.gif)
Stealth (film)
Encyclopedia
Stealth is a 2005 American science fiction
action film
starring Jessica Biel
, Josh Lucas
, Jamie Foxx
, and Sam Shepard
. 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.
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 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 ship, is given the order to shoot. Eddie (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, the Gannon chases EDI into Russian territory, and after several attacks from Russian aircraft causing damage to both Talons, 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, and narrowly escaping an assassination attempt by his "doctor", he 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 with the Talon 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.
USS Abraham Lincoln
, while additional scenes were shot on board the USS Carl Vinson.
The film was shot in Australia (Blue Mountains National Park & Private Land, Flinders Rangers, South Australia) and New Zealand.
, 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).
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".
gave it 13%, with an average score of 3.8/10 and only 18 out of 136 reviews being positive. 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. In Metacritic, the film has a rating of 35% based on 31 reviews, which indicates "generally negative reviews".
Stealth holds a rating of a D+ on Yahoo Movies.
Roger Ebert
commented that the film was "a dumbed-down Top Gun
crossed with the HAL 9000
plot from 2001."
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
starring Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
, Josh Lucas
Josh Lucas
Josh Lucas is an American actor. He has appeared in many films, including Glory Road, A Beautiful Mind, and Poseidon.-Early life:...
, Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, and Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
. The film was directed by Rob Cohen
Rob Cohen
Robert "Rob" Cohen is an American film director, producer and writer.-Early life:Cohen was born in Cornwall, New York. He was raised and spent his childhood in the Town of Newburgh and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1967...
, director of The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)
The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
and xXx
XXX
XXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
.
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
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, the film cost $135 million to make, but was panned by critics, and was a colossal box office bomb
Box office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
making only $76,932,872 worldwide, one of the biggest losses in cinematic history.
Plot
In 2016, the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
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
Josh Lucas
Josh Lucas is an American actor. He has appeared in many films, including Glory Road, A Beautiful Mind, and Poseidon.-Early life:...
), tomboyish Lieutenant Kara Wade (Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
), and street-wise, philosophical Lieutenant Henry Purcell (Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
). Their first test mission scores 100/100, based on maximum inflicted casualties with minimum collateral damage
Collateral damage
Collateral damage is damage to people or property that is unintended or incidental to the intended outcome. The phrase is prevalently used as an euphemism for civilian casualties of a military action.-Etymology:...
. In addition, the U.S. Navy hires Dr. Keith Orbit (Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh is an Australian actor who has starred in many Australian films and has appeared in supporting roles in a number of Hollywood productions, usually as villains.-Early life:...
) to develop an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle
Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle
An unmanned combat air vehicle or combat drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is designed to deliver weapons without an onboard pilot. Currently operational UCAVs are under real-time human control, but future version may enable autonomous operation, for example with pre-programmed route and...
(UCAV, pronounced "you-kav") codenamed "EDI" (for "Extreme Deep Invader") and piloted by artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
. This autonomous fighter jet is placed on the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Abraham Lincoln
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
USS Abraham Lincoln , is the fifth Nimitz-class supercarrier in the United States Navy. She is the second Navy ship named after former president Abraham Lincoln. Her home port is Everett, Washington.-Construction:...
in the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...
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
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, and while seemingly damaged it quickly recovers, but its neural network is affected. Already a sophisticated AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
, 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
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
) 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 ship, is given the order to shoot. Eddie (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
Canard (aeronautics)
In aeronautics, canard is an airframe configuration of fixed-wing aircraft in which the forward surface is smaller than the rearward, the former being known as the "canard", while the latter is the main wing...
and subsequently ejects over North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South 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, the Gannon chases EDI into Russian territory, and after several attacks from Russian aircraft causing damage to both Talons, 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
Sam Shepard
Sam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
). 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, and narrowly escaping an assassination attempt by his "doctor", he 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
Joe Morton
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Morton, Jr. is an American stage, television, and film actor.-Early life:Morton was born in The Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York. He is the son of Evelyn, a secretary, and Joseph Thomas Morton, Sr., a U.S. army intelligence officer. Because of his father's...
