As a science fiction film, Surrogates is a movie we are very familiar with. The cautionary tale of over dependence on technology and all the morality issues that goes with new technology has been explored in many previous movies. Movies like Blade Runner, Gamer, and Artificial Intelligence: AI has all explored this theme. With evolution of technology, some of these morality issues that we must deal with are getting closer to reality. This movie does nothing set itself apart from the earlier science fiction movies with similar ideas. This isn’t to say the movie is boring or lacking in any originality.
The movie opens up with destruction of two surrogate robots. Normally, this would not be a problem except that their controllers are dead as well. With the invention of surrogates, people interact and work through their surrogate robots from comfort of their home. This virtually eliminates all crimes and disease. The death of two surrogates and their controlling human counterpart brings about the investigation from FBI. The people that oppose the surrogate life style are the primary suspect. There are some twist and turns. But, it’s fairly straight forward plot with some decent action mixed in.
The movie is entertaining most of the time. The fact that overall story has been told in other movies is not that big of deal. The problem I had with the movie was the lack of “ooohs” and “aahhs” you are supposed to get from science fiction movie. Blade Runner and other good science fiction films usually deliver some very good wow factors that Surrogates lacked. I felt like I was watching a movie of the week on Syfy channel. The overall cast was ok. It would have been cool to see different actors play the surrogate instead of the younger and better looking versions of themselves. Otherwise, it is passable film and decent way to spend 90 minutes.
What do you think about this movie? Please leave your thoughts below.
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Not a good movie at all
I tried watching this movie yesterday. I say “tried” because I ejected the DVD in disgust halfway through the movie – which is something I have done maybe three times in my whole life. What a mess. No real plot, other than going from one tense IED-defusing scene to the next. For those who would tell me that it’s unfair to review a movie I haven’t seen all the way through, all I can say is, I understand and respect that opinion… but my attitude is, if a movie cannot engage the viewer or even present itself in a coherent fashion after almost an hour’s worth of watching, why bother continuing? I’m pretty forgiving of movies and try to view them with no preconceived notions on my part, and in the spirit in which they were made, but after a point I have to say “Oh, come ON now…” Because after all, every movie, regardless of subject matter, must fulfill one basic requirement: it must entertain. By “entertain”, I do not necessarily mean “turn your brain off and mindlessly enjoy the movie”, although sometimes that definition does apply (think “Avatar”). “Entertain” can also mean to engage on an intellectual, visceral or emotional level (think “Schindler’s List”). “Hurt Locker” failed me miserably on all entertainment levels. It failed so badly that instead of slogging through the whole thing, hoping for a payoff that would make the viewing experience worthwhile like I usually do, I just hit the “open tray” button on my DVD remote. It simply wasn’t worth any more of my time. Many customer reviewers here have said the movie was just as bad and pointless the whole way through, so I don’t feel bad for not enduring the entire film.
I certainly support the incredibly brave troops who go into danger zones and risk their lives by doing unimaginably terrifying things like defusing IEDs (even if I don’t support the unnecessary Iraq War itself), but simply from a movie standpoint I have to wonder why this film won Best Picture. Even “Avatar” (which probably ended up second in the Academy’s vote tally), with its cheesy dialogue, mediocre acting and hokey storyline cobbled together from multiple other movies, was much better than “Hurt Locker”, and as such was far more deserving of a Best Picture Oscar than this uninvolving, seemingly pointless “slice of bomb-defusing life” mess. “Hurt Locker” deserved Best Picture the way Al Gore deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. My guess is that there is one big reason it won: the Academy typically snubs sci-fi like “Avatar” (or for that matter “District 9″, nominated the same year for Best Picture) when it comes to the top Oscar categories, and drools over politically-motivated “art” films like “Hurt Locker”. It could also be that the Academy felt that they fawned over James Cameron sufficiently when “Titanic” took home 11 Oscars in 1998. Like Gore (laughably) winning the Nobel Peace Prize, this was all about politics (Academy and American), in my opinion.
