MOVIE REVIEW: SURROGATES

English – (18) – 8 October 2009 – Action/Science Fiction

Distributed by: Buena Vista
Running time: 89 minutes
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Producer: David Hobberman, Todd Lieberman, Max Handelman, Elizabeth Banks
Writer: John Bracanto, Michael Ferris, Robert Venditti
Casts: Bruce willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, James Cromwell, Ving Rhames
Plot: FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves - fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles - enabling people to experience life from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers for who's real and who can you trust.

The Verdict:

Green Tea Bern says:

Science fiction thriller always sounds like a great movie to watch but it always end up short of something. The movie "Surrogates" is no exception in this matter. The robotic film in which the human use them as a replacement to walk on the real world promised an intriguing subject matter buit it did little to truly ignite the senses.

Surrogates sets in 2017 when human use the technology of artificial intelligence in their daily life. With these surrogates, human are now able to control these robots to do the things in the real world for them from the comfort of their own home. However, things turned ugly when these surrogates are killed by an anonymous killer thus also killed the users of the surrogates themselves. Realizing this is not a usual homicide, Agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) is determine to prove it all out.

Surrogates plays like a crosspath between I, Robot and The Island, two pretty fair action science fictioner. Set in the dystopian future where the technology of robots to live the alternative life becomes possible, it sets off with an interesting premise. The theme of using surrogates to replace our life sounds promising but later it dampens as only to realize that the movie has a monotonous story line. The movie does not evolve nor does it builds up any suspenses. Surrogates is just a normal thriller in the end.

The movie lost some distinctive elements when we started to compare it to the trailer. The movie not only been monotonous and rigid, it also lacking for the elements of suspense and actions as much as we anticipate for. with not enough suspenses, Surrogates relies too much on its complicating plots on the middle stinct and inviting the audience to play a guess who's who game. It is a complicated game to play after all.

The actions are also lacking, thus the intensity in the movie becomes minimal. I can only remembered only two action chases that I think worth to be a memorable moments in the movie, other than that, it gives little adrenaline.

Bruce Willis been the only name many of us known, plays only little contribution to ride the movie up. I have to say that this is just another Bruce's performances - nothing new but it is still the same persona we sees in him in every other movie - there is no Yippie Yey Kay in it. There is some display of emotions especially in the role held by Rosamund Pike, the wife of Tom Greer who wants everything to be worked off but was dampened by her weakness whom she feared had caused the marriage - but her performance somehow does not give any impact at all to the story-telling.

Effects are well-focused but embodied with less stellar senses of excitement. Furthermore, these surrogates can be easily differentiated from the normal human after all and just look for those flawless skin. In general, Surrogates has an okay-okay screenplay, monotonous story telling that gives no large purposes in the end and lacking in action pace. It could have done much better after all.

THE RATING…

STORY – 2.5 stars

CASTS – 3.0 stars

CINEMATOGRAPHY – 3.5 stars

EFFECTS – 3.5 stars

Overall – 3.0 stars

Green-Tea-O-Meter: 11.8