The tension has never been higher in Kathryn Bigelow’s 2009 film “The Hurt Locker”. The film’s story follows a US Bomb Disposal team deployed during the Iraq War. Bigelow’s creation that war is not just tough but a drug, and once you get a taste you’ll come crawling back for more is quite evident in this movie.The opening starts with a quote from war correspondent and journalist Chris Hedges: “The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug.”

The story takes place during the middle of the Iraq war, Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) has recently been assigned to a US Bomb Disposal team that lost its last bomb disposal technician in the first 15 minutes of the movie. Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraphty) struggle to follow under their new team leaders reckless lone wolf style of work. Back at base, James meets a young Iraqi boy by the name “Beckham” throughout the movie he would become a common character that would show up at base trying to Sell james DVDs. Ultimately James becomes friends with the young boy. Sanborn talks to Eldridge about “accidentally” killing James when they are defusing a bomb. On their way back to camp the run across what appears to be four Iraqi men with their faces covered standing next to a truck. After tension ensues the four men are revealed to be british mercenary contractors holding two Iraqi’s most wanted. After a firefight with some attackers most of the mercenaries are dead. The team goes on a raid and James believes he finds Beckham dead but ultimately learns that it was just another boy. After james tries to go and find the insurgents on his own he returns to find Beckham looking for him at the base. On their last two days of deployment the team is called in for one final mission where they find a civilian man that has a vest filled with explosives. James after inspecting the vest as the tension climaxes he realizes he cannot defuse the bomb in time and evacuates to a safe distance as the man explodes. Sanborn cannot cope anymore and says he wants to go home and have a family. When James goes home he meets with his wife and child but finds his civilian life boring and the film ends with him starting another year long tour with Delta Company.

This movie kept my heart beating from beginning to end. The dirtiness and grit of war creates a numbingness in the movie. Bigelow’s ability to build tension is quite astounding. This is one of my favorite movies solely due to the horrendous but somehow believable events that the team dealt with kept me invested throughout the movie. The Hurt Locker does romanticize the war but it also shows how war is a drug. Just as a viewer from the outside there is a part of me that wants them all to go back. My only problem about the movie was that it appeared fake at at times. A lot of the movie seems as though the team is up against the world with no one to help them. This is hard to believe and sometimes would take me out of the experience and perhaps it was just the way it was edited, but it felt like all of this was happening in a matter of days. Not over the course of a full tour.

I agree the movie seems at times to be inaccurate with the real life Iraq war, but this is not to say it is a bad movie. If you like war movies or are just in for a suspenseful thriller with heart pounding scenes this is a fantastic movie for you. I would definitely recommend this movie and will most likely watch this movie a couple more times.

this movie portrated g.i.'s as vomiting drunk jocks. offensive to the intellect and to (at least many) veterans.. I took my senior father, a veteran to see it, both he and i having strong intellectual backgrounds also. it missed the mark as a realistic film, or even as an action film, and definitely as some type of intellectual effort. It was totally self-infatuated irrelevant and gloried in the likes of high school drunks, macho and vomiting, being the front line of horrid war, leaving zero validation for the soldiers and zero validation for what is considered a serious, and i guess film noir, movie these days. i hated it, and my veteran father hated it. i really wish i would have not gone and seen it, and really sad i took my Dad to see it.

She told an amazing story. You can tell she did some great research on the EOD and what they do. This made my Top 10 best war movies.

Why does anyone come up a movie as such… So bad

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is largely just a series of tired Hollywood cliches masquerading as deep commentary on the war in Iraq. It bears little to no resemblance to reality.

Worst Military movie ever made!!!!!!!!

Zero stars- If misinformation was the intent, then I will change to 5 stars. Civilians are ignorant enough to military life without some blowhards from Jollyhood disgracing units in combat zones. This is an award winning piece of trash that has no credibility, no discipline, and seems almost intent on disgracing American Service Members and making a mockery out of their roles in the Armed Forces. Rated R For Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!

