Cellular Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
If the signal dies so does she.
A young man (Evans) receives a call on his cellular phone from a woman (Basinger) who says she's been kidnapped, and thinks she's going to be killed soon, along with her husband and son who the kidnappers have gone after next. The catch? She doesn't know where she is... and his cell phone battery might go dead soon.
| Kim Basinger | Jessica |
| Jessica Biel | Chloe |
| Richard Burgi | Craig |
| Caroline Aaron | Marilyn Mooney |
| Brenda Ballard | Irate Customer #1 |
| Will Beinbrinck | Young Security Guard |
| Chase Bloch | Timid Boy |
| Chelsea Bloch | Surf Girl's Friend |
| Chantille Boudousque | Chloe's Chilly Friend |
| Robin Brenner | Excitable Customer |
| Nikki Christian | Porsche Girl |
| John Churchill | Young Guard |
| Greg Collins | Aging Security Guard |
| Valerie Cruz | Bayback |
| Marco DiMaio | Superior Officer |
| Jason Statham | Ethan |
| David R. Ellis |
6.50 out of 10 (15424 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Seriously, it was one hell of a movie!!!
posted on 28 Aug 2009I absolutely loved this movie. They get the action started straight away. This normally always makes people want to watch the whole thing. The movie was fast passed so parts did not drag on. Chris Evan's acting was brilliant. Defiantly was the right choice for this movie. Kim Basinger also played her part intensely. Her acting was amazing throughout the movie. The movie also had comedy in it. This to me, made it more enjoyable and made me want to watch it right through. Even though this movie was not advertised much in Australia. It is defiantly a must see. It is worth it, you wont be disappointed! This movie will always be on the top of my list.10/10 all the way!
Fast pace action, drama & comedy
posted on 26 Aug 2009The movie Cellular out did my expectations. Based on the previews I was sure i would like it, but this definitely exceeded my expectations. This is a non stop merry-go-round action packed thriller with drama and a hint of comedy to lighten the situation Kim Basinger is in. She has been kidnapped and her family is in danger from something she doesn't know about. Jason Stratham, you know from The Punisher & as handsome Rob in the Italian Job, does a great crooked cop role who is holding jessica (kim).Chris Evans is not only handsome but proved himself to be quite the actor as he is the only one who can save Jessica and her family. And all he did was answer his cell phone. Their is a lot of suspense and car chase scenes with some shockers you don't expect. I would definitely encourage you to give Cellular a try, you won't be disappointed.
Brilliant!
posted on 23 Jul 2009Well i loved it but then I'm fairly easy to please! I love the beach, sunshine and surfing so the beginning of the film appealed to my happiness factor! i like a film that you can really get into where you love the good guys and hate the baddies with a vengeance. Where you sit on the edge of the sofa screaming at the TV "nooo don't do it!!!! Don't go that way!!!" And the lawyer was a scream! He's a great actor. Other then that i don't have anything of any real significance to say, I'm no film student with all the technical aspects of film-making! But there is one thing i HAVE to mention. The DELECTABLE CHRIS EVANS!!!!!!!!!! AGHHHHHH!!!!! Ooooh its like eating ice-cream every day!!!!
Cellular is one of those movies that can not figure out exactly what it wants to be, stuck somewhere between comedy and thriller
posted on 01 Jul 2009Cellular is one of those movies that can not figure out exactly what it wants to be, stuck somewhere between comedy and thriller. Based on the crowd responses I say it works more as a comedy with some tense moments, than as a suspense thriller with a few comedic bits. The crowd I saw it with was laughing at it in more than a dozen times and only at a few key moments did they appear to be on the edge of their seats. In the acting department, William H Macy steals the show, I found myself enjoying the moments with him way more than the majority of time spent with Chris Evans. On the whole I'd give it 5.5 out of 10, based primarily on William H Macy's performance and Jason Statham playing his usual tough guy character.
huh!
posted on 25 Jun 2009The film races across Los Angeles, to LAX, to Century City, back to the Pier, and the bodies pile up. A cynical take on this would be that just too many nifty coincidences and too much product placement sully the venture, but despite those debits, the film's merits are confident, un-showy acting by the leads, a gradual unraveling of the reason for the kidnappings, snappy dialogue, and Macy's laid-back but increasingly earnest performance. Noah Emmerich is on hand as a police honcho, and the city's freeways, traffic jams, many construction sites and range of Angelinos of varying degrees of civility, especially a pompous youngish lawyer whose gorgeous new blue Porsche convertible, play big parts in propelling the film forward, as does a video cam (as if a modern movie can be truly "with it" without one). The obverse of "Collateral," with its L.A. in full blues mood after dark, "Cellular" is L.A. as exemplar of what California used to be called, "golden." A sleek marriage of sleazy and snazzy.