) 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
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and leaves EDI with the Talon 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
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
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
- Josh LucasJosh LucasJosh Lucas is an American actor. He has appeared in many films, including Glory Road, A Beautiful Mind, and Poseidon.-Early life:...
as Lt.LieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Ben Gannon (BIG) - Jessica BielJessica BielJessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
as Lt. Kara Wade (GUNS) - Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
as Lt. Henry Purcell (E-Z) - Sam ShepardSam ShepardSam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
as Captain George Cummings - Richard RoxburghRichard RoxburghRichard Roxburgh is an Australian actor who has starred in many Australian films and has appeared in supporting roles in a number of Hollywood productions, usually as villains.-Early life:...
as Dr. Keith Orbit - Joe MortonJoe MortonJoseph Thomas "Joe" Morton, Jr. is an American stage, television, and film actor.-Early life:Morton was born in The Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York. He is the son of Evelyn, a secretary, and Joseph Thomas Morton, Sr., a U.S. army intelligence officer. Because of his father's...
as Captain Dick Marshfield - Ian BlissIan BlissIan Bliss is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Bane in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, for which he was chosen by the Wachowski Brothers because of his accurate impersonation of Hugo Weaving , and also his partial resemblance to Weaving...
as Lieutenant Aaron Shaftsbury - Ebon Moss-BachrachEbon Moss-BachrachEbon Moss-Bachrach is an American stage and screen actor. He attended high school at Amherst Regional High School in Massachusetts and graduated from Columbia University. Ebon is involved with photographer Yelena Yemchuk...
as Tim - David AndrewsDavid Andrews (actor)David Andrews is an American actor, best known for his role as General Robert Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.Andrews was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
as Ray - Wentworth MillerWentworth MillerWentworth Earl Miller III is an English-born American actor; model and screenwriter who rose to stardom following his role as Michael Scofield in the Fox Network television series Prison Break.-Early life:...
as EDI - Nicholas HammondNicholas HammondNicholas Hammond is an American actor best known for his roles as Friedrich von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music, and as Peter Parker/Spider-Man on the CBS television series The Amazing Spider-Man...
as Executive officer - Megan GaleMegan GaleMegan Kate Gale is an Australian model and actress.- Career :Born in Perth, Western Australia, Megan Gale's father is English and mother is part Maori and is the youngest of three children with two older brothers.-Modeling:...
(cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
) as Dr. Orbit's secretary
Production
Stealth features several shots of action on aircraft carriers. Scenes featuring the cast were shot on board the US Navy Fleet CarrierAircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Abraham Lincoln
USS Abraham Lincoln
Various ships have borne the name Abraham Lincoln, in honor of the 16th President of the United States.-United States Navy:* The , was a ballistic missile submarine.* The , is an aircraft carrier currently in service.-Fictional:...
, while additional scenes were shot on board the USS Carl Vinson.
The film was shot in Australia (Blue Mountains National Park & Private Land, Flinders Rangers, South Australia) and New Zealand.
Featured technologies
Stealth featured many presently used, futuristic, or theoretical technologies at the time of release. These include:- Computer technology (all wildly mixed)
- quantum computerQuantum computerA quantum computer is a device for computation that makes direct use of quantum mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement, to perform operations on data. Quantum computers are different from traditional computers based on transistors...
- Artificial neural networkArtificial neural networkAn artificial neural network , usually called neural network , is a mathematical model or computational model that is inspired by the structure and/or functional aspects of biological neural networks. A neural network consists of an interconnected group of artificial neurons, and it processes...
- artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
- quantum computer
- Airplanes
- pulse detonation enginePulse detonation engineA pulse detonation engine, or "PDE", is a type of propulsion system that uses detonation waves to combust the fuel and oxidizer mixture. The engine is pulsed because the mixture must be renewed in the combustion chamber between each detonation wave initiated by an ignition source. Theoretically, a...
