War is a drug, and Staff-Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) is addicted to it.

Set in Iraq (2004), James heads an elite 3-man squad of soldiers tasked to disarm bombs in the heat of combat.  The problem is that he’s a “hot-shot” who doesn’t follow the rules.  He may get a rush from taking unnecessary chances, but his often-reckless behavior puts the lives of his teammates into jeopardy also.

James’ cavalier exterior begins to show cracks when he meets and befriends a young boy who hangs around the U.S. military compound.

CRITIQUE

I first saw The Hurt Locker when it first played in theaters last year.  Although I thought it was a good film, unlike most critics and people who had recommended it, I didn’t think it was the greatest thing since chopped liver.

However, once The Hurt Locker became the critical “front-runner” for the 2009 Best Picture Oscar, I decided to take a second look to see if I’d missed something.

Director Kathryn Bigelow’s documentary-style film does, indeed, paint a chilling picture of what life must be like for our troops in Iraq.  [The movie was, in fact, shot in Kuwait and Jordan.]

Nobody can be trusted.  Virtually any or every face in a crowd could be the face of your enemy, and one false step can send you home in a body bag.

Mark Boal, who accompanied a bomb disposal squad on several missions in Iraq, wrote the suspense-filled screenplay, and all of the roles, particularly the members of the bomb squad (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty) are played to perfection. 

The problem with The Hurt Locker and, I think, the reason why I wasn’t crazy about it the first time I saw it, is that it’s storytelling structure is a bit askew.

The movie contains one tense, often shocking, sequence after another, as the disposal squad defuses bombs and battles snipers.  Each of these extended scenes does their job, engaging viewers and keeping us on the edge of our seats.

Yet, it isn’t until well into the second half of the film that we get any real insight into these characters, and until that happens they are only “types”. 

The scenes themselves may be very suspenseful, but we are watching from a distance.  We don’t truly care about or identify with these guys until the last couple of missions.

That is what prevents this very good war movie from achieving “greatness,” like Twelve O’Clock High, Patton or Platoon.

On the other hand, I would not cry, “Foul!” if The Hurt Locker wins the Best Picture Oscar.  Frankly, 2009 was not a strong year for films.  My personal favorites were Up in the Air and Inglorius Basterds, but quality-wise, I would say we had a three-way draw.

THE VIDEO

Keeping in mind that Kathryn Bigelow has shot the film in a documentary-style, the anamorphic widescreen picture is sharp.  There are no noticeable flaws.

THE AUDIO

The Dolby Digital Surround Sound is excellent.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentary: Director Bigelow and writer Boal supply some interesting in-depth information about the making of the film.

The Hurt Locker: Behind the Scenes: Bigelow, Boal and all of the key cast members are interviewed on location for this 13-minute featurette.

An Image Gallery rounds out the bonus material.

FINAL THOUGHT

A very good war movie that just misses greatness.