Echelon Conspiracy Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
At first, the strange phone messages promised great wealth. Soon, though, government agents pursue the young engineer receiving them around the world.
| Shane West | Max Peterson |
| Edward Burns | John Reed |
| Ving Rhames | Agent Dave Grant |
| Yuriy Kutsenko | Russian General |
| Sergey Gubanov | Yuri Malanin |
| Martin Sheen | Raymond Burke |
| Steven Elder | Charles |
| Sandra De Sousa | Female Casino Tech |
| Greg Donaldson | Casino Tech |
| Ilan Goodman | Dennis |
| Todd Jensen | Agent Fletcher |
| Danko Jordanov | Max's Attacker 2 |
| John Laskowski | Real Estate Agent |
| Jan Loukota | Sniper assassin |
| Jonathan Pryce | Mueller |
| Greg Marcks |
5.80 out of 10 (2191 votes)
Visitor Reviews
I suffered for you!!!
posted on 31 Aug 2009That's right, I paid the price and watched it so you don't have to!
This is easily the worst movie of the year whatever the year is. I actually rate -5. I mean it has significant negative redeeming value. But there is no getting back my time or IQ points I lost.
It is nothing but a set of beaten to death cliches. Add to this horrible acting, plot that will insult your intelligence (if you have any), and there you have it.
If your life depended on watching this movie - choose death.
Not as good as I hoped for
posted on 31 Aug 2009I had Echelon conspiracy or Push to choose from at the video rental store so I opted for this one. I remember Shane West in A Walk to Remember and loved him in it, so I wanted to give him a shot with this movie. The concept behind the movie is pretty cool. A super cell phone shows up and gives you tips on making quick money. However, the storyline dips into unbelievable pretty quickly and the acting is subpar. My husband and I laughed at the non-subtle hints of comparisons to our past administrations actions. You'll notice the blatant picture of President Bush in several scenes. A movie to watch if you don't have a good option at the rental store but I'd skip purchasing it.
Unbelievable plot!
posted on 31 Aug 2009Even though it looks like an important sum of money has been spent on making this movie -having been shot in Thailand, Prague, Moscow and the U.S.A.-, that isn't enough to keep the audience interested in following the unbelievable and typically low budget plot.
Not even Martin Sheen's, Edward Burns' or Ving Rhymes' appeareances help this undoubtedly forgettable film.
Maybe a 3 star movie - but another bad Blu brings it down
posted on 31 Aug 2009I went in with no expectations and thought I might get lightly entertained. Instead I was subjected to a slew of poor to average performances, DVD quality on a Blu, no special features whatsoever, bad sound, the re-done story mentioned here and everywhere, the best performance not even being credited on the cover art, this constant location/text thing on the screen telling us the coordinates of each sequence (uh - who cares?), this bad freeze frame editing mixed with 1990s MTV music - wow I could keep going.
The performance to watch for is the great little seductress and lethal weapon role filled by the elegant Tamara Feldman. She gets to show her skin in the love scene but it still gets a PG in Canada and a PG13 here - gotta love it. The Blu had no selling point to voice here since it failed on picture quality, sound, lack of features supplemented by a film that would have been cool right after Enemy of the State, not Eagle Eye and ten others.
Normally, I do not go off on a movie this much but each sequence would get steadily worse than the previous. When you find yourself laughing at that 90s music score, bad action scenes, and fluffy writing, things begin to snowball. Maybe it is good for a rental, but do not test your new Blu system with this one; At the most a slow Sunday evening where you might want to see Martin Sheen or Ed Burns fill some roles.
Every Move You Make, Every Step You Take, I'll Be Watching You
posted on 31 Aug 2009An unpleasant wave of déjà vu swept over me as I watched "Echelon Conspiracy," which tells the story of a secret, powerful government organization using a cell phone to control an unwitting young man. Was this not the plot of last fall's "Eagle Eye"? Maybe it's a depressing sign of the times that writers Kevin Elders and Michael Nitsberg and director Greg Marcks ripped off a movie that wasn't all that good begin with. Both films are equally preposterous, but "Echelon Conspiracy" has the added distinction of being a rehash, and not a very good one at that. This is one of those rare instances where it's obvious that the actors don't care that much about what they're doing; even the great Martin Sheen can't seem to rouse himself to give more than a merely decent performance.