- scramjetScramjetA scramjet is a variant of a ramjet airbreathing jet engine in which combustion takes place in supersonic airflow...
- VTOLVTOLA vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
- aeroelastic control surfacesAeroelasticityAeroelasticity is the science which studies the interactions among inertial, elastic, and aerodynamic forces. It was defined by Arthur Collar in 1947 as "the study of the mutual interaction that takes place within the triangle of the inertial, elastic, and aerodynamic forces acting on structural...
- EDI (Extreme Deep Invader)
- SukhoiSukhoiSukhoi Company is a major Russian aircraft manufacturer, headquartered in Begovoy District, Northern Administrative Okrug, Moscow, famous for its fighters...
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. , 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.
- BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
F/A-18E/F Super HornetF/A-18E/F Super HornetThe Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft. The F/A-18E single-seat variant and F/A-18F tandem-seat variant are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm gun and can carry air-to-air... - F/A-18 HornetF/A-18 HornetThe McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
- High-altitude airshipHigh-altitude airshipThe United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency contracted Lockheed Martin to construct a high-altitude airship to enhance its Ballistic Missile Defense System ....
s (Camelhumps) used for aerial refuelingAerial refuelingAerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
- pulse detonation engine
- Weapons
- Warships
- The aircraft supercarrier featured in the film, USS Abraham LincolnUSS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)USS Abraham Lincoln , is the fifth Nimitz-class supercarrier in the United States Navy. She is the second Navy ship named after former president Abraham Lincoln. Her home port is Everett, Washington.-Construction:...
, is shown to have three different Naval Registry numbers during angles from different scenes.
- The aircraft supercarrier featured in the film, USS Abraham Lincoln
Litigation
In March 2005, Leo StollerLeo Stoller
Leo D. Stoller is an American self-styled "intellectual property entrepreneur" based in suburban Chicago, Illinois. Stoller controversially claimed rights to a large inventory of "famous" trademarks and engaged in the assertive enforcement of those alleged trademark rights, threatening...
, who claims to own trademark rights to the word "stealth", served Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
with a "cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
" 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).
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
Blue Mountains National Park
The Blue Mountains National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 81 km west of Sydney, and located in the Blue Mountains region of the Great Dividing Range. The park covers 268,987 hectares. The boundary of the park is quite irregular as it is broken up by roads, urban areas...
, NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia, in May 2004. Justice Lloyd of the New South Wales Land and Environment Court
Land and Environment Court of New South Wales
The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales is a Court established by legislation giving it exclusive jurisdiction to determine environmental, development, building and planning disputes...
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".
Soundtrack
- "Make a MoveMake a Move (Incubus song)Make a Move is a single released by alternative rock band Incubus, released from the soundtrack to the film Stealth.The song utilizes a unique melodic structure in that its main guitar and bass riffs are in the key of E minor, while lead vocalist Brandon Boyd's melody is performed in the key of E...
" - IncubusIncubus (band)Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
(3:12) - "Admiration" - Incubus (4:13)
- "Neither of Us Can See" - Incubus (4:04)
- "(She Can) Do That" - BT & David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
(3:15) - "Dance to the MusicDance to the Music (song)"Dance to the Music" is a 1968 hit single by the influential soul/funk/rock band Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic/CBS Records label. It was the first single by the band to reach the Billboard Pop Singles Top 10, peaking at #8 and the first to popularize the band's sound, which would be emulated...
" - Will.i.amWill.i.amWilliam James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
& Sly & The Family StoneSly & the Family StoneSly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
(4:06) - "Bullet-Proof Skin" - InstituteInstitute (band)Institute was an alternative rock band featuring Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale. The band's only album, Distort Yourself, was released September 13, 2005.-History:...
(4:24) - "L.S.F.L.S.F."L.S.F." is the second single released by British rock group Kasabian. The song earned the band their first UK Top 10 hit, peaking at # 10 and staying in the Top 75 for 5 weeks...
