Film Critique: Eye in the Sky
I. Summary
Aloft the murder of an undercover British/ Kenyan agent by the terrorist group called Al-
Shabaab, UK-based military officer, Colonel Katherine Powell led a drone action to seize
terrorist in Nairobi, Kenya. The top secret operation was run by an Aerial surveillance controlled
by USAF pilot Steve Watts and a short-range bird (ornithopter) and insect-form (insectothopher)
cameras for ground intelligence. It was supervised by a COBRA meeting that includes
government ministers, the UK Attorney General and the UK Lieutenant General Frank.
The Al-Shabaab militants, which includes British couple, Susan Danford and his
husband, met in a safehouse in Nairobi. The team soon discovered that the terrorist were
preparing two suicide bombers causing the mission's objective to shift from “capture” to “kill.
Colonel Katherine prepare a precision Hellfire missile attack and ask for the opinion of her
British Army legal counsel who suggested to seek approval from their higher-up. However, the
process took too long before a decision was made for there was a clash of legal and political
views and values of the attack paired also with the negative notoriety of killing non-combatants.
The dispute primarily revolves on due diligence being executed to minimize collateral damage
and on the political as well as legal merits and justification for launching a Hellfire missile attack
in a friendly country not at war with the US or UK.
Meanwhile, the situation becomes even more difficult for the lawyers and politicians to
assess, especially to the Steve Watts- the American pilot- as he is about to engage in the
attack, when Alia, the nine-year old girl who lives next door, enters into the kill zone. This setting
triggered an international dispute over moral and political indication of modern war. Steve and
his enlisted sensor operator, Carrie seek to delay the firing until she moves and decline the
order of Colonel Katherine. Thereafter, one of their ground intel officer was directed to buy all of
Alia’s bread so she will leave, but his cover was blown and was forced to flee.
Katherine, who seeks to get a consent to launch the strike asked his risk-assessment
officer to find parameters to lower the risk of the damage to 45%. But upon re-evaluation, the
strike point gauge about 45% to 65% risk to Alia’s life. Finally, the strike was authorized and
Watts fired an attack. Alia was injured but one of the target survived, so a second order was
I. Summary
Aloft the murder of an undercover British/ Kenyan agent by the terrorist group called Al-
Shabaab, UK-based military officer, Colonel Katherine Powell led a drone action to seize
terrorist in Nairobi, Kenya. The top secret operation was run by an Aerial surveillance controlled
by USAF pilot Steve Watts and a short-range bird (ornithopter) and insect-form (insectothopher)
cameras for ground intelligence. It was supervised by a COBRA meeting that includes
government ministers, the UK Attorney General and the UK Lieutenant General Frank.
The Al-Shabaab militants, which includes British couple, Susan Danford and his
husband, met in a safehouse in Nairobi. The team soon discovered that the terrorist were
preparing two suicide bombers causing the mission's objective to shift from “capture” to “kill.
Colonel Katherine prepare a precision Hellfire missile attack and ask for the opinion of her
British Army legal counsel who suggested to seek approval from their higher-up. However, the
process took too long before a decision was made for there was a clash of legal and political
views and values of the attack paired also with the negative notoriety of killing non-combatants.
The dispute primarily revolves on due diligence being executed to minimize collateral damage
and on the political as well as legal merits and justification for launching a Hellfire missile attack
in a friendly country not at war with the US or UK.
Meanwhile, the situation becomes even more difficult for the lawyers and politicians to
assess, especially to the Steve Watts- the American pilot- as he is about to engage in the
attack, when Alia, the nine-year old girl who lives next door, enters into the kill zone. This setting
triggered an international dispute over moral and political indication of modern war. Steve and
his enlisted sensor operator, Carrie seek to delay the firing until she moves and decline the
order of Colonel Katherine. Thereafter, one of their ground intel officer was directed to buy all of
Alia’s bread so she will leave, but his cover was blown and was forced to flee.
Katherine, who seeks to get a consent to launch the strike asked his risk-assessment
officer to find parameters to lower the risk of the damage to 45%. But upon re-evaluation, the
strike point gauge about 45% to 65% risk to Alia’s life. Finally, the strike was authorized and
Watts fired an attack. Alia was injured but one of the target survived, so a second order was
