moves it in every direction imaginable and some that I didn’t see coming. The script is neatly put together, and although it is unlikely to go down as one of the greatest action movies of all time, it is funny, smart and keeps you wondering what is going to happen next, right to the end.
As a side note, people who are thinking of watching this film because of Jason Statham (whose picture features prominently on the DVD cover), should be aware that Statham’s role is relatively minor. This is Chris Evans’s film, not Jason Statham’s. Nevertheless, I watched this film because of Statham, and, although I was somewhat disappointed that he didn’t have a bigger part, I feel that I ultimately won out, since I doubt I would have watched this film otherwise, and it was well worth watching.
Cellular
June 4, 2009 by Cellular Technology · Leave a Comment
Just when you think it’s getting silly, Cellular serves up another tantalizing twist. In the time-honored tradition of Sorry, Wrong Number and Wait Until Dark, Kim Basinger is well-cast as a resourceful damsel-in-distress who thwarts her kidnappers by connecting with a n’er-do-well cell-phone user (Chris Evans, later seen in The Fantastic Four) who races against time to rescue her from afar. One good cop (William H. Macy) assembles clues to uncover conspiracy, while first-time writer Chris Morgan and pulp-movie master Larry Cohen (who conceived the plot, similar to his own Phone Booth screenplay) serve up a consistently satisfying string of high-tension surprises. Jason Statham continues to prove his rising-star status as the film’s tenacious villain, and director David Ellis (Final Destination 2) takes advantage of his experience as a veteran stunt coordinator and second-unit director, making good use of locations in his native Santa Monica, and wringing credible suspense from a deliriously far-fetched premise. –Jeff Shannon
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great example of high-concept film making
A kidnapped woman (Kim Basinger), locked in a room with a broken phone, must rely on the young man (Chris Evans) who answers her desperate call for help on his cell phone, in order to save her from certain death.
“Cellular” is such a perfect, by-the-numbers, example of a high-concept action blockbuster, that within about five minutes of starting this film, I felt certain that I had every plot twist for the next 90 minutes figured out. What impresses me so much about this film is that I hadn’t. Writer Chris Morgan takes the concept of a man on a phone call that he cannot hang up, and moves it in every direction imaginable and some that I didn’t see coming. The script is neatly put together, and although it is unlikely to go down as one of the greatest action movies of all time, it is funny, smart and keeps you wondering what is going to happen next, right to the end.
As a side note, people who are thinking of watching this film because of Jason Statham (whose picture features prominently on the DVD cover), should be aware that Statham’s role is relatively minor. This is Chris Evans’s film, not Jason Statham’s. Nevertheless, I watched this film because of Statham, and, although I was somewhat disappointed that he didn’t have a bigger part, I feel that I ultimately won out, since I doubt I would have watched this film otherwise, and it was well worth watching.
Cellular Region 2
June 3, 2009 by Cellular Technology · Leave a Comment
Just when you think it’s getting silly, Cellular serves up another tantalizing twist. In the time-honored tradition of Sorry, Wrong Number and Wait Until Dark, Kim Basinger is well-cast as a resourceful damsel-in-distress who thwarts her kidnappers by connecting with a n’er-do-well cell-phone user (Chris Evans, later seen in The Fantastic Four) who races against time to rescue her from afar. One good cop (William H. Macy) assembles clues to uncover conspiracy, while first-time writer Chris Morgan and pulp-movie master Larry Cohen (who conceived the plot, similar to his own Phone Booth screenplay) serve up a consistently satisfying string of high-tension surprises. Jason Statham continues to prove his rising-star status as the film’s tenacious villain, and director David Ellis (Final Destination 2) takes advantage of his experience as a veteran stunt coordinator and second-unit director, making good use of locations in his native Santa Monica, and wringing credible suspense from a deliriously far-fetched premise. –Jeff Shannon
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great example of high-concept film making
A kidnapped woman (Kim Basinger), locked in a room with a broken phone, must rely on the young man (Chris Evans) who answers her desperate call for help on his cell phone, in order to save her from certain death.
“Cellular” is such a perfect, by-the-numbers, example of a high-concept action blockbuster, that within about five minutes of starting this film, I felt certain that I had every plot twist for the next 90 minutes figured out. What impresses me so much about this film is that I hadn’t. Writer Chris Morgan takes the concept of a man on a phone call that he cannot hang up, and moves it in every direction imaginable and some that I didn’t see coming. The script is neatly put together, and although it is unlikely to go down as one of the greatest action movies of all time, it is funny, smart and keeps you wondering what is going to happen next, right to the end.
As a side note, people who are thinking of watching this film because of Jason Statham (whose picture features prominently on the DVD cover), should be aware that Statham’s role is relatively minor. This is Chris Evans’s film, not Jason Statham’s. Nevertheless, I watched this film because of Statham, and, although I was somewhat disappointed that he didn’t have a bigger part, I feel that I ultimately won out, since I doubt I would have watched this film otherwise, and it was well worth watching.
Cellular New Line Platinum Series
May 28, 2009 by Cellular Technology · Leave a Comment
Cellular New Line Platinum Series
Just when you think it’s getting silly, Cellular serves up another tantalizing twist. In the time-honored tradition of Sorry, Wrong Number and Wait Until Dark, Kim Basinger is well-cast as a resourceful damsel-in-distress who thwarts her kidnappers by connecting with a n’er-do-well cell-phone user (Chris Evans, later seen in The Fantastic Four) who races against time to rescue her from afar. One good cop (William H. Macy) assembles clues to uncover conspiracy, while first-time writer Chris Morgan and pulp-movie master Larry Cohen (who conceived the plot, similar to his own Phone Booth screenplay) serve up a consistently satisfying string of high-tension surprises. Jason Statham continues to prove his rising-star status as the film’s tenacious villain, and director David Ellis (Final Destination 2) takes advantage of his experience as a veteran stunt coordinator and second-unit director, making good use of locations in his native Santa Monica, and wringing credible suspense from a deliriously far-fetched premise. –Jeff Shannon
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great example of high-concept film making
A kidnapped woman (Kim Basinger), locked in a room with a broken phone, must rely on the young man (Chris Evans) who answers her desperate call for help on his cell phone, in order to save her from certain death.
“Cellular” is such a perfect, by-the-numbers, example of a high-concept action blockbuster, that within about five minutes of starting this film, I felt certain that I had every plot twist for the next 90 minutes figured out. What impresses me so much about this film is that I hadn’t. Writer Chris Morgan takes the concept of a man on a phone call that he cannot hang up, and moves it in every direction imaginable and some that I didn’t see coming. The script is neatly put together, and although it is unlikely to go down as one of the greatest action movies of all time, it is funny, smart and keeps you wondering what is going to happen next, right to the end.
As a side note, people who are thinking of watching this film because of Jason Statham (whose picture features prominently on the DVD cover), should be aware that Statham’s role is relatively minor. This is Chris Evans’s film, not Jason Statham’s. Nevertheless, I watched this film because of Statham, and, although I was somewhat disappointed that he didn’t have a bigger part, I feel that I ultimately won out, since I doubt I would have watched this film otherwise, and it was well worth watching.
