Review of The Hurt Locker (2008) by Matthew M — 07 Dec 2012

Why do I feel like I am the only person that realizes that this movie is complete drivel. Absurdly cliched characters put in completely unrealistic (but entirely predictable) situations with no semblance of character development outside of what you already know about the cookie cutter personalities from other stories.

Admittedly, the first scene is fantastically shot, but it offers little outside of cinematography. From the moment you see the robot whizzing amongst the rubble you know things aren't going to end well for a character you're supposed to "like".

Sadly, I know I'm supposed to like this character, but I just don't. Kathryn Bigelow makes it clear exactly how you are supposed to feel about the characters, but I had nothing but ambivalence throughout.

Much of the problems with this movie I feel comes from an agenda on the part of the director. Too often I found the movie telling me what I should be thinking or feeling instead of making me think or feel it organically.

In the end I did feel a bit of something: empathy for Jeremy Renner's character. Like him, I had become numb to the whole experience of the war which is being portrayed; a dull numbness to the struggles around me, not caring about anyone or anything [in the movie].