Cellular Review

Cellular
Ms Basinger's in peril, and it's down to Chris Evans (no, not that one) to save her from villain Jason Statham, their only connection being a dodgy mobile phone line. Lets hope Kim's not on pay as you go...

by Danny Graydon |
Published on
Release Date:

24 Sep 2004

Running Time:

94 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Cellular

More trashy B-movie than the dark thriller it was purported to be, Cellular brrrings from the same minds behind last year's Phone Booth, here simply inverting that movie's telecommunications-based set-up.

Kim Basinger's well-to-do teacher is kidnapped by dirty cops led by an LA-via-Peckham Statham, keen to avenge themselves on her husband - he being witness to their gangland executions. Managing to reconstruct a smashed phone, she connects with Chris Evans' mobile, who then races against time to save the day, while goofy cop William H Macy investigates what's going on.

A surfeit of unintentional laughs undermines any tension, with Basinger reduced to mere acting-via-quivering-lips, but, taken as an almost-parody, this is enjoyable, moving at a brisk pace and delivering bursts of excitement, with Evans in particular an engaging presence and Macy's oddball antics always worthwhile.

As long as you're prepared to take the plot with a grain of salt, you could do worse.
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