Director: Jonathan Mostow
Starring: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell & James Cromwell
A below average action thriller that has some interesting moments and themes but feels rather emotionless, much like the artificial humanoids with which the actual humans use in the film’s future scenario.
Another comic book adaptation, this one based on a futuristic sci-fi premise rather than superheroes, comes the big screen and feels only half-realised only touching occasionally upon the social and psychological consequences that a society living it’s lives through robotic surrogates rather than in the flesh would have upon society and is, instead, more focused upon it’s need to drive the action and plot along meaning Surrogates is emotionally lacking and feels too rushed too often to be memorable.
It is 2017. 14 years after technology was developed to allow those with disabilities the ability to live full lives by living them through artificial replicas of themselves minus disability, the technology has developed to the point where most of the human population are now able to, and do, live their lives through robotic versions of themselves, named Surrogates. Free from harm, most users rarely leave the home and instead choose to live most of their lives both work and personal, through their surrogates where they are safe from physical harm. When two people are killed when the destruction of their surrogates in an attack results in their user’s deaths at home, Agent Greer (Willis) investigates. When Greer’s own surrogate is destroyed in the pursuit of a suspect in possession the weapon that can kill surrogate and user, he continues the investigation in person, leaving his home for the first time in years and discovering a plot involving the makers of surrogates and a pro-human/anti-surrogacy group.
Despite an interesting premise, based upon a popular comic book mini-series, which explores a possible future of a society that is becoming more and more dependant on technology to assist them with their lives and also upon the development of alternate lives through avatars on online communities such as Second Life, Surrogates has much potential, some of which has already been explored recently in films such as Gamer. Unfortunately, the film adaptation of Surrogates moves along at such a quick pace, focusing on the thriller elements of its plot and driven by action sequences, the film rarely stops to offer more than a brief reflection on the deeper psychological and sociological effects that using surrogates can have. Gamer reflected upon the seedier aspects that could arrive in a society where people can live lives through others with no risk of physical harm upon themselves and it realised a society driven by violent and sexual fantasy. Surrogates does reflect upon such ideas although much more briefly but mostly chooses to reflect a society where using surrogates creates more emotional distance between people and where the usage of surrogates is driven by fears of safety, perhaps a reflection on fears of constant danger coming out in a post-9/11 society, though such deep themes are unspoken.
Performances throughout Surrogates are not particularly memorable. Bruce Willis is fine as the star though there is little to differentiate the personality of Agent Greer from that of many other detective roles with which he played before and attempts to show the effect of the emotional gulf growing between him and his wife is limited to occasional frowns and even less emotion is seen from his wife, played by Rosamund Pike, who appears throughout most of the film as her character’s robot surrogate. Radha Mitchell and Ving Rhames appear as Greer’s partner and the leader of an anti-surrogate movement respectively but neither gets any opportunity to develop their character’s personalities beyond what the plot needs of them. James Cromwell also appears as the creator of the surrogate technology, now a recruit, who at least gets to show some emotion but is again filling an under-written role.
Overall, Surrogates is a disappointing action film. Its sci-fi concepts are interesting but mostly underdeveloped, it’s plot fairly predictable and it’s characters underdeveloped. The OTT Gamer demonstrated more insight into some similar themes with more satisfying action so Surrogates feels like a wasted opportunity. Disappointing.
Rating: 2/5