" - Kasabian (3:18) - "Bug Eyes" - DredgDredgDredg is an American rock group formed in 1993 in Los Gatos, California. The band consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette and drummer Dino Campanella....
(4:16) - "Over My Head (Cable Car)Over My Head (Cable Car)"Over My Head " is a song by American rock band The Fray. It is included on their on their debut album How to Save a Life and was the debut single from the album and hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" - The FrayThe Fray-Literature:*Fray, a phenomenon in Terry Pratchett's The Carpet People*Fray , a comic book series by Joss Whedon**Melaka Fray, titular character of the comic book series-Music:*"Fray", a song from the album 14 Shades of Grey by Staind...
(3:56) - "One Day" - Trading YesterdayTrading YesterdayThe Age of Information is an American pop rock band originally formed in 2003 by David Hodges and Mark Colbert under the name Trading Yesterday, and later joined by Steven McMorran...
(4:21) - "Different" - AcceptanceAcceptance (band)Acceptance was an alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1998. They released their first EP, Lost for Words, in 2000, followed by Black Lines to Battlefields in 2003...
(4:09) - "Nights in White SatinNights in White Satin"Nights in White Satin" is a 1967 single by The Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward and first featured on the album Days of Future Passed.It is in the key of E minor Aeolian.-Single releases:...
" - Glenn Hughes, Chad SmithChad SmithChad Smith is an American musician, best known as the longtime and current drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot which includes Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony, former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes' backing band and...
& John FruscianteJohn FruscianteJohn Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
(4:56) - "Aqueous Transmission" - IncubusIncubus (band)Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
(7:48)
Box office
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
Stealth was panned by critics; Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave it 13%, with an average score of 3.8/10 and only 18 out of 136 reviews being positive. 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. In Metacritic, the film has a rating of 35% based on 31 reviews, which indicates "generally negative reviews".
Stealth holds a rating of a D+ on Yahoo Movies.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
commented that the film was "a dumbed-down Top Gun
Top Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
crossed with the HAL 9000
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is the antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga. HAL is an artificial intelligence that interacts with the astronaut crew of the Discovery One spacecraft, usually represented as a red television-camera eye found throughout the ship...
plot from 2001."
Cultural references
- The film shares similar plot and situations with Macross plusMacross Plusis a four-episode anime OVA and theatrical movie in the Macross series. It was the first sequel to the original Macross television series that took place in the official timeline...
. Cohen has admitted that his main influence for Stealth was MacrossMacrossis a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
. - In the air battle between the Su-37 Terminators, Talon, and EDI, the Talon performs a variation Pugachev's CobraPugachev's CobraIn aerobatics, Pugachev's Cobra is a dramatic and demanding manoeuvre in which a plane flying at a moderate speed suddenly raises the nose momentarily to the vertical position and slightly beyond, before dropping it back to normal flight. It uses a potent engine thrust to maintain approximately...
maneuver called the KulbitKulbitThe "Kulbit" is an aerial maneuver developed by Russian pilots, in which the aircraft performs an extremely tight loop, often not much wider than the length of the aircraft itself. It is an example of post-stall maneuvering, a type of supermaneuverability...
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 UMDUniversal Media DiscThe Universal Media Disc is an optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on their PlayStation Portable handheld gaming and multimedia platform...
version of the film for the PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
includes 3 stages of the video game Wipeout PureWipeout PureWipeout Pure is a 2005 video game in the Wipeout series for the PlayStation Portable. The game was released simultaneously with the release of the PSP during its North American launch. The developers expressed a desire to return to the handling of Wipeout 2097 and to make various changes to the...
with a Talon jet playable in the game. - The AIAiAI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
code shown on screen is TeXTeXTeX is a typesetting system designed and mostly written by Donald Knuth and released in 1978. Within the typesetting system, its name is formatted as ....
code. - Vanessa Trezise from Sky News AustraliaSky News AustraliaSky News Australia is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite news channel available in 2.5 million homes on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television and Neighbourhood Cable subscription platforms....
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.