Absolutely horrible
posted on 21 Jun 2009There's a lot of joking around on bad action movies, but sometimes they hit right on the spot. "Cellular" is absolutely horrendous viewing. The central idea, focused on the cell phone, is botched completely with truly abysmal realization. It's not that there seems to be any aspect of the movie that was promising to begin with, though. Judging by the movie, the script and story were already hopeless, and the crew only took it downhill from there.It looks like somebody noticed that these new-fangled cell phone devices were becoming pretty popular, to the point that a movie could be built around them. But instead of using the cell phones as a means of communication in a meaningful story, they took the phone and made it the whole story, putting in a contrived action / thriller plot around a cellphone connection that mustn't die.The reason that the connection is important is that Kim Basinger's character Jessica wouldn't die - but oh how I wish she had. Basinger's horrible shrieking and whining alone are enough to ruin the movie, but enough about her - she is supposed to be in mortal danger due to some eeevil crooks taking her captive. She manages to reach the outside world, however, but unfortunately, it's on the cell phone on who must be one of the world's most unappealing people, Chris Evans' character Ryan, who goes on to have all sorts of inane episodes to keep the connection alive while working to help Jessica. There's a lot of chaos, confusion and tight situations, but rather than keeping the viewer in suspense, the movie has trouble keeping in the suspension of disbelief, mostly due to overall horrid acting performances."Cellular" offers nothing spectacular, suspenseful nor insightful in its storyline, it is just a poorly linked chain of events where Ryan faces another problem with his cell phone or the connection. The movie has no appealing sides at all, save for the lacklustre campy feeling of "I can't believe how bad this is!" The cell phone has been used a lot better in action-oriented story lines in 24, and for a movie centered on cell phones, Shou ji is the shining opposite of "Cellular". Try this film only if you are looking for a really, really stupid action to laugh at, not to laugh with. Even then, you'll need the proper state of mind to draw more than a few cheap laughs from the movie.
I enjoyed Cellular!
posted on 15 Jun 2009I found this movie very enjoyable! Some of the acting was really good: Kim Basinger gave a kick-butt performance, William H. Macy was very good, and Chris Evans (Ryan) did a great job. I loved the scene where he laughed out loud after turning the corner; I felt his excitement!That is it for me: I was excited, and suspensed, during the film. How was it going to end? Would they take the normal route or go against mainstream? I really get into movies and this was absolutely no exception! Loved the chase scenes and the action!It may not be the Movie of the Year, but it is a definite DVD must for me :)
Can you hear me now? Gooood.
posted on 09 Jun 2009In what could easily be called either a spin-off, if not a sequel, of the outstanding Phone Booth, Cellular comes along from the same writer, again making satisfying thriller about evil people on the other end of the line. The movie wastes no time as Jessica (Kim Basinger) is kidnapped suddenly and without warning or explanation from her home in broad daylight. It is only a few minutes into the movie when Jessica is already locked in the attic with nothing but a smashed phone to try to save herself and her family.I think that a lot of why this movie works so well is because for the majority of it, Jessica has no idea why she is being imprisoned (indeed, she is convinced that the kidnappers have the wrong family), and neither do we. It's like the briefcases is Pulp Fiction and Ronin, although it serves a very different purpose. Throughout the most intense action sequences, we are just as mystified as Jessica is, which makes her situation seem even more dire because she doesn't know how to save himself.I was interested in the locations, if only because the movie takes place and was filmed so close to where I live. The three guys that are found murdered, according to the news report, are found in Culver City, which is the part of LA that I live in, and the school that Jessica's son goes to as well as the Santa Monica pier both lie on routes that I regularly pass by on bicycle rides. There's also a great mountain biking trail a couple blocks away from their home address on Bonhill Street just off of Sunset Blvd. That's one of the interesting things about living in LA, that sometimes you see places in the movies that are very familiar. In Collateral, for example, the movie theater that I saw the movie in was actually IN the movie. THAT was a surreal experience.There are a few slip-ups early in the film, soon after Ryan gets the phone call from Jessica. Ryan, in an attempt to help, takes his phone to a police station so that Jessica can explain what happened to an officer (William H. Macy) who gets distracted by a gang war that breaks out in the police station lobby (I guess not a single guy who was fighting cared whether he was thrown immediately in jail). As he goes to break up the fight, he tells Ryan to go up to Robbery/Homicide on the 4th floor. Right. But hey, Officer Mooney (Macy) had talked to Jessica and seemed to have concluded that her situation was genuine, so I'm willing to accept that he allowed some guy who walked in with a cell phone access to the upper floors of the station.The problem is that Ryan gets trapped in the stairwell because he's in danger of losing the signal, and he only has 15 minutes to get Jessica's son (charmingly named Ricky Martin) from school before the kidnappers do. He turns and runs out of the police station, proceeding to take matters into his own hands for the rest of the movie. Why he didn't try to get help from a police officer on his way out of the building I am guessing can only be explained by it's necessity to the plot.Then late in the movie, the bad guys are trying to spot Ryan on the Santa Monica Pier where he has demanded the release of Jessica and her family in exchange for the incriminating item around which the entire movie is based. They are unable to spot him because of all the people. Personally, I would have looked out for the one guy wearing a full raincoat and hood on a hot summer day, but that's just me.I should probably stop picking things like this out, because it makes it sound like I didn't like the movie, and I really did. It's a fast paced action thriller that is never manipulative even when it throws in standard Hollywood action movie clichés, like the car chases and shootouts, and despite some ham-handed product placement, this is a very well made thriller.
