Cellular

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. (11/14/2004)

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. (07/26/2005)

At the beginning it was a crazy trip. In the introduction I thought that Chris Evans was making fun of me when he deliberately walked around shirtless and tried to seduce Jessica Biel with cheesy pick-up lines. She wasn’t buying it, so I felt like I was going to watch something similar to Beverly Hills 90210. Then we get to see Kim Basinger who has a problem, and at that moment the movie becomes a Nokia commercial. It was probably good at the time but today it’s pretty laughable considering where Nokia is today and what it could do in 2004 according to the movie. I had no idea about many of these functions until watching the movie but okay. Over time, the flick turns into a pretty good action movie with the best the genre has to offer. In the end I was surprisingly satisfied – which is something I didn’t really expect. (03/20/2019)

At first, I was quite scared about what Chris Morgan had prepared for me in his screenwriting debut, because the main abduction happens before I even get a chance to settle down, and right from the beginning it presents an unbearably (and almost unwatchable) hysterical Kim Basinger and Chris Evans trying to win back his ex-girlfriend. In the end, it turns out to be a mixture that alternates excellently built tension with logical flaws and adds a moderately high pile of clichés on top of it all. Fortunately, a likable character gradually emerges from the mess, so I had someone to cheer for, and thanks to Evans in particular, I have the impression of a better-than-average movie in Cellular. (06/06/2006)

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. (02/15/2014)