Let’s state it right out front — the premise of “Cellular” is based on a gimmick.

We are supposed to be captivated by suspense created due to a cell phone. Although the gimmick itself seems stale and pointless, the movie beneath it is actually a decent thriller with a superb cast. Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger) is your average suburban mother. A science teacher and loving mother, her world is sent for a spin when armed men burst into her house one morning and kidnap her. At the same time, we meet Ryan (Chris Evans), your average beach bum, trying out his new cell phone. Little do they realize how their paths will soon cross.

Trapped in a dirty attic, Martin is able to wire together a broken phone and make a random call while her captors wait downstairs. Guess who picks up her call.

Although Ryan is at first hesitant to help, he slowly becomes deeply involved in the plot by trying to foil the captors’ plans. The plot is pretty standard as far as thrillers go, and it develops by-the-numbers as you would imagine. What really stands out is the acting. All the lead roles are filled very well, from Basinger as the traumatic victim to Jason Statham as the silent, but intense villain.

Each actor takes his or her role and seems to envelop the characters. When Ryan finally has to pull a gun on someone, we understand it wasn’t his choice to do this, but that he was forced into it. His deep breaths and stressed face tell us more than his hammy lines. This is one of those rare instances when a script full of lame dialogue and a predictable plot is elevated because of some seriously good acting.

But to give the screenwriter some credit, he is wise not to make the plot seem completely ridiculous. As the plot unfolds and we find out the captors’ motives, it all seems reasonable enough for us to believe. The extents to which they go and the realm in which they operate never seems to elevate itself into a mad world of fantasy.

There are still flaws and a few gaping plot holes scattered throughout “Cellular.” When Ryan rushes through oncoming traffic, he causes a 20-car pileup, with no thought to all the victims in the wreck. Another time, we are to believe the villains are able to threaten Ryan at gunpoint on the end of a pier in a highly populated area without anyone noticing.

With such flaws in the script, the director rebounds with concise camera action and sharp editing.

The action constantly switches between Ryan on the run and Martin trapped in the attic, and even though everything happens in real time (or something close to it), we never feel bored waiting for the next scene.

But for all its flaws or its praises, “Cellular” mostly stands out as a movie trapped in the wrong time. If this were made about 10 years ago, when new technologies such as cell phones and the Internet were just entering the social consciousness, people might have been captivated by a cell phone and its infinite possibilities.

But since our society has become accustomed to the convenience cell phones offer, there is probably little “Cellular” can offer to lure a large audience.