Super Cellular!
posted on 05 Jun 2009This is an excellent action-thriller that rattles along, fast paced, with style and class!In the opening scene an apparently quiet and unassuming housewife/teacher, our heroine, is brutally kidnapped, and that incident sets the scene for the remaining full throttle drama. In an effort to save her family and whilst in captivity our heroine is able to randomly make contact with a stranger, our hero, on his mobile phone. It is the stranger's mad-cap effort with all sorts sorts of thrills and spills, to locate and save the victim and her family which takes center stage in the rest of the film. Plenty of twists,turns and surprises, with super action from start to finish!The "baddies" are really mean, nasty and ruthless.Our heroine gives a suitably desperate and convincing performance as does the hero. In fact all the cast deserve credit as does the excellent direction which had me engrossed throughout. Not only is the story logical and well written there is even humor with a hilarious performance from a car jack victim, as well as in between serious moments from the actor playing the older cop part.Even the closing credits show a lot of imagination and which reveal that one of the writers is Larry Cohen who has be responsible for many brilliant scripts. No exception here:10 out of 10!
Just Hang up on this one
posted on 30 May 2009I've never bothered to add a comment on any film until now. I thought the plot and the acting (except for William H. Macey) was awful. The man who receives the call for help on the his cellular phone makes only a feeble attempt to notify the police, and then for the rest of the movie takes it completely upon himself to rescue Kim Bassinger, whose performance was really lacking.I thought it was great when he was in a cellular phone store, and instead of contacting the police with any phone, he robs the store at gunpoint, for a phone charger.I thought the story line was unbelievable and at every plot turn it got worse. I almost turned it off, but I wanted to see just how ridiculous it would get.
awesome movie of the year so far!
posted on 16 May 2009now I know what they mean by keeping you on the edge of your seat. This movie was awesome! I hope to find it on DVD so that I can view again and again. When I saw the preview it looked action packed but it was better than I ever thought it would be, thanks to all who participated in getting this movie on TV!!! This is one time I have gone out of my way to find info online in hopes to let other people know what a great movie this is. If they like action this is it. I'll definitely be watching out for Mr. Ellis's directing in the future. Hats off to Kim Basinger she's as lovely as ever, her acting has not diminished one bit! Where in the world did you find the young man Evans, he definitely made his mark and look forward to seeing him on screen in the future.all the bestJ.R.
A thriller worth watching for its exhilaratingly fast pace, situational humor, and Chris Evans' star-making performance.
