Stealth is a 2005 American science fiction action film starring Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Sam Shepard, Joe Morton and Richard Roxburgh. The film was directed by Rob Cohen, director of The Fast and the Furious and xXx.

The film follows three top fighter pilots as they join a project to develop an automated robotic stealth aircraft.

Released on July 29, 2005 by Columbia Pictures, the film cost $135 million to make, but was panned by critics, and was a colossal box office bomb making only $76,932,872 worldwide, one of the biggest losses in cinematic history.

Plot[link]

In 2016, the United States Navy develops a program to deal with international terrorists and other enemies of the state quickly and quietly; in addition, the program is authorized to test new technology that will achieve these objectives. This includes three new single-seat attack jets with impressive payload, speed, and stealth capabilities known as the F/A-37 Talon series. Over 400 pilots apply to participate, but only three are chosen: smart hotshot Lieutenant Ben Gannon (Josh Lucas), tomboyish Lieutenant Kara Wade (Jessica Biel), and street-wise, philosophical Lieutenant Henry Purcell (Jamie Foxx). Their first test mission scores 100/100, based on maximum inflicted casualties with minimum collateral damage. In addition, the U.S. Navy hires Dr. Keith Orbit (Richard Roxburgh) to develop an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV, pronounced "you-kav") codenamed "EDI" (for "Extreme Deep Invader" and pronounced as the name "Eddie" when spoken) and piloted by artificial intelligence. This autonomous fighter jet is placed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Philippine Sea to learn combat maneuvers from the pilots. This sparks a conflict between two schools of thought: The first argues that human pilots are superior to machines in that they possess both creativity and moral judgment, whereas a machine cannot fully appreciate the ugliness of war; additionally, if robots take humans' places on the front line and no one ever died in war, then war would no longer be terrible and could end up as a sort of sport. In contrast, a machine pilot is not subject to the physical limitations of a human pilot, can calculate alternatives to achieving objectives faster and more accurately, and is (theoretically) not subject to ego.

The team is sent to train the EDI to practice air combat maneuvers, or ACMs, when they are suddenly reassigned to take out the heads of three terrorist cells at a summit in downtown Rangoon. EDI calculates that mission success can only be achieved through a high-risk strike, which could be fatal for a human pilot and create numerous civilian casualties in the process. Command orders EDI to take the shot, but Gannon ignores the order, defies command, and takes the shot himself. While the mission is successful, EDI learns and takes note of Gannon's defiance. The mission is a success, and the planes return to the carrier. The UCAV-EDI plane is hit by lightning, and while seemingly damaged it quickly recovers, but its neural network is affected. Already a sophisticated AI, the EDI begins to learn exponentially, developing a rudimentary ethical code and an ego. Its handlers and technicians are unsure of how to handle the situation, but refuse to take him offline. On their second mission, Wade calculates that the mission objectives (neutralizing several stolen nuclear warheads held by a warlord in Tajikistan) cannot be achieved with acceptable civilian casualties. The mission is scrubbed but the EDI disobeys orders and fires missiles at the nuclear warheads, causing the predicted radioactive backlash. Control steps in and orders the Talons to bring the malfunctioning UCAV-EDI back to base. Gannon asks for permission to destroy the aircraft, which is eventually accepted. Purcell, being the closest to the plane, is given the order to shoot. EDI dodges this rocket as Henry dodges the explosion but flies straight into another mountain side, killing him. The other two try to track down and either destroy or commandeer the UCAV. But when Wade loses control of her left wing and canard and subsequently ejects over North Korea, only Gannon is left to stop the EDI from executing a twenty year-old war scenario called "Caviar Sweep".

In an attempt to complete his mission, Gannon chases EDI into Russian territory over the Buryat Republic, and after several attacks from Russian aircraft causing damage to both planes, he calls a truce with the UCAV in order to both keep it from falling into enemy territory as well as rescue Wade from North Korea. He is ordered to make an emergency landing with EDI in Alaska by his commanding officer, Captain George Cummings (Sam Shepard). Cummings is held responsible for the incident by the brass and is threatened with a court-martial and possible discharge from the military; he attempts to eliminate all witnesses to the event by leaving Wade stranded in North Korea, assigned men to eliminate Gannon in Alaska as well as bringing Orbit there to erase EDI's data. Suspecting Cummings of treachery, Gannon makes a cautious landing in Alaska. When EDI is placed into an interface by Orbit, he expresses sadness and regret for his transgressions, and Orbit realizes that the artificial intelligence he created has developed its own sentience to the point of being alive. With this discovery, Orbit becomes disinclined to carry out his order to erase EDI's memory. Gannon narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by his "doctor", and then meets Orbit in the hangar where EDI is kept. After ensuring Dr Orbit's escape, Gannon flies off to North Korea with EDI, contacting Captain Dick Marshfield (Joe Morton) to inform him about Cummings' deceit. Marshfield confronts Cummings and places him under arrest, but Cummings commits suicide instead.

