Today’s quick review: Cellular. Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger), a high school science teacher, is kidnapped by a stranger (Jason Statham) and locked in a room with a broken telephone. Wiring together the pieces, Jessica makes a call that reaches Ryan (Chris Evans), a young man with a brand new cell phone. Now Ryan must keep Jessica on the line long enough to save her and her family from the men who want to kill them.
Cellular is an action thriller about a life-or-death phone call. Chris Evans stars as Ryan, who by pure chance becomes a kidnapped woman’s only hope. The movie follows Ryan as he races around Los Angeles, using the information Jessica gives him to try to find the kidnappers. Cellular makes good use of its premise, coming up with a creative series of challenges to keep tensions high and Ryan on the phone.
Cellular has a solid plot progression. After some brief preliminaries, Ryan receives the call and goes to get help. From there the situation escalates rapidly. Unable to get the police involved in time, Ryan resorts to a series of felonies to keep the call going and to get where he needs to go. The action moves quickly, the tension never lets up for long, and the phone call premise proves to be surprisingly versatile.
Still, Cellular has the usual downsides of its genre. The plot logic has to bend to fit the premise, and although Cellular does a better job than some other thrillers, there are still moments where the movie has to rely on improbably bad luck to keep Ryan on the line. The movie also does not have much time for character growth or sentimentality. Finally, the action is more mundane and less combat-heavy than some fans may prefer.
Cellular is a solid choice for anyone in the mood for some popcorn action. The combination of a unique premise, inventive thrills, and a pinch of incidental humor makes it an enjoyable watch for anyone willing to go along for the ride. Critics of the genre may find it somewhat contrived and linear, but anyone else should consider giving Cellular a shot.
For an even more spectacle-oriented action thriller in the same vein, try Speed. For a much cruder action thriller starring Jason Statham, try Crank. For a more static thriller about a deadly phone call, try Phone Booth. For a darker and more cynical crime drama with a similar plot structure, try Falling Down.
[6.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337921/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for solid execution of a simple but effective premise.