posted on 12 May 2009Rating: *** out of **** Gimmicky thriller premises are a dime a dozen. Fox's 24 essentially expounds on that idea every episode without any rhythm or consistency. The real trick is executing the idea with the right panache and skill to weave it all into a fun thriller. So is David R. Ellis' Cellular worthy of Phone Booth acclaim, or is it just another Nick of Time? You just might be surprised to see it's every bit as enjoyable as the former, with only occasional hints at the pure cheese of the latter.Young beach bum Ryan (Chris Evans) is having just another typical day of sun and fun at the beach, but his girlfriend (Jessica Biel) sees his behavior as lazy and irresponsible. To try and patch things up, he promises to run a few errands for her, but on the way, he receives a call on his cell phone from a stranger named Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger), a woman who claims she's been kidnapped and is being held in the attic of an unfamiliar house. Her call to Ryan was completely random, but the catch is, she has to stay on the line or the signal may be lost for good.Though initially dubious of her outrageous claims, Ryan quickly comes to believe her after he overhears one of the kidnappers on the phone. Deciding to help out in any possible way he can, Ryan tries to locate her family before the kidnappers do. Unfortunately, obstacles to keeping the phone signal going present themselves at every turn, and Ryan finds he must go through some extreme measures to keep Jessica on the line.It's these obstacles that make up at least half the fun of watching Cellular. Whether it's a dying battery, "typical" close call encounters with the villains, car chases that require driving backwards or on the wrong side of the road, director Ellis keeps the pace lightning fast by presenting every plausible hindrance there is to keeping a cell phone signal alive. That might not be as immediately catchy a premise as keeping a bus above 50 mph, but it's hard to care when the gimmick is delivered with this much fresh skill and energy. Ellis also directed the enjoyable Final Destination 2, proving he has what it takes to deliver straight-faced thrillers in spite of their naturally ridiculous premises.But as terrific a job as Ellis does, it's the cast that keeps the momentum going even when the story starts to sag. As the everyman caught in this horrifying situation, Chris Evans is wholly convincing and immensely appealing as Ryan, playing out an otherwise simple role for all its worth. Most of the movie rests on his shoulders, so it's to no small amount of praise when I say that we eagerly want to follow him through every move of his day-long adventure. Kim Basinger is surprisingly just as good as the kidnapped woman, proving that much like her physical features, her acting skills are improving with age. The other major standout is Jason Statham as the head kidnapper; he's obviously affecting an American accent that's not all that believable, but he brings an intensity to the role that makes him fiercely menacing.The plot boasts the expected coincidences and contrivances that are needed to fuel the story, and most of these are easy enough to accept, but there are admittedly a few nagging problems. While I could reasonably believe that the kidnappers wouldn't tie up Jessica and could also accept that she knows just enough about phones to fix one up well enough to make one call, I found it less easy to swallow that the kidnappers wouldn't at least keep a guard posted right outside or inside her room. No biggie, though.The more bothersome bits involve a few unlikely coincidences that allow a cop (played by William H. Macy, who delivers another one of his requisite subtly funny performances) to conveniently piece together a number of the clues. Even more troublesome is the climax, which has the unfortunate task of resolving every introduced plot strand, and while the results are still highly entertaining, it comes across a bit messy (though ironically finishing things up on a nice and tidy final note).Still, the story makes a lot of right choices when a lesser movie would have simply veered off course for good. A plot twist involving the villains' identities and their motives is smart and surprising. The movie also satisfyingly chooses to reveal its surprise villain halfway through rather than saving it for a silly last-minute unveiling.The film also boasts a good sense of humor, a lot of it coming from Evans, who handles the comic moments with natural ease (no real surprise, he was also very funny in Not Another Teen Movie). His best moment comes in one scene where he's in a private school searching for Jessica's kid, flabbergasted over his name (which is particularly funny) and how identical every student looks in the same brand of clothing. The laughs don't defuse the tension, though, and it's with this fun mixture of suspense and occasional comic ingenuity that makes this a highly recommended thriller.
Below average 'thriller'
posted on 12 May 2009I disagree with both Ebert and Berardinelli this time. What on earth did they see in this movie in order to promote it in such a way? Looking at the grades they gave it and the written accolades, you would think it is a masterpiece with its place in the pinnacles of cinematographic achievement...The problem is, it isn't anywhere near. As a matter of fact, it is a 'well below average' movie with a script with more holes in it than your average swiss cheese. It is unrealistic, to the point of being comical at times. And then there is the acting... to say that it is sub par is to be very lenient. None of the characters are even remotely believable (save maybe William H. Macy in the role of Sgt. Bob Mooney) their performances are no better than those in low-level soap operas. Last but not least, and not only due to the above mentioned deficiencies, but also because of a lousy script and Direction, there is absolutely nothing 'thrilling' about this motion picture, it leaves the viewer completely emotionless. In his review, Berardinelli claims that ' if it (your cell phone) rings during the movie, you'll jump two feet'... come on, give me a break, not even a 5 year old kid would find this movie even remotely tense or scary. However, one thing Berardinelli said in his review is correct; he called the film a popcorn movie, and that is exactly what it is, nothing more and nothing less.
that's a good film
posted on 06 May 2009as a Chinese i have to say that's a good film.the story itself is outstanding.a young man saved a family from kidnap with the help of the modern technology,it was well written,and well designed.the acting is very good too.Kin play the role of Jessica who is kidnapped by a group of dirty cops.her performance is very precise.she know what would do when one is threatened.and the most amazing performance comes from Chris Evans,who play the role Ryan who was first seen by his girlfriend as a "irresponsible man"but save the whole family.as a young actor he didn't act like he is young but more mature this is film as i say is the beginning of his future success
Lots of fun and thrills.
