Product Description

When Max Peterson (Shane West) receives a series of mysterious cell phone messages that promise him untold wealth, he soon finds himself the victim of a deadly international plot. Chased by a lethal team of government operatives, Max races across the planet in a desperate attempt to unravel a conspiracy that threatens the stability of the entire world. Edward Burns, Ving Rhames and Martin Sheen co-star in this techno-charged edge-of-your-seat action thriller!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5383 in DVD
• Brand: Par
• Released on: 2009-07-21
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.20 pounds
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.com
In the taut thriller Cellular, a cell phone saves Kim Basinger's life, but the cell phones in Echelon Conspiracy work more like homing devices for a killer. Security consultant Max Peterson's (ER's Shane West) problems begin when he receives a new one while on assignment in Bangkok. The sender is unknown, but their anonymous text messages prove beneficial to his physical and financial well-being, so Max follows the advice they provide--not a particularly wise move considering that Max's job is to "protect data from hackers" (but there'd be no movie otherwise). When he wins three million euros at an upscale casino in Prague, Max comes to the attention of Reed, the Head of Security (Ed Burns), who reports to business tycoon Mr. Mueller (Jonathan Pryce), and FBI Agent Grant (Ving Rhames), who reports to NSA Director Burke (Martin Sheen). Max also meets the doe-eyed Kamila (Tamara Feldman), who may or may not be part of the conspiracy against him. Together, Reed and Grant try to help Max unmask the player behind a plot to turn the world into a global police state, and speed is of the essence since the previous cell phone recipients have all met their respective makers. Despite the name cast, Greg Marcks's follow-up to 11:14 never hits the same dramatic heights as similarly-themed techno-thrillers like Eagle Eye and the Bourne series, but it's a reasonably diverting entertainment, especially if you like a healthy dose of paranoia mixed in with your gunplay and car chases. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

hardly revolutionary, but a fun thrill ride nonetheless
Very 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.

Unbelievable plot!
Even 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.

Not as good as I hoped for
I 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.