The story focuses on a Max Peterson (Shane West), a computer engineer from Omaha, Nebraska. While on business in Bangkok, he receives an anonymous package containing a cell phone so state-of-the-art, it isn't even on the market yet. Almost immediately, he begins receiving a manipulative series of text messages. This leads him to Prague, where he's ordered to stay at a fancy hotel and gamble huge sums of money at rigged gaming stations. This catches the attention of a former FBI agent named John Reed (Edward Burns), who now works as the head of the casino's surveillance team. It also catches the attention of Reed's former partner, Agent Dave Grant (Ving Rhames), who has been sent by an American government faction called the NSA.
While other Americans have received mysterious text messages, Max is the only one who hasn't been killed because of it. This leads the head of the NSA, Raymond Burke (Sheen), to believe that it his involvement has something to do with the activation of a homeland security system known as Echelon. How it was activated and why Max was chosen have yet to be determined; all he knows is that he's constantly under surveillance, and it seems he won't be let off the hook until he's served his purpose.
There comes a point when he meets a Russian hacker named Yuri (Sergey Gubanov), who doubles as a cab driver. He gives Max an earpiece that vocalizes his text messages; what we hear is a monotone female voice that sounds eerily similar to one that controlled Shia LaBeouf in "Eagle Eye" (provided by an uncredited Julianne Moore, which is just as well, especially if it happens to be her voice in this new film). Max also meets an undercover agent named Kamila (Tamara Feldman), who serves no real purpose other than looking sexy. This doesn't work too well for film that's rated PG-13, but never mind.
One of the film's most baffling casting choices is Jonathan Pryce as Mueller, the wealthy owner of the hotel/casino in Prague. He periodically appears to engage in cryptic, mildly threatening conversations with Reed, who he feels isn't doing a good enough job taking care of the Echelon problem. Why this character was deemed necessary, I have no idea. Other than an interesting metaphor about arrows and phoenix feathers, he contributes absolutely nothing to the story. I got the impression that Pryce was just as surprised by being cast; as is the case with Sheen, his performance has the air of someone not taking his role seriously. This might have worked had the film gone in a much campier direction.
Indeed, this film had the potential to be a lot of fun. The plot in and of itself is inherently escapist, not at all unlike the plot of your average summer blockbuster. But somehow, the elements weren't coming together; I never once felt as if I could just sit back put my brain on autopilot. In all fairness, the writers made a good start by giving the characters incredibly hokey dialogue, which seems to exist only as a way to get from one corny joke to the next. Consider a scene in which Max and Reed find themselves in the middle of a car chase: When Max asks, "FBI crash course?" Reed responds, "Brooklyn childhood." It seems films like this are entitled to one or two especially bad lines. Still, don't expect the audience's laughter to be anything other than incredulous.
The climactic final scenes take place in, of all places, Max's hometown, mostly in a concrete warehouse located in the middle of nowhere. Is it possible to genuinely care about a commentary on computer intelligence and government control in such a setting? Are commentaries even necessary in movies like this? I didn't think so in the case of "Eagle Eye," and I certainly don't think so in the case of "Echelon Conspiracy," a perfunctory story that pretends to be a lot bigger than it actually is. When an action/adventure film is this thin-blooded, it's difficult to understand why notable names are attached to it. One wonders: Did Martin Sheen see something in the screenplay that somehow didn't translate to the big screen? Did he actually believe that the whole technology-gone-awry idea would be properly developed? I shudder to think that a paycheck was the only motivating force.
hardly revolutionary, but a fun thrill ride nonetheless
posted on 31 Aug 2009Very similar to last year's "Eagle Eye," but with Shane West instead of Shia LaBeouf. This movie has a bit more intelligent script, but contains a lot less special effects (although there are several pretty good car chases). The theme of the U.S. government creating a machine for "national security" that then turns against them is nothing new and hardly science fiction these days, but the movies about it seem to be abundant. "Echelon Conspiracy" doesn't strike too far from the herd but it's still quite entertaining.