This is the worst military film ever made… I cannot believe the accolades heaped by those who have no concept of what it’s truly like.

Great movie gotta love it!

I like this movie 1000x better than American sniper

The worst military movie I've seen in a long time. Nothing realistic about it.

Picture quality is blurry.Not HD. Forward any other reviews of movies not hd quality.

I was twice deployed to Iraq and once to Kuwait, this movie ruined watching any hollywood depiction of anything in that part of the world foe me.

Everyone who received an award for the making of this movie should give it back, and those who voted it the best needs to beat their face till I get tired.

This movie was awesome. Most of the one star reviews are from active duty or retired service men and women because of inaccuracies and embellishments. They need to keep in mind that this is a Hollywood action movie and not a documentary about war. There will be inaccuracies but it's a movie for entertainment purposes. Relax and enjoy.

I loved this film and thought it was one of the best films released that year. Lots of vets are saying that it doesn't depict what goes on over there and it isn't accurate.

As someone who doesn't serve, I'm sure they're right. The film wasn't intended to be portrayed as real, that was just how it was marketed to attract an audience to see a film taken place in an unpopular war (during an unpopular time to put out a war film about said war).

The lead character is addicted to what he does, will sacrifice his comrades, leave his family behind and do insane things to feel his rush. It makes him feel a certain way and it was depicted beautifully at the films final scene.

This was not meant to be literal, and I think taking it that way will ruin the film for anyone (as will any film for that matter).

*spoiler alert. When Sargent James gives Sandborne water during the sniper scene and didn't take any for himself, it's because the drug (the war) is what he needs to sustain his life. He doesn't need what "normal" people need.

That's how addicts are. They don't care at the moment and will go without food or water and will put others in danger and will not care for their welfare. It's all about the fix. That's his water. That was what the film is ultimately about.

I think this was missed by many people. Watch it through this lens and you'll be surprised how much you'll see that wasn't seen before.

Excellent film and worth the nominations and wins.

This was an outstanding movie, to say the least. If you have time to watch this and have not already done so then please do, you won't regret it!

There havn't been many great Iraq or Afghanistan war movies made. This movie could of been better but it isn't terrible like everyone says it is. The price is right for this movie, I'm glad I paid $8 rather than $15 because it ain't worth that much at all. Jeremy Renner is the only reason I bought this movie... It could of been done way better but it isn't the worst.

I don't think this guy was a hero he jeopardized his life and his crews life. I hope this is not how these men actually behave. As far as a movie it was for sure exciting enough if you can stand the characters

I'm a veteran and this movie is terrible.

I thought this movie was extremely good. I have seen in many times and I enjoy it very much. I’ve seen a lot of other reviews by veterans and I just have to say, your entitled to your own opinions, But this movie as a whole was fantastic.

With all due respect to Army EOD, this was one of the best war movies I ever saw. As a veteran myself, I felt it captured the slightly off kilter side of combat perfectly. If your a veteran and you found this movie as enjoyable as I did - consider agreeing. I can’t believe “terrible movie’ got the 932 helpful reviews. This movie won best picture for a reason. I’d like to see more like it. Out. . .

Finally saw this movie (way too late) and it blew me away. Must see.

Unrealistic filth.

This movie seemed kind of insulting to our people in uniform, but it had a dragged out story to it that just seemed to lose you if you weren't paying attention to it from the start.

Seriously!? Was this really the movie that beat out AVATAR! I'm mostly disappointed that I sat through it.

This Has Great Story + Timeline Placed Brilliantly Movie Was Good Recommended to all

Why would he kick a car that is believed to have enough explosives to clear a block? My neighbor was eod and said that the movie was garbage. This is the same war movie that I've seen one hundred times, just a different cast and setting.

if you want to rent this film and watch on your television, make sure to rent it on your apple tv and NOT your computer. once rented, the film cannot be watched using airplay or even directly plugged into your HD tv.

