The Hurt Locker

A TRIUMPHANT WAR MOVIE! My Rating: ***1/2 - Good



Wow. I like action movies but I'm not a war movie guy, but this actually was pretty good. At first glimpse it seemed boring, but the film holds real value. The plot takes place in 2004 Iraq and a man named James is deployed there in a bomb disposal team. Which obviously is an extremely dangerous job. His two comrades, Sanborn and Eldridge, just recently lost their previous leader in this fatal line of work. James is a fearless man and has the tendency to "leap without looking". This is a very different trait from the previous captain and the two must try to contain him throughout their missions together. All three are relatively new and at first seem to think of war as an adrenaline-quencher. But later on in the film, it does a good job of going in-depth as it is shot in a way that is half documentary and half, well, regular movie and you see that the way they think of their job is changing. They must learn to cope with the real emotional stress and loss of battle. They are constantly defusing bombs while being shot at or stared down by civilians. The events changing them are, from a film-making perspective, well done. Or, in the words of my former math/science teacher: "solid". You get a big feeling of adrenaline and suspense amidst all the gunfire and explosions propelling the entertainment section of the action sequences. Although in pretty much all of the action sequences, they use the f-word as the foundation of EVERY verbal response to EVERY situation that puts them in "deep doo-doo". The film does feel like a "Call of Duty" game sometimes and less of a film as the setting is always the dull, 100 degree sandy ocean of death and despair that Iraq had become due to the war. But then again, that sounds like an interesting place for a story to take shape isn't it? Just...if you think about it. The thinking behind the story is so unique and well planned out that it makes a successful movie for a change. Although I did hear that the writers are being sued because that sounds like a real military story and I think the guy suing them had a nickname in the army that was exactly like the film's title. But anyway, if you aren't an action or war movie person, I don't recommend you watch this. There is obviously a lot of explosions and gunfire and foreign(to the U.S.A.) people who look creepy and mysterious and some gross things in it. It won't work for all audiences but it DOES present something 9/10 people can at least remotely relate to. Just imagine "District 9" combined with "Green Zone". You know, that type of "mood". The acting is extremely well-done. ALL performances are fully-believable and strong. You really feel like this is all real. Overall, good acting, good action, yet somewhat has a dull, shooter-video game, out focused feeling. The audience that would rank at the "enjoyable" level may be a little too specific. But, all the same, you want an epic war movie? You got it.

Starring: Jeremy Renner Director: Katheryn Bigelow
Anthony Mackie
Brian Geraghty
Ralph Fiennes
Guy Pearce