A waste of time and a good cast
posted on 28 Aug 2009Shane West is a computer programmer who is mailed a cellphone anonymously while in Thailand. the phone begins to dispense suggestions and before you know it West is in Prague and winning in the casinos. He is also being hunted by factions of the US government as well as other people interested in the messages he's getting. Bigger budgeted B-movie with Ed Burns, Ving Rhames and Martin Sheen in support this is a film that kind of reminded me of a big budget TV movie that appears on one of the many mini-networks on cable. Interesting to a point the film ultimately bores (I never made it to the end) since I didn't think they really were explaining what was going on, worse the plot never made you really care. Everyone talks in couched tones as if they know what was going on but the never let us, the audience in on any of it. I lost interest and walked away from it, which say a great deal since I didn't care to find out what was really going on (I always need to know, no matter how bad the film is but this time I didn't care). Frankly I should have waited for cable , I suggest you do the same.
"ECHELON CONSPIRACY" – You might get Caught (Up in the Plot And--)
posted on 20 Aug 2009(Based on an advance preview): This spy-related drama (with a not very good title) is surprisingly ENJOYABLE. SHAWN WEST (of "ER") plays a computer engineer who starts getting mysterious messages on a cell phone (ala "EAGLE EYE"). He starts following the instructions texted to him (tho it's never explained just WHY he would do that), & goes flitting between Thailand and Prague in the Czech Republic. He's hounded by an FBI agent (VING RHAMES), an ex-agent (ED BURNS) and a powerful U.S. govt minister (MARTIN SHEEN). Throw in some Russians, a shadowy romantic interest (TAMARA FELDMAN), some fine car chases, intrusive cameras everywhere, and you've got an interesting and fun ride. Is "Big Brother" watching him? And, if so, who (if anyone) is really CONTROLLING Big Brother?! There are elements of 'WAR GAMES' and various other action films. Outside of an overly-loud soundtrack, this is a pleasing action excursion that's gotten little publicity.
If only my mobile network was this good.
posted on 14 Aug 2009Max Peterson (Shane West) receives a mobile phone that starts to send him very interesting text messages, at first saving his life and then leading him to unbelievable good fortune and prospective riches. This brings him to the attention of the FBI (Ving Rhames, in particular), the NSA (led by Martin Sheen in, arguably, a step sideways from his presidential role in the past) and casino security (led by an ex-fed played by the uncharismatic Ed Burns). Peterson finds himself caught up in the machinations of something very, VERY big and incomprehensible while various people try to alternately use him and save his life. It's not too comforting to learn that all the other people to have ever received the same phone model have since found themselves with severe breathing difficulties due to premature expiration a la dead dead deadifying.A fun thriller with some decent moments of action interspersed throughout, it's fair to say that this movie does not pretend to do anything other than it says in it's plot summary. It's not going to make you think too much or even skyrocket into anyone's favourite movie list ever and it doesn't want to. It wants to provide you with some fun for it's duration and it does so. The cast are all very good in their roles (West is especially likable in the lead role) and while things may take a turn for the slightly ridiculous it's nicely kept within the confines of it's own cinematic reality.I really liked this film and hope others give it a look if the chance arises. Just don't expect anything out of this world and you may be pleasantly surprised. On a personal note; I have since tried to hide my disappointment when discovering that my girlfriend's new mobile phone (upgraded last Saturday) is stubbornly refusing to inform us of any local jackpot prizes due to be won or even helping us to get the right card at the local bingo hall. It barely even sends text messages quickly enough. Natch and double natch.See this if you like: Eagle Eye, Phone, WarGames.
