The Hurt Locker (2009) (3.5 STARS)

Directed by Kathryn Bigalow (only the 4th woman to be nominated for best director) (also the ex-wife of contending director James Cameron "Avatar")in 2009. The name Hurt Locker comes from when a dude gets blown up, he goes to "the hurt locker". And this movie is about dudes who take care of bombs...defuse them, or whatever. I went into this movie thinking it was going to be amazing. She had made some big action films in the past like Point Break in 1991 and Near Dark in 1987. She is a legitimate action director. But her movies have also gotten a lot of criticism from not action fans and critics alike. Point Break especially and also her last film K19-Widowmaker, the critics called K19-Careerbraker. However, this movie has come out and people are going nuts over it. Nominated several times...best actor, best director, best picture.

So...I watched it last week and...I didn't think it was that great. In no way does it come remotely close to Avatar. I would easily put Up In The Air above it. It's not really saying anything (except for "war is a drug" which is says in the opening credits). The characters are as flat as pancakes (the kind that doesn't need eggs or milk). I didn't like the over used and poor effect of the "shaky cam" hand held thing trying to give a documentary look. I didn't like the digital picture. It was very unappealing. Plus a sort of resented the way the camera cheated with an "omi-opti" point of view to add tension. Speaking of tension, the film had tension. It was tense, but I feel like you can film a guy walking across the street, after putting the idea he might die in your head, and it would be tense. Saying a movie about defusing bombs is tense and suspenseful is very very obvious.

My vote is that, though is it worth watching, The Hurt Locker should not win an Oscar of any sort.