In the Amazon review of the movie it was noted that “The Hurt Locker was shown mostly in art cinemas rather than multiplexes”. I can understand why. The film’s producers and distributors more than likely knew it would receive a tepid reaction by the general public, so they limited it to venues that attract more liberal, artsy intellectual cinema types who were more likely to “ooh and ahh” over it mainly because the film was made to score political points and bring home Oscar. There’s nothing wrong with doing that, I guess, but it seems to me a self-serving, egotistical waste of time to do so.
Many veterans who have submitted their impressions of this movie here in this customer review section have stated that “Hurt Locker” doesn’t even depict military protocols, procedures and equipment correctly. I’ll have to take their word for that; after all, they served and are the ones who should know. However, what I do know is that there are many, many, many far better war films out there. I certainly do not recommend “Hurt Locker”. Any decently-made documentary about the exact same subject (a fascinating and tense subject, by the way) would blow this lame movie out of the water.
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Anti War Propaganda
Al Gore, Jane Fonda, Oliver Stone watch this movie every night before going to bed.
We Veterans do not swallow this Crapp!
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Plenty of Pain in “The Hurt Locker”
I have read some reviews from vets of Operations Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Iraqi Freedom. I am an Air Force retiree who spent 27 years on active duty. I understand why some of the discrepancies can be frustrating to those who have lived life in the military and see Hollywood not getting the details quite right. I often note a lot of differences between life and life on screen in most movies with a military theme. Uniforms aren’t correct, haircuts are out of regulation, people wear hats indoors etc.
However, with “The Hurt Locker”, theses discrepancies shouldn’t take away from the excellence of the movie. The main theme of the movie is not about the details of existence in day to day military life in a war zone. The director is trying to show how the effects of the cat and mouse existence in this type of combat affect the key characters. Also of importance is the relationships between them. The acting by the the trio who make up the Explosive Ordnance Disposal–EOD–team (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty) is excellent. I can certainly relate to how Jeremy Renner’s character, Sergeant James, feels when he goes home to his wife and child after tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. You get the feeling that he can’t adapt to the humble role of husband and father and actually misses the near addiction he has to the adrenaline rush of being the key EOD team member. You also get the feeling he can’t and won’t be able to find anyone to relate to his experiences. I grew up in Iowa and when I came home on leave, I really couldn’t talk about my assignments with friends and family because they had no real concept of what I was talking about. The pain within the story primarily comes from the two other members of the EOD team, who are really just trying to survive their tours and get away from a job they dislike in a country (Iraq) they hate–hopeful to get home in one piece.
In addition to the superb acting by the three lead characters, the cameo appearances by Guy Pearce, David Morse and Ralph Fiennes added an air of actor familiarity and credibility; and the astute direction of Kathryn Bigelow brought the story and characters together brilliantly.
I did knock off a star for the discrepancies some other reviewers pointed out, but I think this film is deserving of the many accolades it received, including the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, and should be viewed by anyone interested in the effects of war on the psyche of some of those involved.
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Fair
Criticism around the facts of the story behind this film I can’t speak to. That aside, the film sold itself on stress, which I’m sure I can’t imagine what wartime is really like, but I do know it takes more than stress to convey a compelling story. While the technical aspects and direction of the film were impressive, the acting wasn’t anything to write home about. It’s clear that this film got a lot of attention due to its timeliness and controversy. It’s not because it was that great.
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It was ok……..just ok.
I knew what the movie was about before I watched it.
I also knew that it had won a ton of awards so I wasn’t expecting it to be that good.
And…….I was right.
Why Hollywood insists on heaping praise on movies like this is just beyond me.
I’ve never been in the military but even I know this is not how our soldiers act in the middle of combat.
The guy who diffused bombs being my primary example.
Anyone who acted this selfish would never survive in the military or in a war period.
It’s called team work for a reason.
