Well, I must say that this movie is certainly a "B" film. It has all the elements to be a potential psychological thriller, but it seemingly falls short. For those who enjoy movies that merely entertain, Red Eye is a Bulls eye. The performances of the two main stars Rachel McAdams and Cillian (pronounced KILL-IAN) Murphy do nothing more than showcase their growing acting talents. I honestly believe these fast rising stars have what it takes to shine in Hollywood for decades to come. With Julia Roberts out of Hollywood (perhaps forever) Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls, The Notebook) can easily become the new America's Sweetheart.

In Red Eye, McAdmans portrays Lisa Reisert, a young airport manager who is capable of taking care of herself within her busy life. Following her grandmother's funeral, Lisa boards a plane to return home to visit her father Joe (Brian Cox) in Florida. After a delay at the airport, she meets the charming Jackson Rippner, played beautifully by Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Batman Begins). Aboard the last flight out (aka a Red Eye), Rippner reveals his true intentions. He will have Lisa's father killed if she does not change the hotel room of Homeland Security Secretary John O'Keefe. O'Keefe is a business associate of Lisa's because she books him when in Florida, in the same room at the same hotel. Rippner is part of a plan to assassinate O'Keefe and his entire family.

I felt that this movie flowed decently. The first half introduced us to the characters while the latter half exposed the dramatic action. The pace of the plot was just right so I could easily focus on understanding it. Director Wes Craven went back to the basics and gave us simple characters to focus on and created tension in the right amounts. Though the majority of the movie is on the airplane, with Jackson and Lisa sitting beside each other in a coincidental way, McAdams and Murphy displayed excellent on screen chemistry and I would like to see them in more future films together.

I swear I have seen this ransom/kidnapping/assassination plot countless of times before. The story, not the characters, is a tad rushed. I was disappointed to never find out the reasoning behind the assassination attempt. If the writers and Craven tried to make this realistic, they fell short of achieving that goal. It would have been nice to know who Jackson was hired by, because without such explanation, the plot becomes weak. Also, the fact that Lisa practically kicked Jackson's self-proclaimed "killer" ass all over the place took away from the effect of fear. McAdams is portrayed more of being stronger, faster, and wiser than Murphy's deadly character.

Craven attempts to create tension during this film, especially at the beginning with the ridiculous delayed flight and the bathroom scene on the plane becomes more comical than scary. Cillian Murphy is one creepy dude and his chemistry with McAdams saves this movie from being a Steven Segal type flick. If anyone else were cast then I'd say this would be a flop. Wes Craven has to up his game in order to capture the title of Scariest Film Director of all-time. Good luck.

Obviously "Red Eye" is a movie that showcases the extraordinary talents of McAdams and Murphy as well as give Craven a much needed rebound. Although the plot is weak at times and full of clichés, the performances of the two main stars make "Red Eye" very entertaining.

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