A movie-making accomplishment but more immersive than compelling.

Rating: 6/10 (5 December 2011)

"The Hurt Locker" may take the Best Movie Oscar but it will be more for being a well-made simulacrum of the murderous tension of disarming ?IEDs? in a hostile combat situation rather than for the riveting series of plot development. Following the reckless anti-hero William James, played with a convincing dead-behind-the-eyes zealotry by Jeremy Renner, into a series of bomb disarming and other combat scenarios makes initially for engrossing viewing. However, after you accept that he isn?t wildly concerned if he, or his fellow soldiers, get killed they do tend to be less riveting as the film goes on. The remainder of the plot largely deals with his unreasonable need to avenge an Iraqi street kids who he knows only briefly. All-in-all a well made film but not somewhat overrated.