Movie: "The Hurt Locker"

[JohnRich 4]

I went to see "The Hurt Locker" last weekend. It's an outstanding movie about Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) soldiers in Iraq. Excellent movie! For some reason it has limited play right now - out of the dozens of movie theaters in Houston, it's only showing on one screen, downtown. I highly recommend this film, if you get a chance to see it. Wow!

Movie website: http://thehurtlocker-movie.com/

[wmw999 2,166]

We went to watch it last night (it's up to at least 2 screens!), and thought it was a really, really good movie.

Casting relative unkowns in the primary roles made them far more believable as soldiers.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[MikeJD 0]

Hey, director Kathryn Bigelow also made a movie called Point Break.

Anybody seen that?



Haven't seen "The Hurt Locker" yet, but I read a glowing review this morning. I was afraid it'd be some ridiculous fiction, but I gather the writer's a correspondent who toured with an EOD team. So hopefully there's more authenticity than usual.

[virgin-burner 1]

point break was awesome and far less unrealistic than what everyone believes; you NEED to rob banks to skydive..

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[MikeJD 0]

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point break was awesome and far less unrealistic than what everyone believes; you NEED to rob banks to skydive..

I didn't actually mean to diss Point Break. I do think it's a great movie, and doesn't pretend to be realistic. And Bigelow is a talented director.

I meant the way other movies fictionalise 'serious' topics like bomb disposal. I don't know anything about it, but I can usually tell when I'm being had.

[virgin-burner 1]

skydiving IS serious!!!

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[PLFXpert 0]

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Casting relative unkowns in the primary roles made them far more believable as soldiers.

Agree!

This movie was a pleasant surprise.



Fun Fact for Dexter fans: Watch for the Ice Truck Killer. Having just watched the Dexter series (Season One through Four) for the first time just a few weeks ago, I admit I was super-excited to see him pop up in this movie.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[quade 3]

Finally saw this.

Acts 1 and 2 are amazing. Really nice set up. Really nice debate.

I don't care for fake shaky-cam and crap-snap zooms to attempt to amp up action that should just be in the story to begin with. Dialogue is a bit cliche; "I'm getting too old for this" and "Is that all you got" within 30 seconds of each other? Really?

Where it falls apart for me is in Act 3 and in particular the character motivations. I was hoping we'd learn something a bit more interesting and find something actually noble in there.

I still would recommend it, but to me it's an incomplete story.

I'm also a bit confused by the DGA Best Director award on this. It's a good movie, but I think other projects this year have taken and shown a hell of a lot more talent than this did.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[riddler 0]

A disjointed, confusing but well-lighted film with one-dimensional, unapproachable and mildly psychotic characters. There are a few emotional moments, but the story basis had SO much potential, and I think they blew it.

I am still waiting for closure on the taxi-driver - he drove past the soldiers, through the smoke, around the barricades and into the kill-zone - for what, exactly? Because he's a stupid cab-driver? Why portray all but one Iraqi in the movie as such a moron?

Why is this one EOD unit casually firing off sniper rounds, chasing down the bad guys in an urban jungle, foraying into unsecure areas and doing undercover work in the city to investigate the death of a child? Isn't their job to disarm bombs? I think that's interesting enough to fill two hours, without trying to have them single-handedly fight the entire war.

The main character reminded me of Bill Murray in Caddyshack - particularly in the swimming-pool scene.

I actually felt that they should have had more explosions, just to make the movie interesting. My shame knows no bounds.

At the very end, when the main character is talking to his toddler son, there is a chance for redemption as he says that he loves just one thing. You hope it's his son. The next scene proves that what he loves is being in war. Disappointing, to say the least.

Overall, not a terrible movie, but not worthy of the six Oscars it got.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[shropshire 0]

If you like the film (I've not seen it yet) and the subject then you may enjoy a book by an EOD Operator (Chris Hunter) - Eight Lives Down

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[MikeJD 0]

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At the very end, when the main character is talking to his toddler son, there is a chance for redemption as he says that he loves just one thing. You hope it's his son. The next scene proves that what he loves is being in war. Disappointing, to say the least.

Only disappointing if you think movies should have redemptive endings. Some of my favourite movies don't.