Courage is one thing, but blatant disregard for the perils of war is another. No person in their right mind would act like James and live for a day.

Towards the end of the movie Sanborn tells James he is now ready to have a son of his own, whereas in the beginning of the movie he was not ready. This is the lesson Sanborn learned from watching James' insane behavior? Like fishing for explosives by pulling on their ignition wires? This inspired him to take some risks of his own and he is now ready to father a child? Give me a break.

It is a very good movie, with some very good scenes. But I truly cannot see why it is so "great".

Great movie but I just bought it at Wal-Mart for $7.88 in Blue-ray and it had the digital download. Couldn't pass it up. I can watch it at home or on the go.

This movie is a lame addition to the war drama grenre. It inaccurately portrays the US Army EOD teams as lame, reckless, and thirsty for action. An EOD tech would definitely not risk the lives of his other team members or completely ignore the high risk involved in saving thousands of lives from IEDS. Disarming bombs and engaging in combat is a serious business that someone should care about. It is not exciting and thrilling to do stupid things in the middle of a bomb-disposal operation, especially if great risks are involved. The movie clearly portrays soldiers in general as weak, wild, "cowboy"-like men. If you want realistic portrayals of war, try Black Hawk Down, and Saving Private Ryan.

Ever since this movie came out, when you really really screw up they call you "Hurt Locker". The scene with the cereal in the grocery store was pretty accurate... Everything elses, not so much. I gave it the second star for the cereal becauses that scene was awesome.

I loved Kathryn Bigelow's recent film, Zero Dark Thirty and thought the supposed torture controversy was completely ridiculous and unfounded. However, I was unimpressed with The Hurt Locker. I've never been in the service so I can't speak for the "unrealistic" argument that many veterans have complained about. I simply did not like the film because it seemed to have no plot or storyline. It simply played as bomb scene, explosion, soldiers talk about something unrelated, bomb scene, explosion, soldiers talk about something unrelated, bomb scene, explosion, soldiers talk about something unrelated, repeat, repeat, repeat, end film. This was just another example of the Academy giving an Oscar to the right artist for the wrong piece of work.

Great acting! Although me and some Army buddies went to see it and my roommate had a complete melt down during it I was impressed.

the movie is boring and doesn't get anywhere. waste of time

I can't fathom how this movie has been so successful. I was an MP in the Marine Corps and I deployed to Iraq, this what I did EOD Security, we provided security for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal men who disarmed IEDs, after dozens of missions let me be the one to tell you that this movie is by far not even close to accurate of what it is really like. This is some straight up Hollywood bull crap, so if you want to enjoy this as pure Hollywood Fiction than go right ahead but do not for one second think this movie is even 1% accurate to the real thing.

This is by far one of the most awful, and boring movies I've ever seen. I don't understand how it gets such great reviews.

Great movie, full of real time war action. Depicts what life for our soldiers is really like over there. I had PTSD, brought back many many bad memories and flashbacks but also brought back some good...

My brother and I went and saw this movie in the theatre, after hearing so many good things about it, and how it was a realistic portrayal of the Iraqi war. While we rarely share the same opinion on movies, we actually exited the viewing of this one in full agreement. This movie isn't any good, and it isn't the least bit realistic. (Well, maybe it's 'realistic' to self-aggrandizing Hollywood types.) Neither my brother or I are even military veterans! And yet so many parts of this are so absurdly and obviously fake. Every few minutes we found ourselves rolling our eyes, or snickering behind our hands. It's like the writers and director did no research, and simply felt that accurate costumes and sets was good enough.

The fact that this has gotten such rave reviews is insulting to those that have actually served and further shows just how out of touch Hollywood is with reality.

Pretty much as I imagine it would be (and probably is) like. Death or pain around any corner any time. Apparently not enough bangs for the buck for some. Maybe they should stick to battleship or transfomers and stay away from stuff with scripts and a story.