Gannon later finds an exhausted and injured Wade on the border between North and South Korea, and leaves EDI to help her fend off North Korean soldiers. The two pilots make a run for the border, but are chased by a Korean People's Army helicopter. Out of ammunition, the EDI sacrifices itself by flying into the helicopter, allowing Gannon and Wade to escape into South Korea, and are found by US military forces soon afterward. After attending Purcell's funeral aboard the Abraham Lincoln, Gannon confesses his feelings of love to Wade. After the credits, Eddie (EDI) is shown in pieces though still functional.

Cast[link]

• Josh Lucas as Lt. Ben Gannon (BIG)
• Jessica Biel as Lt. Kara Wade (GUNS)
• Jamie Foxx as Lt. Henry Purcell (E-Z)
• Sam Shepard as Captain George Cummings
• Joe Morton as Captain Dick Marshfield
• Richard Roxburgh as Dr. Keith Orbit
• Ian Bliss as Lieutenant Aaron Shaftsbury
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Tim
• David Andrews as Ray
• Wentworth Miller as EDI
• Nicholas Hammond as Executive officer
• Megan Gale (cameo) as Dr. Orbit's secretary
• Sara Saliba As Korean Girl

Production[link]

Stealth features several shots of action on aircraft carriers. Scenes featuring the cast were shot on board the US Navy Fleet Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln,^[2] while additional scenes were shot on board the USS Nimitz and USS Carl Vinson.^[3]

The film was shot in Australia (Blue Mountains National Park & Private Land, Flinders Rangers, South Australia) and New Zealand.

Featured technologies[link]

Stealth featured many presently used, futuristic, or theoretical technologies at the time of release. These include:

• Computer technology (all wildly mixed)
  • quantum computer
  • Artificial neural network
  • artificial intelligence
• Airplanes
  • pulse detonation engine
  • scramjet
  • VTOL
  • aeroelastic control surfaces
  • EDI (Extreme Deep Invader)
    

    

    F/A-37 Talon viewed from above.
  • Sukhoi Su-37 Terminator. The aircraft featured in the film are shown as having two crew members, although the current prototype Su-37 is a single-seat aircraft. As of 2007^[update], however, there are only two prototype Su-37 aircraft in existence, never having been bought as a production aircraft.
  • The fictional F/A-37 Talon. The aircraft mock ups for the Talon were so realistic that photos of them on the deck of an aircraft carrier were circulated online, claiming they displayed an actual experimental aircraft.^[4] The aircraft itself has a similar configuration to the unbuilt Northrop Switchblade.
  • Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
  • F/A-18 Hornet
  • High-altitude airships (Camelhumps) used for aerial refueling
• Weapons
  • Firearms in the movie Stealth
• Warships
  • The aircraft supercarrier featured in the film, USS Abraham Lincoln, is shown to have three different Naval Registry numbers during angles from different scenes.

Litigation[link]

In March 2005, Leo Stoller, who claims to own trademark rights to the word "stealth", served Columbia Pictures with a "cease and desist" letter threatening litigation if they did not rename the film to something "non infringing". Columbia responded with a lawsuit (which is not registered in any category remotely similar to motion pictures).^[5]

The Environmental Defender’s Office, a community legal centre specialising in environmental law, successfully represented the Blue Mountains Conservation Society Inc. in its attempts to prevent filming of Stealth in the Grose Wilderness area of the Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia, in May 2004. Justice Lloyd of the New South Wales Land and Environment Court ruled that the proposed commercial filming of scenes in the area was unlawful, in a significant statement on the value of wilderness areas and the protection that should be afforded to them. The Society claimed that the authority and consent for the commercial filming activities were in breach of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and the Wilderness Act 1987. Justice Lloyd accepted the Society’s arguments that the proposed commercial filming in a wilderness area was completely against the intended use of the land, concluding his judgment with the words, "wilderness is sacrosanct".^[6]