posted on 02 May 2009Lots of reviews have given plot points, spoilers and acting/writing critiques. I just want to add that I go to the movies to be entertained, enlightened or educated. If my movie choice is to be entertained, I'll leave room for "suspension of belief" in the plotting, if it moves the movie along the entertainment track. Some reviewers here have mentioned "Why would the kidnappers leave her (Kim Basinger) alone in the attic"? Hello!! Do you want to see a movie that has a chance to entertain you or not?? Given that (O.K. maybe a few others) "suspension of belief" sets the stage for one wild and likable ride. There are lots of thrills and laughs, and the packed theater I was in was having a very good time. They (and I) laughed, gasped and hissed for a solid 90+ minutes. That's what I'm after from a movie, so a solid ***1/2 stars from me.
Not as bad as i thought
posted on 02 May 2009I wasn't expecting much from this film, but it turned out to be a real treat. It was one of the late few movies which I actually enjoyed that I had an idea of the ending but didn't know how they would play it out. It was unique and true to the word. It kept you watching and actually lived up to its genre. Not the best but a nice watch for a rainy night, or a nice weekend at the cottage.Great performances by all, it was properly laid out IMO, not too much action not to much babble just enough to make it work. Kudos to the director and all involved.7/10
Another Dumb Hollywood Movie
posted on 02 May 2009Cellular is a major waste of time. The idea of a woman being forced to deal with a random person she connects with on his cell phone is the concept line that got the deal for this movie in motion. However, none of the writers or producers seemed to care that their story made no sense. Without giving it away, you have to wonder why the husband is sitting on this certain piece of evidence and what he planned to do with it. Further, after the cell phone hero gets stumped by the cops once, he fails to try to contact them again and instead, romps through L.A. at 80 mph in a stolen car. The movie tries to move fast enough so that you don't think of the major plot gaff, but that doesn't work. The much respected Bill Macy simply took a paycheck here. And while Kim Basinger does her best distraught mother turn, no one can survive this terrible movie.
A surprisingly good film
posted on 22 Apr 2009"Cellular" is probably one of the most suspenseful and thought-provoking film of the year. I was rather surprised of the work of director David R. Ellis (who failed in his previous project, "Final Destination 2"). The film also has very good and exceptional performances by Basinger and Macy.(MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD) It starts out like any ordinary day, and Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger), a science teacher gets kidnapped. She later fixes a smashed up telephone and dials a random number. She finally reaches Ryan (Chris Evans), who at first thinks it is just a prank call, but later realizes that she and her family are in deep peril. And he goes through a lot of trouble and a very big phone bill. And Macy, as a cop who is about to retire, is also on their tracks. With a funny and happy ending which I will not tell (not that there's a plot twist or anything). This film is very surprising and a little scary and intense. I thought that Basinger's character was a little bit too much of a cry baby though. Yes, the plot is kind of stupid, but works. And yes, it also has some flaws, but that doesn't really matter. It is still a pretty good thriller and is a little bit like "Phone Booth" (with same writer, Larry Cohen) I really recommend this movie to anyone who really likes to spend a time at the cinema and see a pretty creepy film. If you seen the film "Phone Booth", and you enjoyed it. Then you will most likely enjoy this film 8/10
Boring, waste of money.
posted on 20 Apr 2009I went in to the theater hoping for a creative -- or at least entertaining -- movie. I left with 20 minutes left in the movie I was so disgusted. Plagued by poor acting, a frustratingly cyclical and monotonous plot, and tired dialogue, this movie is not worth the time it takes to read the back of the box.Kim Basinger is bland and all-in-all annoying; I felt myself hoping one of her kidnappers would off her just to put the audience out of its misery. Again, this film is just another poor product of the faltering movie industry.
Chris Evans Biggest Fan!
posted on 30 Aug 2009who else agrees that Chris Evans is probably one of the hottest guy ever !! I'm so in love with this guy. he was so adorable in Fantanstic 4. The movie cellular was awesome. It keeps you watching till the end. I mainly rented this movie because of him. But it turned out pretty good. I cannot wait to see him in future projects. Anyway....if you were in Ryans situation, would you have gone through all that? i think i may have like followed the guys to see where they were heading, but i don't know if i could of car jacked some dude and go after guys with guns. Eeeee, scary man. but anyway, So does anyone else agree that Chris Evans is a hottie? I cannot get over that guy. Anyone else agree?