Willis returns to familiar action role in ‘Surrogates’
Much like the robotic clones that encompass the society around which it’s built, viewers will have to temporarily “unplug” their brains in order to appreciate a movie like “Surrogates.” From a broad distance, it looks like just another far-fetched installment of a futuristic dream where technology is humanity’s best friend turned enemy; and to be honest, that is pretty much all it is, but Bruce Willis is one of very few action movie stars who can bring a lot of potential to a role by simply playing it, and this film proves that to be so.
The year is 2017, and due to a recent breakthrough in technology, human beings have been living in total isolation from each other by using personal robotic “surrogates” to do all their work in the real world. They see what they see, feel what they feel, and since obesity has become the most recent tragedy of health in the common man, it’s only fitting to assume that one’s surrogate is far better looking than the flesh and bone version.
When the scientist who created the whole idea of surrogacy is found brutally murdered, it is up to Agent Greer (Willis) to enlist the services of his own replica in order to help solve the crime. It just doesn’t add up. Who did it? And how could the destruction of a surrogate cause the human controller to die when they are supposedly safe in the comfort of their own home? The answers lie within the system of surrogacy that has kept society crime-free for years, but in order to uncover the truth, Greer will have to unplug himself from the program and venture out into the world after years of hiding.
From this point forward, director Jonathan Mostow constructs “Surrogates” into a mostly routine, short-but-sweet B-rated action flick. There’s not a whole lot of originality in terms of the action sequences or special effects, but Mostow is no stranger to this type of material and he manages to hit all the right notes with a decent share of popcorn entertainment. Unfortunately, however, the suspense of the mystery unfolds more like a crossword puzzle where you enjoy the first few clues and then the rest of the answers just fall right into place.
Maybe it’s because I’m such a devoted fan of the “Die Hard” series, but anytime I hear Willis’ name in the same sentence as “action,” I can always trust that something positive is going to come of it, and when placed in a world way ahead of its time, Willis still knows how to keep the adrenaline fueled. The hardcore trash talk may have been toned down for the sake of PG-13 audiences, but Willis does his very best in every scene to ensure viewers that this wasn’t just a paycheck role.
I’ve always been a firm believer in the theory of “the book is the book and the film is the film,” but in this particular case, I feel I should at least point out the significant difference it makes when a film completely ignores the thematic elements of the book that inspired it. “The Surrogates” was a graphic novel that followed the same plot of the movie, but underneath all the fun parts, it contained a strong underlying message regarding the future of humanity and technological advancement. Mostow’s film barely scrapes the surface of that same message in 88 minutes, but never once does it attempt to dig something out of it. I’m not downgrading the film because of this fact, I’m just simply trying to let readers know that this movie is only a portion of the “Blade Runner” setup. For those of you who just want the action, that should be enough to buy a ticket, but for others who may have read the book, it could be quite a letdown.
I mentioned earlier that Mostow knows this type of atmosphere, so in retrospect, I guess you could say that “Surrogates” is kind of like “Terminator 3″ (another Mostow directed film). It’s fun to watch it for what it is, but at the same time it’s almost heartbreaking to think how much better it could (or should) be.
Grade: B-
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 25 2009. Filed under Reviews.
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