Ok, what was good?
The direction was nice.
The cinematography was good to look at.
The acting was passable.
The bad?
It just wasn’t realistic.
Even when trying to portray a fair balanced view of war our beloved Hollywood directors still manage to make our troops look bad.
Maybe the Hollywood folks should be happy our guys are willing to fight and die for their right to make movies.
I wonder how many films they would be able to make if they were under the rule of the Taliban?
Not many.
Do I recommend The Hurt Locker?
Not really.
With all the good war movies out there, why bother?
If you’re looking for a documentary look elsewhere.
If you’re looking for an unrealistic look into our troops involvement in the Middle East then sure, go ahead and rent it.
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where’s the beef?
It’s not easy to be kind to this movie when the best thing about it is the wig Bruce Willis wears in the pic. I gave it 3 stars and that may be stretching the point. I did not feel the movie was good and on the other hand I did not feel the movie was bad. I want to be drawn into a movie, invest emotions, good or bad. Not this pic never happened.
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Thought it was real …
… until the POV turned to the insurgents.
There is no way in h*ll that you could embed an camera crew on the bad guys’ side.
Really empathetic entertaining movie
bows to the crew …
Great Job!!
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Entertaining, but short
The concept behind this film had a lot of potential, but wasn’t as fleshed out as it should have been. I enjoyed the film and found it entertaining (mostly because of Bruce Willis), but it was short.
It was a hoot seeing Ving Rhames in a character you’d never expect to see him in.
Good for a rainy afternoon viewing.
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It’s a narrative story, not a documentary
Yes, there are things that are very inaccurate with regards to how the Army operates, but if it were 100% accurate, the movie would be boring. People look way too far into the film and judge every little aspect and do not enjoy the film for what it is, a character study of a disturbed soldier and the implications of his actions and of those around him. It’s a great film on many levels, and while the film is realistic in comparison to most other films, it’s not supposed to be entirely accurate for the sake of the story. Almost any movie that is based on something historical or cultural is not going to be exactly accurate. Even great films like JFK, Braveheart and Gladiator are terribly inaccurate, yet are still amazing films and great STORIES.
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Fascinating concept crippled by a pedestrian plot
Jonathan Mostow has the ability to emotionally and structurally sabotage any script, no matter how good the concept. JM chopped the Terminator franchise off at the knees with T3 to the point where even the Terminator 90210 TV show ignored the film completely. Now he’s been presented with yet another high-concept premise and has a Michael Bay-like drive to totally mess it up in a way so vicious that a sequel is as unlikely as someone not mistaking Bruce Willis’ toupe for a Zhu Zhu hamster. Mostow should be banned from going near any other scripts or ideas – he’s the sort of guy who could film The Bible and cause an exodus from the religion.
That being said, the concept is strong here – people controlling robots to represent themselves in the real world in an Avatar kind-of-way, and there are some interesting flaws and side-effects that could have been the foundation of a really excellent sci-fi franchise. Instead we’re presented with mindless and pointless action sequences that rob the audience of the promised emotional engagement. And much like T3, even the expensive CGI and visuals lack impact – though they effectively sell the Surrogates concept. At some point this script will be remade into an excellent version 2.0 – hold out for that one. In the meantime, lobby Congress to get Mostow handcuffed – if he ever gets to work with Ben Affleck, it could spell the end of the entire film industry
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Would have been better if a real documentary
I think HURT LOCKER would have been very good if it had been filmed authentically as a genuine documentary with a crew following around actual military personnel.
As it is, it has a very synthetic and unrealistic “movie” feel to it.
I am sure other ex- military people will agree.
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INTERESTING BUT NOT INDELIBLE
Based on a popular graphic novel. There’s an interesting focus on a worldwide culture that uses mannequin versions of themselves to function in the outside world while they stay home linked up to a virtual reality machine. Their surrogates, as they are known, always look better than their real selves. Real surprise there. The story was rushed in Act 3 when there should have been more meat. Even though there were some big names in it it didn’t measure up to greatness yet it was somewhat likable. Sci Fi types will appreciate it more. MY GRADE: B minus to B; WHEN WATCHED: August.