I have never served in the military, and I still found this movie to be lame. Doesn't really go anywhere, nothing interesting, just a a waste of 2 hrs.

For me this movie is boring. I am about halfway thru and bored. The characters are dull, the action is tepid. Dull. Definetly no more than a 3.

The most overrated "war"movie ever made. Hollywood liberals want to have it both ways. They condemn war to ease their conscience and glorify it because they know the war in Iraq ,and really all the wars in the Middle East are fought for Oil and Jewish interests. The war in Iraq was nothing short of a crime against all humanity. This director's new movie condones and praises torture. Yes, let's kill and torture and we will have never ending occupation and wars..boycott this movie!

I think this movie could be insulting to EOD tech and the soldiers that have served and are serving our country. It makes them seem incompetent and illogical when they receive some of the best training in the service, but I think as far as a movie goes, it was exciting.

Was listed as on sale 99 cents rented and it was 4.99$ contacting apple about this.

This was an exceptional movie! I've been in Iraq for 1.5 yrs and this movie is what it's like in real time. Constant bombs.. Even on the side of the road. This is a must see movie.. Not recommended for those with PTSD.

Thumbs down for this one...

Don't waste your time on this one. There is not story line, it is the same thing over and over for an hour and a half, someone finds a bomb, they dispose of it, over and over, not much else. There was just nothing here, some good explosions, and one half decent sniper scene that lasted waaaaay too long! It was a waste of money to rent, plus it took 14 hours to download, total waste of time.

That's a great way to advertise!

I do not see the hype, I am so sorry. We could not wait for it to end. No music...no plot. No character developement. Annoying camera work..zooming in and out and shaking.

Best Picture? Really? Really?!

This movie for the most part was torture, if felt like a 5 hour movie it was so boring. I rented it on demand, what a waste of money. I wonder if the people who gave this movie all the awards actually watched this crap

I have to say, that as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, and a 5 time veteran of Iraq/Afghanistan, a Gulf War vet, and Somolia vet...I have to say that yes this movie was well done for what the director wanted to accomplish. I don't know where these other guys on here served or what they did but for SOME OF US ....yes life was actually like that...maybe not to the extreme portrayed in the movie...but the emotional side of what soldiers go through in extreme situations couldn't be more dead on! Having served in a Ranger Battalion..I can tell you that things definitely are more structured than what's also portrayed but it's a movie guys that's all. We all know what goes on and doesn't go on over there. And THERE ARE mercenaries over there killing Iraqi's....for those of you who DON'T know...your just not hearing about it through your chanin of command..how would it look if mercenaries gave away their positions or what they were doing. I can tell you that they are out there...and you will never know where...what do you think BlackWater is???? If you are a soldier that served over there and you don't believe that there are other factions fighting this war...hahaha...well then the wool has been pulled over your eyes, or wait..your level of security doesn't reach that high...Over all a thumbs up for this movie! EOD...you guys still rock...without yall...there would be a lot of dead soldiers.!!! keep on rockin on!! Ranger06-OUT!

This movie was boring, horrible, one of the worst of 2009. I honestly did not want to believe my eyes when I saw that it was nominated for Oscars, let alone the fact that it actually won. It only shows how skewed the voting system is, but I digress. This movie was extremely repetitive, elongated, and the only exciting aspects were the bomb defusion scenes, which after the first three or so, I got the point and needed not another nearly identical scene. If you're into long and seemingly realistic (it really wasn't, but it feels realistic to somebody who is as ignorant as the director/writers/etc. as was I) movies that attempt to mimic reality, then I guess this one is worth a shot for you. It was somewhat well-produced for what it was, but nowhere near as deserving as the praise it got. If you're like me, and you go to the movies to enjoy yourself and fly away from reality, then this movie fails to do the job. I wanted to leave the theater when I saw it, and if it wasn't for my friend I would have done just that.

