Effective action movie set in the streets if Iraq

Rating: 7/10 (2 February 2010)

The Hurt Locker is not so much a war film, but an action film, that uses the war to support it's main goal: to thrill you with tense action sequences. It does attempt to convey some message about the war in Iraq but I'm still at odds to figure out what it actually is. I doubt the average movie goer will be any more enlightened to the experiences of soldier's there, so I believe it is only partially successful as a war film. That being said, it is an excellent ride and at no point does it become dull.
Bigelow, a veteran action director, has not let us down here. The set pieces in which our protagonist attempts to disarm the many roadside explosives in Iraq are super suspenseful, leading us in multiple directions and not always letting the bomb go off. This is backed up by entertaining, perhaps not realistic, performances from Renner and Mckie. It also features a very pleasing cameo from Ralph Fiennes, who's always worth watching.
My main problem with the film is it's set pieces carry the plot more than the arc of the central character does. James disarms one bomb, goes back to base, disarms another bomb, goes back to base again and so on and so forth. Don't get me wrong, those scenes are genuinely exciting but as the film starts to roll up, I think to myself "so what?". I don't believe James goes through any sort of change from his experiences. I enjoyed the ride but was left with a rather empty feeling by the end.
So it's only an action movie? Yes, but a thoroughly competent one. I think those who expect a profound war film will be disappointed.