Review of Paranoia (2013) by Patrick L — 16 Aug 2013

"Really?, there are tech geniuses who are handsome?".

Movie Review: Paranoia.

Date Viewed: August 16 2013.

Directed By Robert Luketic (Monster-In-Law, 21, The Ugly Truth and Killers).

Screenplay By Barry L. Levy and Jason Dean Hall, based on the novel by Joseph Finder.

Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Julian McMahon, Josh Holloway, Lucas Till, Embeth Davidtz and Angela Sarafyan.

"Paranoia" is a tension free thriller filled with no suspense and it stars a leading man that we're supposed to believe can play a tech genius. This movie is not paranoid, it's simply delusional.

The movie stars Liam Hemsworth as Adam Cassidy, a 27-year-old tech inventor who gets fired from his low-level job at a technology corporation owned by Nicholas Wyatt (Gary Oldman). Wyatt gives Adam a second chance by agreeing to steal trade-secrets from Wyatt's old mentor, Eikon's CEO Jock Goddard (Harrison Ford). If he spies on Goddard, Wyatt is going to make him rich.

"Paranoia" is a techno-thriller so poorly written it's almost as if screenwriters Barry L. Levy and Jason Dean Hall wrote this thing on an iPad and somebody accidentally mixed up all the words and then they we're like "Let's just shoot this movie anyway".

The major problem with this movie is Liam Hemsworth, he's too good-looking to play a tech inventor. I swear to you there are about 4 or 5 scenes of him with his shirt off and his relationship with Amber Heard really doesn't go anywhere. I know Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman are obviously hamming it up but don't you think they've eaten to much ham because Ford and Oldman are going way over the top with their roles. Another problem with "Paranoia" is when FBI agent Gamble (Josh Holloway, Sawyer from "Lost") shows up at Adam's house and shows him photos of former employers of Wyatt who ended up dead. Who we're those employers? We never find out.

Director Robert Luketic at this point should be revoked from his director license because at first he showed promise with "Legally Blonde" but after he did "Monster-In-Law", "Killers", "21" and "The Ugly Truth" his status really went down the toliet.

The character of Adam Cassidy is a bit like Linda Lovelace because they both end up in the wrong place at the wrong time but Lovelace (even though she was a popular porn star) was at least smart, Adam is just a doofus.

"Paranoia" wants to be the iPhone5 of techno-thrillers but this movie doesn't even come close to being a iPhone1.