Movie Review: Surrogates

I really don't like cop dramas. I just don't. It doesn't really defame my character or make me stupid or lame in any way (well it annoys certain members of my family who really like cop dramas) but to be honest with you when I saw the trailer for Surrogates I was intrigued.

So SURROGATES!

The premise of this film is that humans have developed mind-controllable robots, allowing them to stay in their homes while controlling the robots remotely.   Car accidents, war, disease, murder---all gone. It's perfect! Wonderfully survivalable! The world is ours for the taking!

Pretty much awesome, right?

It is....UNTIL MURDER!

Someone's pissed about the integration of robots into everyday society (and I quote a scary lady with a shot gun "You're an abomination!") effectively removing the human element from the world. They start killing people via their surrogates (what what really looks like a great big taser, btw) which is a huge bummer to these people because they have been acting up something fierce (apparently surrogates are the ultimate prophylactic and/or bungee chord).

"I'm about to see dead people"

(by the way: the older brother from Home Alone pops up overweight and gross as hell. Keep an eye out.)

My opinion of this film is varied but overall good.

The casting for this film is spot on and highly enjoyable. I'm a big James Cromwell fan (ever since Babe) and he's sufficiently creepy and/or rainmanly brilliant in this film though I find it amusing that he played basically the same character in I-Robot. I also enjoy Ving Rhames as this really awesome prophet guy since a mystic crazy man with goons is probably the role he's been born to play.

The script and dialogue are flowing and engaging enough for a sci-fi action flick but at times it seems a little too preachy. I find myself telling the screen "I know we suck as a society. You don't need to keep telling me." While I realize that this film is basically expanding on the premise that as a society we are all extremely narcisstic and shallow, the running joke stops being funny about half-way through the film and it just gets depressing.

The script is also a little predictable and is a little over-the-top with the parts concerning Bruce Willis' character and his relationship with his wife. Its really hard to watch John Mclane cry and stuff.

Beyond that the film really is pretty good. I like the sci-fi aspect mixed in with cop drama.

And watching a CGI-botoxed version of Bruce Willis is immensely amusing.

Tee hee....its like his skin is plastic....oh it is...woops

ENJOY!