They say that truly great art has a polarizing effect...either most people absolutely love it or absolutely hate it. Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" is great art for many reasons, one of which is because it shows us an aspect of war that doesn't get explored very often in film. What might it be like for a soldier who becomes so addicted to the adrenaline of war that it becomes his only love in life? What happens when you mix this protagonist up with more level-headed soldiers who, like most currently serving in today's conflicts, just want to do their best, follow the rules, and get through one more day alive? This is the story that "The Hurt Locker" tells and does so with plenty of suspense, an outstanding performance from Jeremy Renner, and a whole bunch of incredibly masterful filmmaking. It's a rare war movie that doesn't take sides politically, doesn't preach right or wrong, just gives us a compelling glimpse into what it might be like to live in its characters' world for a while. A well-deserved best picture win for a director who has too-long been overlooked.

This movie deffinetly should not have won Best Picture. It was up agenst some really good movies and should not have won!!!! Maybe if it was more true but it is nothing like a real soldiers life. Bad movie!!!!

This got best picture AND director?! This movie was awful. Weird plot twists that didn't make sense, long drawn out scenes that didn't make sense, etc etc. I'm ok with war movies, but this seemed like some cheesy Hollywood fluff piece. Totally lame and I would definitely *not* recommend it to any friends. The lead soldier bad guy in Avatar was more believable...

I'm an EOD tech. I would be happy to ignore the inaccuracies regarding our procedures and techniques if it weren't for the idiotic and unprofessional light this film sheds us in.

What's worse is I know that the filmmakers spent a fair amount of time with EOD units while researching and yet they still chose to portray us as jackasses. This, I cannot forgive.

That said, if you lack emotional ties to the subject matter and don't care if nearly everything you're seeing is a fabrication, you'll probably enjoy it quite a bit.

dont waste your money its more of a documentary than a storyline

I bought this movie before actually watching. I was so angry and dumbfounded after the movie that I almost threw the Blu-Ray cover at my tv! I oould not believe the absolutely tall tale this "realistic" movie told. Someone said they are an Iraq vet and recommended it to other people? Get a life!!! I have spent time in both Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantry squad leader. I have worked with EOD teams in both countries. They NEVER acted with so little regard for themselves or their fellow soldiers. The level of unprofessionalism that this movie portrays and inadvertently condones is despicable. In my opinion, this movie portrays the men and women that give their lives to protect our freedom as undisciplined glory hounds. If the writer thought that this movie would be a tribute for the EOD team that he was supposedly embedded with is seriously mistaken. If you are a veteran or currently in the military, don't waste your money. This movie gives no respect to us...

Fine acting & cinematography and obviously quite a bit of money spent on location, special effects and sets; however what this movie desperately needs is a plot! The character development is extremely weak, there is ZERO flow to the story, in fact there is no story, rather a mindless and directionless collection of completely unrelated events stitched together every 5 or so minutes with a reminder of how many days the boys have until they go home. I am shocked this is being considered one of the best of 2009. I was so frustrated waiting for any semblance of a storyline to develop (and it didn't) i watched the last 20 minutes on 4x fast forward. I am so happy I rented rather than purchased this one. If you have two hours to waste, please roll the dice and take your chances. If you crave a wartime drama with a compelling story with actual character development , stick with the classics Platoon, Apocalypse Now, or Full Metal Jacket. This one will be forgotten quickly. Hollywood can do better

To all those defending this as just a movie I beg to differ. When a movie sets out to be a depiction of real life, then real life it should represent. Sure, the storyline can be as fabricated as one likes. But the pieces still have to make sense. My wife, with no military training, laughed out loud at the sniper scene. It was so poorly executed it was indeed laughable and any former military that says otherwise, well... just keep thinking you know best.

