No Apocalypse Now, nor really Oscar material :?

Hurt Locker isn't a bad film in itself and the story of the main character is interesting, as is the menace of the bombs and the faceless duel that seems to ensue. I think that part of the film is clever.

The sets are fantastic and have a realistic gritty feel. Now I have not been to Iraq/Afghanistan myself but in my circle of friends there are 2 that have been there for tour of duty and keeping this in mind I don't think he story is far fetched as some here say. Things do and will happen in war.

The thing just is that Hurt Locker is simply o.k. and nothing more. It is certainly no Oscar material (nor would Avatar or District 9 rank anywhere close) and stands badly to comparison to the far better war movies out there like Black Hawk Down or Apocalypse now. In fact there is a scene, reasonably long showing how our main character in Hurt Locker cannot cope with normal life at home. In Apocalypse Now Martin Sheen lies on his back in a sweaty bed and thinks out loud "When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing. I hardly said a word to my wife, until I said "yes" to a divorce. When I was home after my first tour, it was worse." and it had a greater impact.

Recommended viewing for those that enjoy gritty war films but don't expect too much from it.

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Terrible!

I can't understand why this movie went down so well with critics. Frankly, i find this movie insulting. Not Bigalow's best.

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leave it in the locker...

Having read the glut of positive reviews this movie had received, I was ready for a real modern war masterpiece, perhaps a 'Platoon' or 'Full Metal Jacket' for the Iraq conflict. Unfortunately, 'The Hurt Locker' doesn't deliver on anywhere near that level. This is the weakest movie to win major honours at the Oscars I have ever seen.

First of all, although it achieves a realistic feel and atmosphere, there is little or no meaningful character development in this movie, making it nearly impossible to empathise or engage with the characters, whom it is indeed hard to differentiate from one another (strike one is the script). a particularly weak scene sees the jar head protagonists taking turns to throw drunken, macho stomach punches at each other, during which we discover, well...nothing about them at all.

Secondly, there is a distinct lack of plot; the story lurches and meanders from one bomb disposal scene to another rather similar one, which (not unlike the principal characters) are difficult to tell apart, and all of which seem to take place on the same desolate street. Don't expect a satisfying problem -twist - resolution story arc here; the film simply stops, very abruptly, mainly because it doesn't appear to have anywhere interesting to go. In fact, there is very little story whatsoever; the film plays more like a docu-drama than narrative fiction, but one which lacks strong, memorable characters.

The film does briefly liven up, during a tense sniper scene featuring Ralph Fiennes (who plays a cardboard cut-out Brit), but its a brief rally in an otherwise deeply forgettable movie.

In conclusion, 'Hurt Locker' seems to have won the Oscar for Best worthily-themed Film not featuring blue aliens; the Academy Awards, notoriously conservative and anti sci-fi, have remained true to form again. The Hurt Locker is truly a mediocre film, particlualry in terms of script, plot and chiefly characterization; daft though it was, even Inglourious Basterds would have been a worthier winner - at least you could detect a pulse in that from time to time.

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I was in a hurt locker

Well i got the blu-ray of this film after i heard all the hype. And today i read the headline that it won big at the oscars.......HOW.
This has to be the worst war film i've ever seen, the plot is thin, very thin
one of the characters is addicted to war. The others just want to go home, how original. A us soldier on his own runs through baghdad and gets back to base, yeah.
Some of the characters should be walking around in red shirts it's that obvious what's in store for them. And some scenes left me asking what was that for. Just don't waste your time or money.

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gung ho once again

average war film.
not worth a sniff of an oscar
shows british special forces /contractors as cold blooded calous amateurs which is another hollywood insult.
the films watchable but certainly not gripping