Cellular

Do you remember the action films from the 80s and 90s that were so fun when you took them lightly and didn’t treat them as serious works? That’s exactly the category Cellular falls into, offering 94 minutes of entertainment. It’s a film full of moments overflowing with illogicalities, some of the actors’ performances are more laughable than praiseworthy, and it’s honestly full of clichés. But if you turn your brain off, you’ve struck gold. The story is quite ordinary, though the idea of a phone call running throughout the entire film isn’t the most common concept. Kim Basinger didn’t do badly, but I might have chosen someone else. Chris Evans shined in the role of a carefree young man, and I enjoyed how he turned into a would-be action hero by the end. Since I’ve already touched on the topic of heroes, William H. Macy in the role of a cop who’s been on duty for 27 years really topped it off. To be fair, the role was tailor-made for him. Statham played the villain, and if I were a Hollywood director, I’d call him immediately to ask if he’d be interested in playing an assassin. The ending was more amusing than anything, but I eventually accepted it. I give it 74%. P.S. The Finns must have been thrilled because such advertising for Nokia surely multiplied the sales of these unforgettable phones. (09/07/2017)

The screenwriter of Phone Booth somewhat recycled his previous idea and routineer Ellis directed it. Loads of horrendous clichés, unimpressive acting performances and an unlikeable main protagonist make this picture really boring. Unfortunately not even the typically outstanding Macy or the usually cool Statham don’t have the change to rescue the picture from drowning in waters of mediocrity. An uninteresting picture that comes up with nothing new and even what we have seen a hundred times over is delivered in a form that is even worse than the competition. (14/11/2004)

If I overlook the fact that it's a bit of an ad for Nokia, I have to say that I quite enjoyed myself for almost a hundred minutes. The big plus is that neither the director, nor the screenwriter, and often not even the actors take it too seriously. The screenplay was passable, of course, the film didn't avoid several convoluted scenes and worn-out clichés, but there was nothing unbearable. The pace was very solid and you never get bored. (26/07/2005)

In some places Cellular was unexpectedly surprising, but most of the movie is more or less one big cliché. But undemanding entertainment for a Friday evening. Evans is really very cool here while Statham is in a rather untraditional negative role. Also a small role for Jessica Biel was a nice surprise. How extraordinary that these three met a year later in the drama London. (18/05/2007)

Yeah, this film has the right drive; it keeps you on edge and doesn't let you breathe, which is exactly what it aimed to do. To keep you riding the wave of adrenaline. In the end, I wouldn't expect much else from Ellis. He succeeded in making a film that's properly claustrophobic and fast-paced. Evans fits into the role quite well, occasionally delivering humor, while Kim Basinger is excellent in her role as well. Even though she doesn't act much, it looks like she's giving it her all. William H. Macy is perfectly cast and surprisingly gets some action scenes, which I wouldn't expect from him. It's not the 2004 film of the year, but as popcorn entertainment, it might be better than drawn-out blockbusters. (15/02/2014)