That scene pretty much ruined the movie for me, but there are plenty of other problems. EOD team is sent to investigate a suicide bombing late at night and the lead character decides to take off into the dark to find the guilty party. Ridiculous again. Even EOD guys are laughing at this one. My sister, she's former EOD and she's laughing at this. If you're going to make Avatar, than anything goes - it's obviously not trying to base it's story on reality. But this movie was and it missed reality by a wide margin.

Former military OR those with any common sense, avoid this one. Those rating it 5 stars - well, you need to get out more.

i am a vet that is now about to move onto my 4th tour of duty in the middle east with the british army and this film makes us all look like a joke and everytime that i have worked with the americans they are very good at there job and a credit to there country. this film will just make you mad it is so far fetched you could not beleive it if you tried and the worst part is that they said that this was a realistic war film. can you please write back to me and tell me what part of this was the eod do an amazing job and risk there lives everyday and this is not a credit to then.

So many inaccuracies I don't know even where to begin. The full bird Colonel that executes people in the middle of the street in front of civilians, the peltors that miraculously transmit communications without a radio (not to mention someone even using comms around a suspected device), SAS operatives that conduct themselves like bumbling idiots, EOD rolling around in the desert by themselves, loading empty shell casings into a weapon, sniping from the same position that someone got sniped from and then just laying there in the open waiting 5 minutes to reload, the enemy sniping hanging all the way out the window, 3 EOD personnel clearing an entire large complex by themselves, and the list goes on and on.....

This movie does nothing but cement the fact of how utterly clueless hollywood and film critics are of what actually goes on in the military. If they had a military consultant on this movie, they must of been a cook...

I had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing part of this movie while I was stationed in Iraq on my 2nd tour! I have worked with some EOD personnel in my time and can tell you that this movie portrays them with the upmost disrespect! I couldn't watch the whole movie as the only thing that was remotely accurate (i say that lightly) was where they filmed it. It was very insulting, and feels like they did absolutely no research for the movie at all! I am thoroughly disappointed that they portray any US Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman like that! You will never ever see EOD personnel or those that work with them say that this is even close to being a top notch film. 95% of it was inaccurate! Do not waste your money, please! Spare yourself a few hours that you will never get back!

Any Iraq veteren who enjoyed this movie is obviously some form of pogue (hateful support personnel). The plot and story line where somewhat believable, but the dialogue and acting were ridiculously off the mark. No one talks or acts like the characters in this movie, and very few take themselves that seriously. I couldn't even finish watching it, I was yelling at the television well before the halfway point. Movies like this one are the reason that people treat veterans like we are handicapped. If you want to watch an accurate depiction of modern warfare I recommend the HBO mini-series "Generation Kill". Generation Kill isn't perfect either, but at least it is within hand grenade range.

As an EOD tech, i found this movie farfetched, completly and udderly rediculous. I wish i could go back in time and get the time back. As for the people who have no military background, or experience working with EOD, go ahead and make your amazing claims that this movie is the best movie ever.

Reading all the accolades of this film in Rolling Stone and from other movie critics, I was expecting WAY much more. Sort of like a realistic, docu-like, look at a nerve shattering job to do in the kinds of wars fought in modern times. What I watched was an unbelievably boring film with lame jokes, too many face close-ups and a lot of bad acting. Remember the Twin Towers movie with Nicolas Cage? It was like that! Did I mention it was slow moving to the point of stopping at points? One reviewer said it was so tense, it made him sweat throughout. I had to fight sleep to make it all the way through. I sure wish it was what it was cracked up to be. The subject matter sure had a lot of potential! Sad to say it was boring beyond belief!

Its a good movie. Great action and really keeps your attention. Is is 100% battle accurate, no. Its a movie, gimme a break. Im a soldier as well and I can understand some things are necessary to sell in this country. A documentary of soldiers in Iraq would be extremely boring. So stop critizing the movie for not being perfect. In terms of a hollywood production, it is exactly what i've said...good.