[LouDiamond 1]

This is such a crap-tastically bad movie that I will spare everyone the 2 hour tirade I could probably go on. In short, I will say that it is a total fictional depiction of what happens in the military as well as in Iraq and what little factual tid bits it has are overshadowed by the incredibly stupid and unbelievable events in the movie that are carried out by the main character and other actors. This is akin to a skydive movie being made by people who have never skydived in their life and who payed very little heed to the advice they got from people who actually had.

I cannot believe all the awards it won but them again, it is a piece of fiction not based in reality,produced by Hollywood to make money and to provide entertainment to the ignorant masses who will probably walk away thinking thats how things are done in the military and in the war in Iraq. A complete sensationalized fabrication of someones imagination....as long as you realize that, I guess it puts it up there with Predator and Aliens because thats about how believable it is.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[shropshire 0]

It's great to hear a review from folks who know more about the subject depicted ... but Hollywood don't make documentaries (but I'm sure that some people think that they do).

It's not the first film to 'stretch' the truth (e.d U571 and the 'story' about the enigma machine) and won't be the last.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[quade 3]

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Only disappointing if you think movies should have redemptive endings. Some of my favourite movies don't.

It's not a matter of being redemptive. It's a matter of the audience identifying with the protagonist and making logical decisions. The central question of the entire movie is why does James do what he does? What's his motivation to take as many chances as he does? The answer is he's a selfish prick willing to put his team members at risk that gets off on adrenalin so much he's willing to abandon his wife and son.

The answer is 90% crap because it severs the connection with 90% of the audience.

It's 10% brilliant because it addresses the statement posed in a black and white single card at the very beginning of the film;

"The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug" -- Chris Hedges

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[grimmie 177]

Like "Top Gun" did to fighter pilots and "Backdraft" did for firemen and "Navy SEALS" did for special ops and "Cutaway" did for skyjumpers and...

It's just a movie.
I thought it was mildly entertaining.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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produced by Hollywood to make money and to provide entertainment

I wasted 2 1/2 hours of my life last night after renting a different utterly crappy Hollywood movie. I rented "2012" and it was one of the worst pieces of junk I have ever seen. Hollywood appears to be getting worse every year.

PS: I did rent "The Hurt Locker" a few months ago and I was entertained, but many parts of the movie did appear to be rather sensationalized and since I have never been in a war zone it's hard for me to know exactly what is what. But I have heard war described as 99.9% boredom followed by 0.1% of sheer horror.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[quade 3]

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I wasted 2 1/2 hours of my life last night after renting a different utterly crappy Hollywood movie. I rented "2012" and it was one of the worst pieces of junk I have ever seen. Hollywood appears to be getting worse every year.

Don't confuse "Hollywood" with Roland Emmerich!

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[gravitysurfer 0]

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I cannot believe all the awards it won but them again, it is a piece of fiction not based in reality,produced by Hollywood to make money and to provide entertainment to the ignorant masses

- and awarded by Hollywood.

aloha.

[MikeJD 0]

The ending would have been worse for me had James realised what he was missing at home, turned himself around and lived happily ever after with his family. That would have been pat and unsatisfying.

But I didn't find him a convincing character either way. He was so blank that I didn't feel any connection to him through the entire movie - hence there was nothing to sever at the end.

I found the film entertaining enough and occasionally great, but too self-conscious. As you said, the twitchy camera is intrusive and I'm fed up of that shooting style now. It's everywhere, in movies and TV, and it just seems a poor substitute for pointing the camera at a scene or an actor capable of holding your attention.

[grimmie 177]

"2012" the worst movie in recent years by far.

[regulator 0]

I just got the Gypsy Moths in on my Netflix queue today. Has anyone seen it? I know its an old skewl skydiving flick, is it worth watching?

[quade 3]

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I just got the Gypsy Moths in on my Netflix queue today. Has anyone seen it? I know its an old skewl skydiving flick, is it worth watching?

Yes.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[AndyBoyd 0]

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"2012" the worst movie in recent years by far.

If you are looking for a better end-of-times type movie, check out The Road. Or read the book by Cormack McCarthy. Just don't expect a happy Hollywood type ending.

As far as Hurt Locker, I thought it was a great movie. Yes, I am sure some of the scenes were unrealistic. It was a Hollywood movie, not intended as a documentary.

[riddler 0]

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I just got the Gypsy Moths in on my Netflix queue today. Has anyone seen it? I know its an old skewl skydiving flick, is it worth watching?

If for nothing else than the "batsuit", yes.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[grimmie 177]

Deborah Kerr......meow!