Movie: “Echelon Conspiracy”
Director: Greg Marcks
Stars: 1 out of 5
Release Date: Feb. 27, 2009
Rating: PG-13 – for sequences of intense violence and action, some sexuality and brief language.
Albert Camus once said, “By definition, a government has no conscience. Sometimes it has a policy, but nothing more.” Paranoia and a disdain for big government are the driving themes of “Echelon Conspiracy,” but from the opening scene, there’s a sinking feeling that this has all been done before. In the same vein of techno-thrillers “Eagle Eye” and “Enemy of the State,” “Echelon Conspiracy” begins with computer programmer Max Peterson (Shane West) receiving a mysterious text message that leads him on a worldwide pursuit of untold wealth, until it is revealed that the unknown caller wants something big in return, something that only Max can deliver.
With Max on the run, American operatives work to track him down and figure out who is behind the ensuing chaos as it threatens the stability of the world and Max’s life. As the plot progresses, it becomes clearer that everything is not as it seems, and his paranoia of big government may not be entirely unrealistic.
For such a high-tech thriller, the film is devoid of energy. The first half of the film is a boring excuse for character development as we simply follow Max around for 50 minutes as he gambles and gains enormous wealth. The second half of the film is shot with the shaky gritty feel of the “Bourne” trilogy in an attempt to intensify the situations but all this does is remind us that this has all been done before.
In a last, desperate measure, the filmmakers incorporated several different genres and, in doing so, made the film feel episodic. There are scenes that are action-oriented, then there are scenes of overt political commentary, and the end results is a film that doesn’t know what it wants to be and ends up being a jumbled mess.
With a recognizable cast of competent actors like Edward Burns, Ving Rhames and Martin Sheen, it is such a letdown to see these talented actors sleepwalk through their performances. Shane West does what he can with a stale role, but he lacks the charisma to be likeable and is therefore uninteresting and difficult to root for. There is a wealth of talent in this film, but sadly it is not on display.
As the film shuffled toward its outlandish conclusion, the political statements became all the more obtuse and blatant, especially in regard to the Patriot Act and policies of former President George W. Bush. Had this film been made during the height of Bush’s administration, the political observations would’ve held more weight, but it reeks of old politics and banality.
Really, director Greg Marcks tries to juggle many different styles but fails to do so with a deft hand. The end result is muddled, uninteresting and politically tired. Big Brother may be watching, but at this point he is old news and none of us really care.