Nothing special here folks. Just a mundane war movie. I don't see what the critics saw in this movie.

This movie is an insult to everyone who serves. It is moronic, deceptive and simply ridiculous. Go ahead and watch it so you can learn the polar opposite of what Soldiers are like today. I'm ashamed that this movie could even be made in America.

I went and saw this film in the theater and I was truly disappointed. After all the hype it was given, like Time calling it a near perfect movie, I thought for sure this was going to rock. Unfortunately the movie suffered from have to many plots. I wasn't sure if the film was about him being a bomb tech, or about him dealing with his work, or him having this bonding relationship with this Iraqi kid. It was just all over the place and then the movie comes to an abrupt end with cheesy rock music at the end. For minute I thought I was watching Rambo. Cinematography was great on it....but thats about it. Bottom line: LAME!

As a veteran of the war in Iraq I wish this movie had not been made. As with almost every other movie made about our Soldiers in recent years this movie was insulting and poorly done. I think Michael Bay was not only more positive, but also more accurate in his portrayal of Soldiers in his Transformers movies. Kathryn Bigelow got facts, doctrine, and even a lot of the emotional aspect of the Soldiers completely wrong. I can't stand how Soldiers are made out to be either cawardly idiots or emtionally unstable crazy people. The majority of our troops try to do the right thing both in uniform and with their family. And the part about the British mercenaries killing Iraqis for money was almost as stupid as when the SSG James left the compound on his own. Is it too much to ask for someone to make a movie that portrays US troops as the decent, hard-working, men and woman who deeply care about this country that they are?

It seems that this movie review has transformed into a Forum for Iraqi veterans to brag about their technical knowledge and how "the s$&@ really goes down". It's a Movie guys, nothing more. As a former Police Officer do you think I freaked out every time something like Tango and Cash came out of Hollywood? Do you know how many movies come out of Hollywood every year that are cop movies? About 80 Percent of the movies that are made are cop movies and how many of them are a total joke with regards to portraying cops? All of them. So get over it, it's a movie.

won't lie, if i didn't watch this movie with my two military buddies i probably would have thought it was a good film. The fact that my two friends were pulling their hair out and cursing in disgust throughout the whole film about how ridiculous and inaccurate the movie was kind of skewed my opinion of it. only suggestion: don't watch this movie with anyone who knows anything about the military and you might be fooled into thinking it is an accurate and honest portrayal of the life in Iraq.

In all honesty, this movie didn't really impress me. This is one of those movies that has some great effects and a pretty cool story but shouldn't be taken as anything beyond that. My own unit in Iraq watched this on our deployment and the best description we could come up for it was an "EOD fantacy". Though the plot is supposed to be based on US troops in Iraq the details are a far cry from reality. It would be a mistake for anyone to take this as anything more than a cool movie with lots of explosions and intense bombsquad action better suited to an 80's LAPD cop show than Baghdad. I think the poor reviews that actual soldiers give this movie speaks for itself- at some parts its so far fetched anyone with any real knowledge of the situation in Iraq should find it offensive to be taken seriously.

As a OIF vet I know that bomb disposal did nothing like this ever. No one rolls alone, and it was the engineers who did the hard work of finding bombs no EOD unit went looking for anything, they come and get what is reported found escorted by a personal security detachment, then go back to base end of story. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't really know. This is a slap in the face as well as every other modern war movie. And any vet who says this is a good movie must have been on the FOB the whole time. And it sickens me to think that anyone believes what happens in a movie is realistic, go deploy to a combat zone and see how real it is, see how on the edge of your seat you feel then.

I'm sorry I wasted the dough. This movie loses itself in an attempt to be raw and gritty, but ends up being little more than a word that rhymes with it. Plot lines are disjointed and pointless. The attempts at showing the monotony of camp-life were ill conceived and poorly acted. Most soldiers will be insulted by this movie and an intelligent movie goer will be left feeling let down and confounded. Character development in scant. The story is little more than what many feel the Iraq war has been, something we should have never even bothered to have anything to do with. Do yourself a favor and cut and run now. All good reviews are erroneous intel. Too bad this movie wasn't blown in place before I wasted $14.99. Pull out while you can. You don't have to be another statistic.

