Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Surrogates (2009)

Time Out rating

Average user rating

11 reviews

Synopsis

Bruce Willis stars in this dystopian procedural thriller in which humans live their lives via surrogate robots. It's the latest from the director of 'Terminator 3: Salvation' and 'U-571'.

Movie review

From Time Out London

They’re the ultimate labour-saving device. You stay at home linked to a terminal, they go out and do your job. What’s more, you can plug into the buffed-up synthetic sexy bad self you always wanted to be. No wonder the advertisements claim it’s ‘Life…only better’. As Bruce Willis’s dogged police detective discovers in this dystopian procedural however, there just has to be a downside. His failing marriage is one thing, since he now only speaks to his estranged wife’s perenially perky surrogate (Rosamund Pike), but when he connects the killing of a party-going ‘surry’ with the death of its human master, the supposedly safe life of vicarious pleasure just got more dangerous for millions of plugged-in people.

With their too-perfect skin, and dead eyes the ‘surries’ are the stars here, chilling yet plausible incarnations of a desire to turn our entire lives into one big role-playing scenario. There’s a chuckle at our first glimpse of Willis’s hirsute robotic self, but the course of the story also highlights a residual longing for the everyday human connections this brave new world looks set to expunge. Essentially, Jonathan Mostow’s film is a terrific pop sci-fi conceit in search of a plot, and while the detective story uncovering a sinister conspiracy is a functional enough hook for sundry revelations and car chases, it’s also somewhat foursquare and predictable. The milieu though, is fascinating, the performances are adept at differentiating the human from the ‘surry’, and the jargon is inventive (the robots call us ‘meatbags’). The ideas probably have a bit more juice than the movie, but it’s still an alert piece of entertainment.

Author: Trevor Johnston

Time Out London Issue 2040: 24-30 Sept, 2009

Email Tweet Share

User reviews of this film

usman khawaja said...

Posted on Oct 23 2009 14:40 insufferrable in short -
and violetta you are spot on

Report as inappropriate
Lawfy said...

Posted on Oct 11 2009 12:00 Superb film. Surprised to see such mixed reviews. Unlike others I didn't think the premise was at all preposterous.

Report as inappropriate
violetta said...

Posted on Oct 09 2009 19:21 TruthBoy that's no excuse for spelling surrogate wrong... my main point is why are there still bars and coffee shops in town - robots don't visit Starbucks, do they?

Report as inappropriate
TRUTHTELLER said...

Posted on Oct 07 2009 17:02 What is wrong with the damn review box, it keeps jumping around while you're trying to write!
Fix it!
By the way the reviewer wrote rather a good appreciation of the movie.

Report as inappropriate
TRUTHTELLER said...

Posted on Oct 07 2009 16:58 This a very good film. If you like pop sci fi or if you like Bruce Willis you will enjoy this film.
Be patient at the beginning because although it is an entertaining movie wtih plenty of Bruce Willis style action , the film does expect you to be able to think although it demands no strain on the brain for the average moviefan.

Warning: Details follow.
It's not a storty of humanity versus the robots it's a case of humanity versus humanity.
The surragates take the strain out of modern life. While the humans stay home lying down with a device connected to their head and their brain, the surragates are taking on the stress of everyday life.
The surragates also enhance human pleasure although the pleasure appears to be enjoyed only in an intellectual way because the humans never get up to participate.
The conflict in the movie is provided by the original inventor of the surragates who realizes that this type of existence drains people of their actual human experience.
There is also a movement of people oppossed to the whole idea of the robots.
The companies making the surragates are not eager to have anyone interfere with their sales.
Someone decides to take matters into their own hands by eliminating the surragates with a special weapon. Unfortunately this destruction of the surragates also kills off some humans who are using the those partciular surragates to live their lives.
Since four of the humans killed in this way are cops, Bruce Willis investigates their deaths.
Willis is shown from the beginning as someone who is beginning to question the the use of surragates and his concern about his vanishing real experience with his wife is shown throughout the film

Report as inappropriate
rogerrabbit said...

Posted on Oct 04 2009 11:39 Poor mans I Robot ! Good idea but last few reviews say it all .

Report as inappropriate
manny said...

Posted on Oct 03 2009 17:50 Interesting idea but very bad film. Really bad. Shame Bruce signed up to this film. Shockingly bad. Do not waste your money or time seeing.

Report as inappropriate
klix said...

Posted on Oct 03 2009 16:33 In the near future Second Life becomes reality when everyome has an avatar or surrogate robot to live their life with full bio feedback of all the senses. A couple of bods die and a cop has to get real to solve the mystery - that's about it - a waste of any residual talent Willis has - don't bother.

Report as inappropriate
vicki said...

Posted on Oct 03 2009 09:40 the best film i've ever seen in my life. well worth going to see. if you like terminator or i robot, then you'll like it!

Report as inappropriate
Juliogooner said...

Posted on Sep 27 2009 20:58 Ridiculous film, save your time and money and watch paint dry instead. Stupid idea typical hollywood climax.

Report as inappropriate
K said...

Posted on Sep 25 2009 20:51 Loved minority report, matrix, and bruce generally - will deffo see!

Report as inappropriate