Soundtrack[link]

1. "Make a Move" - Incubus (3:12)
2. "Admiration" - Incubus (4:13)
3. "Neither of Us Can See" - Incubus (4:04)
4. "(She Can) Do That" - BT & David Bowie (3:15)
5. "Dance to the Music" - Will.i.am & Sly & The Family Stone (4:06)
6. "Bullet-Proof Skin" - Institute (4:24)
7. "L.S.F." - Kasabian (3:18)
8. "Bug Eyes" - Dredg (4:16)
9. "Over My Head (Cable Car)" - The Fray (3:56)
10. "One Day" - Trading Yesterday (4:21)
11. "Different" - Acceptance (4:09)
12. "Nights in White Satin" - Glenn Hughes, Chad Smith & John Frusciante (4:56)
13. "Aqueous Transmission" - Incubus (7:48)

Release[link]

Box office[link]

The film cost $135 million to produce (which does not include advertising costs) and was released in an ultrawide 3,495 theaters, but had an opening weekend of only $13,251,545 for an average of only $3,792 per theater, and good enough for only 4th place. It then lost 55 percent of its audience in its second weekend dropping to 7th place to $5,923,794, while remaining at 3,495 theaters and averaging just $1,695 per theater. In its third weekend, it lost 1,455 theaters, and a further 64 percent of its audience, dropping to 11th, with just $2,151,768, for an average of just $1,055 from 2,040 theaters. It ended up making $32,116,746 in the United States and Canada, and $44,816,126 internationally for a total worldwide gross of $76,932,872, making it the biggest money loser in a series of financial failures released by Columbia in 2005.

Critical response[link]

Stealth was panned by critics; Rotten Tomatoes gave it 13%, with an average score of 3.8/10 and only 18 out of 136 reviews being positive.^[7] It holds a rating of just 7% when narrowed down to professional "top" critics, with an average score of 3.6/10 and only 2 out of 30 reviews being positive.^[8] In Metacritic, the film has a rating of 35% based on 31 reviews, which indicates "generally negative reviews".^[9] Stealth holds a rating of a D+ on Yahoo Movies.^[10]

Roger Ebert commented that the film was "a dumbed-down Top Gun crossed with the HAL 9000 plot from 2001."^[11]

The film was criticized for its poor background research including things such as contradictory technology ("turbo scramjets"), the statement that one is a prime number, and the fact that, by definition, the DMZ between North Korea and South Korea is free from military hardware and forces. It was also criticized for having a Su-37 which is a single seat aircraft, have two pilots instead. A geographical error occurs when Gannon tells Dr Orbit to drive west to escape the 'secret' Alaskan airbase: the only road into the Brooks Range is north-south (the Dalton Highway aka Haul Road).

Cultural references[link]

• The film shares similar plot and situations with Macross plus. Cohen has admitted that his main influence for Stealth was Macross.^[12]
• In the air battle between the Su-37 Terminators, Talon, and EDI, the Talon performs a variation Pugachev's Cobra maneuver called the Kulbit Maneuver to evade the tailing Su-37. This maneuver is an essentially a post-stall maneuver in which the jet actually performs a back-flip in mid-air.
• As a marketing gimmick to try to gain back losses through home video sales, the UMD version of the film for the PSP includes 3 stages of the video game Wipeout Pure with a Talon jet playable in the game.
• The AI code shown on screen is TeX code.
• Vanessa Trezise from Sky News Australia appears as herself as a news presenter from the then Sky News set.
• Advance interest in Japan was high for this film, and a book of the screenplay was commissioned especially for the Japanese market. Edgar Award winning author Burl Barer, who also wrote the novelization of THE SAINT, penned the novel in English. It was translated into Japanese under the auspices of Sony Entertainment via licensing to Owls Agency in Japan.

See also[link]

• Intelligent Fly-by-Wire

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Stealth (film)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stealth (film) (category)

• Official website
• Stealth at the Internet Movie Database
• Stealth at the TCM Movie Database
• Stealth at AllRovi
• Stealth at Box Office Mojo
• Stealth at Rotten Tomatoes
• Stealth at Metacritic
• Maritimequest Filming Stealth photo gallery
• The science of Stealth