The Hurt Locker (2008)

I had no idea what to expect with this film. It had arrived to universal critical acclaim, however it had a very mixed reception with punters many of whom said it was just boring. Having now watched it I can say I am right down the middle; it was a well made film with good performances from the three main characters and evidently well directed, but I fail to see how it merited the Best Picture Academy Award, one of six oscars that the film won.

I appreciate the suspense of some of the scenes, for example there is a long but intense sniper scene, and any film that is concerned with disarming bombs will have a few edge of seat moments. The lack of an engaging narrative however counts against it in my opinion, which is ironic considering the main story of sorts is about a guy who is slowly losing the plot. There are also far too many clichés in the film. Ultimately, the Hurt Locker was overrated. If I had not been expecting the best film of the past year I would probably have enjoyed it more, however I can think of several war films (Saving Private Ryan instantly springs to mind) which are simply far more entertaining, involving and have a more interesting story to complement the action.

One thumb up because some of the action set pieces were entertaining and well executed.