The Hurt Locker - DVD and Blu-ray Review

SUMMIT
Street: Jan. 12
Prebook: Nov. 24
> Intense, immersive action film about the U.S. bomb squad in Iraq.

Concerning the daily life and death encounters experienced by the U.S. Army bomb squad in Baghdad, The Hurt Locker is one of the year’s top films and the best yet about the conflict in Iraq. Director Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days, Point Break) reaffirms her position as the finest female action filmmaker working today with this spellbindingly intense war film, wherein the movie’s heroes (led by newly arrived stars Jeremy Renner, Brian Geraghty and Anthony Mackie, alongside seasoned vets David Morse and Guy Pearce) walk head first into danger every day by taking on the task of diffusing explosives all over the city and outlying districts. With its fine performances, outstanding camerawork (a lot of it handheld) and an intelligent, fat-free script by Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker is a heated, immersive experience that puts viewers on the frontline of a specialized, modern-day soldier, much like Oliver Stone’s Platoon did with the U.S. infantry in Vietnam.

Shelf Talk: The Hurt Locker rang up slightly less than $13 million at the domestic box office, but it should see much more action on the home front as it is sure to appear on many year-end “best of” lists and should garner a handful of Oscar nominations. We’re predicting it will be a leading first-quarter title next year.