Paranoia......A Thriller with little thrills

 

      The title of my review would probably make you think that I hated this movie. Not at all. It was entertaining. It was mildly interesting. Decent acting. Good cast. It would seem like it has the basics of a good movie, but I just can't rave about it.

     Liam Hemsworth is down on his luck programmer. He wants the big job. He is smart enough to get the big job, but in the cut throat world of mobile phones he is lost in the shuffle. He takes care of his ailing father, has good friends and longs for the life the other side has. It is completely out of reach until he finds himself in the middle of corporate espionage courtesy of two warring mega companies.

    It is an interesting look into how much we use/need our wireless phones. It is an even more interesting look into the companies that create the newest, greatest, and most cutting edge smart phone. It is a world where companies constantly battle to out do each other, but it is accurate on how much money is thrown around.

   Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman play the heads of the two biggest rival companies and both are cast well. It took me a minute to get used to a nearly bald Ford, but his acting is top notch. He has been making much better choices as of late. I prefer this and 42 over things like Hollywood Homicide. They are both surrounded by a solid cast. Amber Beard as the love interest, Josh Holloway in a small role as an F.B.I. agent and Julian McMahon as evil enforce for Oldman's Wyatt.
Liam Hemsworth isn't bad and actually carries his first leading role fairly well. He gets help from the rest of the cast and it's not him or chemistry between actors that's the problem.

  The movie is based on a novel that I have never read. It feels too rushed in some places, mainly Hemsworth infiltration into the rival company. The story isn't bad. It is a little bit Eagle Eye, a little bit The Recruit, and some The Firm mixed in. The problem is that for a thriller, it has very little thrills. A movie like this should be over flowing with intensity and twists. Paranoia is safe and predictable. It isn't bad. It was decent to watch, but all in all it is definitely not must see. The only paranoia will come from wondering whether you should have sprung for Jobs or Kick Ass 2 instead.