"Stealth" Directed by Rob Cohen (2005)

Summer is here, opening the flood gates to popcorn-guzzling, mindless action films. Right on cue, director Rob Cohen, the man behind the recent "xXx2: State of the Union," brings us yet another high-octane and special effects heavy action movie--"Stealth."

Set in the near future, three Navy test pilots have proven to be the best of the best. Tasked with a new anti-terrorism initiative, they navigate the globe in high-tech jets and destroy targets of opportunity. However, their group dynamic is sent through a barrel roll when a fourth wingman appears--a robotically controlled, stealth fighter. EDI, a fully autonomous AI, is part of a new plan that will replace human pilots and prevent casualties. But what happens when the AI refuses to obey commands?

As far as mindless action movies go, "Stealth" couldn't afford to lose much more grey matter. The plot is very basic and linear, tailoring to audiences uninterested in the intricacies of man vs. machine and existential debate. This wouldn't have been necessarily bad (this is an action movie, after all), but "Stealth" takes every opportunity to insult your intelligence. In one such scene, you are shown a zoomed-out, satellite image of a trail from North Korea, to Russia, finally to Alaska. As if the noticeable geographic shape of Alaska wasn't a dead enough give away, country borders and labels are superimposed to make sure viewers don't get lost in the very short globe-trot.

The actors seem very disinterested, giving hollow, phoned-in performances. Jamie Foxx, a recent Oscar winner for his portrayal of Ray Charles, gives a particularly poor performance. Though, to be fair, the few lines he was given were poor to begin with (including the one-liner, "That's hot."--No, Jamie, it's not). This is a prime example of what a bad script can do to a good actor.

During the trailers, I was confused as to why such a top-billed actor like Foxx wasn't being promoted as a main character. Upon seeing the movie, however, I fully understand why. I relate his character to the cop-out appearance of Steven Seagal in "Executive Decision." For those familiar with that film, you know far too well the outrage you can expect in "Stealth."

At its core, "Stealth" is a very visually intensive movie. CGI aplenty, many of the dog-fighting sequences are so blatantly unrealistic that the illusion of reality zooms away faster than your enjoyment of them. This is "Top Gun" for the "Fast and the Furious" generation (Josh Lucas does look uncannily similar to a young Tom Cruise...)--filled with scene-stopping, unnecessary 'bullet-time' effects and music video-like editing. There are a select few moments of eye candy--a rather large, well-shot explosion being one of them--but the overabundance of computer generated images reduces the quality, drastically.

"Stealth" is a summer action film, no better, and no worse. While enjoyable at times, I don't recommend it to anyone looking for a meaningful, or fulfilling experience. If, however, you're looking for a place to sit in air conditioning and eat popcorn for an hour and fifty minutes, then, by all means, "Stealth" is for you. For the rest of us, let it slip under the radar until it's released on DVD--most likely sometime in the near future.

Rating: 2/5

~Khyron, 2005