The Hurt Locker

Movie Review: The Hurt Locker (*** out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 2008

Country of Origin: USA

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty

Plot outline: Three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal squad battle insurgents and each other as they search for and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad-in order to try and make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike (IMDb).

The story (*** Story-wise, there’s not much to this--they get called to a bomb, they diffuse the bomb, they move onto the next bomb--repeat until tour of duty ends. It does feel like there’s something missing from the film--we witness the present-day camaraderie of the characters, but have very little sense of who they really are, what really motivates them.)

How the story unfolds (***)

The characters (*** The film’s main failing is a lack of real character development--but maybe that’s the point--it’s a slice of life, very specific to the time and place)

The dialogue (***)

The acting (***)

Overall rating *** out of 4 stars