By FITSNews || We’d heard the buzz surrounding The Hurt Locker, which swept the recent BAFTA awards and tied James Cameron’s Avatar with nine Academy Award nominations.
But is the flic – which tells the story of a military bomb squad in Iraq – really as good as advertised?
Honestly?
It was better.
In fact, it’s the best war movie we’ve seen since Full Metal Jacket – one reason why it boasts an insanely-high 97 percent “fresh” rating over at Rotten Tomatoes.com.
In fact, we’re ready to go ahead and put The Hurt Locker in the pantheon of all-time bad ass military films along with Apocalypse Now, Empire of the Sun, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Glory, The Caine Mutiny, Saving Private Ryan, Patton, The Pianist, and yes, Inglourious Basterds.
The movie, which was directed by James Cameron’s ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow, tells the story of three soldiers stationed in Iraq whose job is to “dispose” of enemy ordnance – i.e. “improvised explosive devices” (roadside bombs, car bombs and even a suicide bomber). Driven by its gritty, ultra-realistic cinematography and the suspense of each new “disposal” assignment, The Hurt Locker excels where other Iraq-era movies have, pardon the pun, “bombed.”
In our opinion the movie is also aided, not hindered, by its unheralded cast.
In fact, other than a brief opening cameo by Guy Pearce and a similarly short appearance by Ralph Fiennes, the film relies on three relatively unknown actors, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, to tell its story.
Renner, however, won’t be unknown for long, though, as he provides audiences with perhaps the most intense male action performance since Russell Crowe in Gladiator ten years ago.
Bottom line?
Watch this flic …
UPDATE: The Hurt Locker won six Oscars night including best picture and best director for Bigelow.
By One Source Talent March 6, 2010 at 11:48 am
I’ve had my eye on Renner for a while. I actually liked him back when he was on the It Factor- then when Dahmer came out- I knew he had something. Glad to see he is starting to get some recognition.
By WorkingTommyC March 6, 2010 at 9:05 pm
I’ll be watching it tomorrow, then–thanks for the recommendation.
By pg 2010 March 6, 2010 at 10:31 pm
The overwhelming verdict from those who’ve REALLY served in Iraq on bomb
squads is that ‘Hurt Locker’ is —BOGUS. Check it out for yourself online. Meanwhile, clueless Red China suck-up Hollywood managed to
‘forget’ yet again to make a single picture remembering, much less commemorating, the awesome and STILL unfolding Korean War —just like
they did on the 50th anniversary —and the 40th —and the 30th
—even as millions continue to suffer and die in their ‘fave’ creditor’s
neighbor and client state.
TRUTH HURTS —AS IT SHOULD…
amen
By The Colonel March 7, 2010 at 12:37 pm
PG – I totally agree, I’m in SWA now. Not my first go around.
“Hurt Locker” is 10-15 minutes of the reality surrounded by 100 minutes of complete BS.
The liqour would have cost all of them a stripe at a minimum.
Running at night in a hoodie would have gotten the runner killed by the good guys or the bad.
A three man bomb squad traveling alone would have disappeared forever 5 minutes after leavig the FOB.
And the list goes on…
If you want a more accurate portrayal, go with Black Hawk Down.
By Kristin Mattews March 7, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Falling short in that aspect in the eyes pf knowledgable individuals. They should have at least made it more real. for you guys. Thansk for this info.
However, in my eyes it’s just outstanding and is worth the Oscars.
By Carol March 8, 2010 at 2:02 pm
It seems, since this movie made so little at the box office, and got a scanty public viewing, compared to what it cost to produce, that it shouldn’t have received an Oscar, much less an award of any kind. But, with the Hollyweird Elite Anti-War, but Pro-Abortion Mogul’s, it doesn’t surprise me that they would rate it so highly. It was more a preference of Hollywood, than actual film making reality and public acclaim.
By Liberty For Me March 14, 2010 at 7:41 pm
This movie was pretty good.But I think it shows how weak the other movies made lately are that it is the best picture….What is more sad is that people like Carol making statements that anti-war sentiment is weird.
How can any sane person be pro-war??…The movie gave a pretty good vision of how unproductive it is to invade other countries.Unless you consider killing thousands of people productive.I myself would not give the legs of any Americans son or daughter in exchange for Saddam Hussein…but that’s just me.
By Larry Kuyk March 14, 2010 at 9:50 pm
In an NPR interview broadcast before the Oscars, the director stated that she inquired of a group of these UXB (“Un-Exploded Bomb” as Winston Churchill called them) heros, why they stuffed one of their two dog tags into their boot.
This occurred during an evening “chow” (on-site, not in Hollywood) when the men were exhausted, staring into a camp fire. One soldier answered, without even looking up, “When the IUD goes off and it’s bad for us, we can always find a boot.”
This is what remains to return to the family.
This is reality, not Hollywood.
Perhaps Carol, the previous blogger, will put this into perspective.