Surrogates

My first impression from the advertisements was that this movie was an I, Robot Matrix mash-up. It even had the same filtered look. I was not really impressed by the television spots and trailers, but hey…Bruce Willis usually gets the benefit of the doubt from me, and the sci-fi subject matter intrigued me.

Surrogates are now commonplace in society.  Everyone has the ability to control a robotic version of themselves.  People never leave their houses anymore.  They live their lives through their surrogates, going to work, shopping, night clubs…all done virtually through a surrogate.

Greer isn’t particularly fond of the whole surrogate lifestyle. It’s obvious from the get go that he only uses one due to his job, but prefers to live his life as himself. His surrogate looks like him, (actually, it looks like one of his aliases from The Jackal), when most people choose to represent themselves as someone other than what they are.  He also has a bad feeling about a new murder case where a human was murdered through their surrogate. This is not suppose to happen, and before now, hasn’t. Part of the whole appeal, intent, design and function of the surrogates is that you cannot be harmed while controlling one.

To add to this, Greer and his wife, (Rosamund Pike), have become very distant. This is due to the tragic loss of their son, the effects of which leaves his wife no longer wanting to leave her room unless she’s tapped into her surrogate.

The doctor who created the surrogate technology also plays a big part in the mystery of the murder. He is played by James Cromwell, in a role not that different from his I, Robot character, (aside from some genocidal tendencies), who has seen how his invention has been exploited to everyman and how humans have become lazy, not living their human lives. Cromwell plays it well, as Cromwell does.

There is also Ving Rhames, The Prophet, who is the spiritual leader of the people living outside surrogate town. They view surrogates as abominations and believe that they should be shut down so people can live their lives as nature intended. Ving’s performance is average and could have been played by any actor. He doesn’t exactly grab you in this movie, the actor or the character.

Brazil 2: Surrogate Boogaloo

The plot is standardized cookie cutter fare, and the twists I saw coming long before they were revealed, but you know what? I didn’t care. I was enjoying just watching the movie that it didn’t matter to me, even with all the predictability. It was just an enjoyable viewing experience.

There are some good action scenes, mainly chase scenes with surrogates chasing humans and vice-versa, but with all the super ninja jumping, I wondered why they just don’t do that stuff all the time? Like jump half a block at a time to get somewhere quicker. Or instead of taking the elevator, just jump from the 5th floor to the sidewalk below. Maybe only the cops get souped up surrogates, while us laymen would have to deal with more ‘normal’ robots to control.

I think the part of the movie that really clinched it for me was the plot concerning Greer and his wife. He is trying desperately to reach out to her, to reconnect with her, to rebuild their relationship. She is reclusive and won’t leave her room unless controlling her surrogate, not even within their own house. We also see that there has been some damage to her face. Obviously, she was also in the accident that claimed her son. This facet of the film, I felt, really helped to ground it. I know that this plot ran parallel to the main theme, but it connected me more to the movie than the general surrogate theme.

Rosamund Pike and Bruce Willis

Alright, so I know that vanity isn’t the ONLY problem the wife has, but come on…if they’re living in a day and age where they can build these intricate robots that can actually transfer feeling to the human user, you’re telling me that they don’t have some amazing reconstructive surgery available? Well, maybe not, since the cars aren’t even futuristic, and why would surrogates need to drive a car anyway? Or eat?

Anyway, she’s reclusive, cut off, and disconnected not only from her husband, but from reality, living her hollow life through her surrogate, unable to cope with existing in the real world in her own flesh.

I think this movie would have been a lot more generic without the wife storyline. It helped to bring some emotion to the story, as well as connecting us to the main characters.

Summary: A good movie that borders on science fiction, which doesn’t require a whole lot of brain power, but is very enjoyable to view. Good action scenes, when they’re there, and some passable special effects, along with good performances. Bruce fans will no doubt enjoy seeing this.

Also, the word surrogate(s) was used 20 times in this post.

Author: Devon

A dude who likes movies. Well, most of them.

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