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Closer to a Dud than a Blast
When I pushed PLAY, I expected to be as spellbound as others who had seen this movie and reported the drama here on Amazon. With such high expectations, the only way to go is usually south, and that’s what it did.
The acting of Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie make them first-class Thespians. They play the part of non-commissioned officers who are in the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or EOD. It is evident that SSG James finds the adrenaline rush of outsmarting bomb makers and defusing their work. He tempts fate like the matador who moves ever closer to the horns of the bull. He removes his helmet and other life-saving equipment meant to protect him in case of a bomb blast. It looks like he is about to lose his sanity when we are exposed to a scene revealing his humanity, which I will not expound upon. It would be giving away too much of the story.
The most effective part of the movie is his return to family life and the mundane chores expected of a husband and family man. There is no excitement in removing the leaves that are blocking the drainage trough at the roof. As an EOD expert, he had to make split-second decisions that could have cost him his life or that of his comrades, yet he looks utterly confounded by the cereals in the aisle when his wife asks him to get one. This is one thing that is not talked about when it comes to veterans returning home. Many will have experienced awesome levels of responsibility for men and materiel that cannot be duplicated in civilian life, and it can be a sudden and tremendous letdown for the ego. How SSG James deals with this dilemma becomes obvious by the end of the film.
If a film spends so much time trying to get into the heads of soldiers under the constant strain of combat, the rest of the surroundings should be equally realistic. This was sloppily addressed with the wrong uniforms, insignia, improper military courtesy, and lack of vehicle markings. Leaving their posts to chase insurgents with flashlights was appallingly stupid. But what I wondered most about was this “autonomous team.” They seemed to be more rogue than Sarah Palin, and I began to wonder if they reported to anyone or selected their missions by themselves. If I had been stationed there as an EOD and had my choices, I would have spent my whole tour at the compound’s Subway, Baskin-Robbins, or the movie theater.
I would like to say this film was a real blast, but it was much closer to a dud. The movie just didn’t go off for me.
I have now seen it, and that is enough.
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academy award….how?
sorry folks, who believe this movie was worth winning the academy award! I have friends that have served and they didn’t feel this movie served justice to those in the military. OK not real…how about pure entertainment…kaka, watch saving private Ryan. The hurt locker turned me into the hurt looker. I was bored and the acting was sub-par. They should have given the Academy award to her husband for Avatar it was definitely more entertaining then this crap.
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One Star for bad movie.
Don’t watch this movie. Don’t rent it. Don’t buy it. Give this movie one star.
This movie is terrible. It’s not worth purchasing, either on DVD, Bluray, video on demand, iTunes, or even on bit torrent. It’s not worth it. It simply isn’t. I know this isn’t much of a review, but it’s all I’m offering. Nothing to see here folks. Move along. YOU! Keep your eyes forward. Don’t look at the train wreck. It’s too Gruesome. YOU! Cover those ears. Don’t listen to it. It’s awful. You should rather go deep in the wilderness and listen to the screeching of hoot owls and bagpipes. YOU THERE! Don’t hit that button. You’ll never get back the money or time you wasted on this movie. If you download it you’ll just wear a bump in your hardrive. If you play the DVD it will burn out the laser. It’s awful…
I’m not kidding folks. It will burn both your screen and your retina. You’ll be seeing terrible blurry images when you close your eyes. You’ll see white ghost like images that will either annoy you or make you cry. You’ll be blind. Your blood will run blue on the floor and vampires will barf at the prospect of drinking your blood. You’ll experience Rigor Mortis while still alive! It will be like having lockjaw but you’ll be totally aware of your predicament. Yikes. You looked. You’ll soon experience searing, burning pain due to your rank disobedience.
You were warned.
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