A decent film but it might not blow you away.

Rating: 7/10 (17 September 2010)

When a movie you haven't seen before wins an Oscar, there's an expectation that something great is going to unfold on the screen before you. With Hurt Locker you are presented with a solid, watchable film but you might be left wondering what all the hype was for.
Bravo Unit are tasked with making safe a number of potential bombs and explosive devices in a variety of guises and situations. Guy Pearce shows us how it should be done but then promptly exits the movie. That's big a shame as he would have been ideal as lead actor.
Enter arrogant bomb disposal expert Jeremy Renner who breaks all the rules, puts other people's lives at risk but gets the job done with a certain style.
There's an over-arcing story about how war affects different people in different ways but it's hardly anything new. The Hurt Locker contains some decent action and realistic sub-plots but again it's nothing out of the ordinary.
Perhaps Hurt Locker got so much attention because it was the best of a mediocre lot at Oscar nomination time. Do watch it, just don't expect to be blown away - literally or figuratively!