awful film
posted on 10 Aug 2009this film is a pitiful and poor shadow of the Enemy of the State and the Eagle Eye. I can't understand how did Martin Sheen and Ving Rhames agree to take part in such poor and meaningless performance. The script is absolutely poor. The dialogs are dull, pathetic, trivial. the play of actors is feigned and false. Every moment of the story arouses the willing to say "I don't believe it!" as Stanislavsky said!from the other side during the whole film you could enjoy stupidity of the film's director. I liked very much the moment when common Russian IT-guy Yuri (that also works as FSB captain) could check easily "Echelon" during 3 (!) hours from his computer in soviet-style flat in Moscow! At the same time, the whole headquarter in Maryland does the same and it took much more time! Also the talk between Max and the "echelon" aroused Homeric laughter. Max's try to use a trivial sophism in his face off to the "echelon" looks very banal. The film contains a lot of logical and other mismatches. For example, I wonder, If Max was stroke in the cheekbone, how did he lose consciousness? I have some doubts that Sib' could be flaked out such seriously after such punch. OK, in few minutes Max had a bruise on his cheekbone, but, in few moments - NO bruise on his face at all:)etc.etc.etc.The main question is who does the director take the viewers for ?!
Do not see this movie....
posted on 10 Aug 2009This was probably one of the worst films I have seen in quite a long time. Just inexcusably awful. The acting was painfully pathetic and the script was laughable. Indeed I did laugh quite a bit each time a line was delivered or every time the swiss cheese plot gave away another predictable turn for the inane. Clearly this film has been on the shelf for a reason and I can only imagine the putrid stench that shelf now has. I used to think that I'd see any film with free screening passes and I'm reminded of all the good I could have done with that 1 hr. & 46 min. that has left me. I would've rather watched a McConaughey romantic comedy in an endless loop than be subjected to this again much less know that anyone was subjected to this.
If only I had turned it off...
posted on 15 Jul 2009This is a really bad film. The plot is so sad that thinking about it makes we want to weep. The computer that takes over and kills people so it can move to another location and do a self directed upgrade.Wow, and the stupid people that do what ever a text message on a strange phone says. If you watch this movie (with luck you will not) take note of the casino owner and the head of security at his house when he talks about feathers and how to make a good arrow. The writing in this film is so very bad. I felt sorry for the actors (some good ones) that had to say those lines. The ending and the prologue are so bad I can't even write about them. DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE.
Fun and watchable...
posted on 11 Jul 2009I watched "The Echelon Conspiracy" last night and found it to be a fun escapism movie. Much better than "Eagle Eye" however...The casting was horrible. Lead actor, Shane West was just dreadful - and I have enjoyed his work in other roles. And, Edward Burns as a casino boss that's an ex-FBI agent - totally unbelievable. His wimpy little voice commands no authority in this role.All in all, the movie was fun but I can definitely see why it did not get a big U.S. release since "Eagle Eye" is probably still in everyone's mind and the miscasting of actors for the most important roles didn't help either.
not too bad action film
posted on 05 Jul 2009yes its been done before but so were the ones that came before it. If films weren't remade copied or rehashed we wouldn't have much to watch. so just chill the f out there's lots worse out there! i know i would rather watch this than most of the films that get Oscars nowadays, they normally work better than a sleeping pill on me at least i stayed awake watching this! probably best to wait for DVD release if you cant make your mind up but honestly with some rating and rantings on here nowadays i really am starting to ignore them and judge myself as i have nearly missed a few little gems by going on this sites ratings and recommendations
Better that Eagle Eye on a per-dollar basis
posted on 29 Jun 2009Why is it better than Eagle Eye? 1) it's not the Shia LaBeouf show. 2) It didn't cost the $80 Million that EE did...more likely somewhere around $5M. Let's call it $8M. Hmmm 8 vs 80....is Eagle Eye 10 times better. Not in any remote reality. Could have been better? Sure. Did I like the cliché'd ending? No...that really should have gone a different route. Shane West was just not convincing in his role...okay...especially the ending...well the "almost ending". The very end of the movie seemed a little preachy...the part that took place in Moscow. A little strange part..felt oddly like they were prepping or setting the stage for a sequel.For what it's worth...Eagle Eye sort of was a rip off of Enemy of the State (as we all agree),but... that was an updated (aka ripoff) of Colossus: The Forbin Project from 1970...now there's a movie that they should just remake. Fantastic for it's time. I remember I had just broken my collarbone, came off a good set of drugs, and watched Colossus...the idea of flashing neon lights and clacking relays controlling the world seems really funny now.At any rate. I still think this (Echelon Conspiracy) is a fantastic movie...IN THE SENS that for what was "probably" one-tenth of the budget of an Eagle Eye, they got a movie about half (or maybe a little more) as good.
