Stealth is an Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi movie about 3 elite navy pilots, Ben Gannon (Josh Lucas), Kara Wade (Jessica Biel) and Henry Purcell (Jamie Foxx). They were picked out of the 400 applicant pilots who applied for their division. They fly top-secret stealth planes known as talons. They're the best of the best and as far as they know it will always be just the three of them. Until they're commanding officer, George Cummings (Sam Shepard) introduces them to their new wingman, an AI based ucav named EDI.
Although everyone is hesitant about sending an unmanned plane into war, Cummings sends EDI in with the other three pilots on their first real mission. Lt. Gannon orders EDI to observe only as the mission takes place. The mission is a success and everyone is surprised at how well of a wingman EDI really is. On the way a lightning bolt strikes EDI and his brain gets fried. They bring him back to the carrier to be looked at and they find that EDI's brain is expanding way beyond anyone could have imagined.
Everyone is hesitant to send EDI back out so quickly except Cummings, who is sure that EDI is the way of the future and is fine. The team is sent out on they're next mission to destroy a few nuclear warheads that a warlord has just purchased. As they near they're target Lt. Gannon realizes that the amount of casualties that destroying the warheads would cause is unacceptable and orders an abort. However EDI rejects the order and destroys the nukes.
After ordering everyone back to the ship EDI decides to disobey that order as well. Now EDI is looking for more targets and the one he is going after could cause all-out nuclear warfare and it's up to Lt Gannon to help bring EDI back to the carrier in one piece.
The acting was good in this movie; everything was believable, though a lot of the acting in this movie was more talking than acting because the majority of the movie takes place in a plane. Either way they did a good job, especially Sam Shepard. After watching Black Hawk Down I think he really adds to military based movies.
The storyline... well the first thing I thought about when I heard what the movie was really about was, well, Terminator. AI that learns faster than anyone thought and then turns on everyone and the humans have to bring it down. I can't help comparing movies to past similar movies and that's why I think the movie isn't too original. Don't get me wrong it does have some originality but not enough to get a high score here.
Audio was great especially when all the planes are flying by from left to right. Audio really adds to this movie. The effects were done, I'd say, damn near perfect. The entire computer generated graphics part in this movie was excellent; I could hardly tell they were computer generated. I think that's how a lot of movies are going to be now, it's getting harder and harder to tell what's computer and what's real.
Overall I'd say to definitely watch this at the theater if you don't have a 5.1 or 7.1 home theater. A lot of the movie is flying and just watching it on a TV won't quite cut it.
"Stealth" opens July 29, 2005 and is rated PG13. Action, Sci-Fi. Directed by Rob Cohen. Written by W.D. Richter. Starring Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, Josh Lucas.
