The Hurt Locker

Watch the Trailer

Amazing. That one word sums this tour de force of a movie up. Kathryn Bigelow's masterpiece grips the viewer from start and finish delving into the psychs of the American soldier fighting in the Second Iraqi War. Before the credits a quote appears comparing 'war' to 'drugs.' The movie explains how some soldiers become addicted to the most hellish combat circumstances. Despite their need to finish their tours they somehow return to combat.

The movie starts with a group of bomb detonators dealing with a roadside IED. When Guy Pearce's character fails to stop the IED from exploding the group of detonators is introduced to SSgt. William James played by Jeremy Renner. Renner's character steals the movie easily. It is his drug addiction, the addiction to war, that drives the film.

I especially enjoyed the the way the movie progressed. It's running time is 140 minutes but because of the never ending suspense the movie seems like an easy 20 minutes.

Which leads me to my thoughts on war movies in general. A lot of war movies are made but few find a place in the viewers' hearts and minds. The Hurt Locker is the rare exception to the war movie genre. Not only does it capture the harsh truth of war it allows the viewer to explore the philosophy of war itself.

Truly epic. I expect multiple nominations for this gem.

5 out of 5 H's.

Terrible - District 9

I'm done reading movie reviews because District 9, "the movie of the summer", was absolutly terrible. When I mean terrible, I really mean unwatchable. The story takes place in South Africa where an alien spacecraft has found itself stranded for twenty years. In South African style, the government feels a need to relocate the aliens living in district 9 to a new area. The main character gets sprayed with a toxin leading him to become an alien. His teeth fall out, his fingers become alien like and he even begins to eat cat food (an alien staple).

I walked out.

I didn't even ask for my money back, I just walked out.

The story was ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. The aliens were a joke. The direction and production were average at best.

I was ashamed to even have had paid money for the ticket.

Don't see this movie.