one of the worst movies ever made
posted on 25 Jun 2009This movie is terrible. It is a rip-off of War Games. It has the exact same ending. Every part of the movie that is not blatantly taken from from War Games is a horrifyingly obvious cliché. Writing, direction, acting, production: awful. It will make you cringe it is so bad. The main character has a ridiculous way of speaking and an annoyingly high voice. Also, he looks like Doogie Howser and its really distracting. It is sad to see Martin Sheen directed so poorly in such a piece of garbage. Do not see this movie. This movie makes Righteous Kill look like Citizen Kane. I felt violated after watching this piece of s. Everyone involved in getting this movie made should be drummed out of Hollywood.Finally, anyone who does not consider this movie one of the worst movies ever made is desperately trying to justify wasting 90 minutes of his/her life. Trust me, I feel your pain. Lets all join hands and try to forget that this movie exists. Friends, lets start the healing process.
A waste of time!
posted on 19 Jun 2009This is the first time I am leaving a comment about a movie. I should have done this many times when I was satisfied or blown away by a really good piece of work like the recent Oscar-nominated films.When I saw the trailer for this, I thought it was a rip-off of Eagle Eye. But copycats are common in Hollywood and I wanted to see Shane West again whom I adored in "A Walk To Remember".What a disappointment! Shane's acting is lousy! I was hoping he would have matured by now. I believe he still belongs to teeny-bopper roles and he seriously needs an acting coach before he ruins any more in the future. I cannot enjoy a movie regardless how good the plot is if the lead actor fails to deliver. You can have an easy plot or a movie with hardly any special effects but if performance was outstanding, I will give that a 10 (case in point- Clint Eastwood films; Leonardo DiCaprio's acting.) Ed Burns doesn't help either - his voice together with Shane West is very irritating. I don't need to see good-looking men with no substance, no thanks. Honestly, I didn't bother to finish the movie. I couldn't bring myself to waste any more time with it. I have no idea why Ving Rhames and Martin Sheen agreed to support this.Watch this if you have nothing better to do.
Good for a rainy Saturday evening...
posted on 13 Jun 2009Nice, not boring, cliché-oriented, Martin Sheen & Ving Rhames among others, nicely packed "Eagle Eye" 50% clone, super computers going wild, the human brain winning again, the assumingly good guy in top position being called to some committee... Seen these before? So did I, but, as I said, for a rainy Saturday evening it's quite OK. It could've been worse, could've been a lot better. The script started really interesting, but lost something on the way. Nothing to do with the acting, just some childish solutions when there was room for more strong approach. Anyway, you can stay to the end credits, enjoying some action and "what's the next camera watching?"...
Echelon Conspiracy
posted on 31 Aug 2009War Games meets Die Hard with Ving Rhames, Edward Burns, and Shane West driving the bus. The action was fast and furious with hints about the underlying story. Finally a female character who isn't wearing heels and letting the men do the fighting -- Tamara Feldman kicked butt. It was fast-paced but with enough story to keep the tension high. Highly recommended for those of us who are action junkies who want a plot.