From viewer comments and some critics' reviews, I thought Hurt Locker might be a great movie. It is good. Exciting. The combat scenes are extraordinarily well done. But the contrast between those scenes and the rest of the film is pretty strong. And it is in the non-combat scenes where I looked for character development. It was shallow. Missing. Hurt Locker could have been a contender.

..good cinematography. Very, very unrealistic. I've done my fair share of time over there and never seen any unit like this.

Overrated. It's not a five star. And definitely not a one. Being a lifer military man I can say it can get a bit carried away, but it's a movie. To all the hardcore haters out there who say it's not realistic enough. IT'S A MOVIE. How about they make it just like real life and give away all of EOD TTP's.

Having served in both Iraq and Afghanistan I feel embarrassed that a movie so terrible is getting such great reviews. Is the public's view on war so skewed? I was not EOD, but I worked alongside them everyday, and they would laugh at this movie. Terrible.

i did 2 tours in iraq on eod teams, this is in no way how we conducted our selves. its a horrible interpretation of eod. i mean he sneaks out at night and then just walks up to the gate and everything is ok. bottom line is, dont take the movie seriously

To my fellow Marines, grunts in perticular - dont watch this movie for it will drive you insane. Rent it if you must know but be warned, the devil is in the details.

This movie doesn't even come close to telling a true EOD story. It's way over done. I have done 6 deployments in Iraq and have the background this movie talks about. Two thumbs down.

I couldnt stand this movie. As a two time Iraq veteran (getting ready for a third one)...I found there is absolutely nothing accurate in this movie. The dialogue is extremely cheezy, the action is mediocre, and the story is extremely unrealistic and makes no sense at all. Anybody who has actually walked the streets of Baghdad (or anywhere in Iraq, for that matter) and even worked with EOD will understand what I'm saying. One thing I did like about this movie was the realistic enviroment, it was filmed in nearby Jordan, and did look very similar to cities in Iraq. Another thing worth mentioning is that it isnt extremely political like most modern war movies are, and the creators did a good job in keeping their personal politics out. Other than that, as somebody who has been there and done that, it's hard to praise this movie. Worth a rent only if you're bored. Nice try, Bigelow.

Most Iraq war films are epic fails at the box office because of their brazen political agendas. While the leaders in this film are depicted as out of their minds and bloodthirsty, the lead character played by Jeremy Renner is a down to earth John Doe, a risk taker, much to the consternation of those around him. His character wants to live on his terms and if the worst happens and he's blown sky high, he wants to die on those terms. The more "name" actors such as Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes are but minor enhancements to an taut, well-paced movie. Veterans aren't crazy about it, but when you go into a movie theater, you suspend belief, not embrace the story as absolute truth. Will Kathryn Bigelow make the cut for Best Director this year? This reviewer hopes so. Every accolade that this film has earned is well-deserved, and this is a film not to be missed. While others might shun this movie because of its inaccuracies, this one makes me want to go up to every man and woman in the service and shake their hands for keeping us safe.

I watched this movie with my soldiers in Iraq. All it did was provided us with endless hours material to make fun of EOD with (worked closely with them everday). It makes me laugh that a bunch of people who know nothing about Iraq/Afganhistan claim this movie to be realistic. At first it made us mad, then we realized how unrealistic it was and it just made us laugh!

Finally, a flick spotlighting EOD! My husband is Navy EOD and we saw this with a bunch of guys from his command. The consensus afterwards was that it was a very good movie, albeit a bit creative about how they really operate. The guys who acted in it were great, especially for not being polished Hollywoood boys, and they could pass for anyone that my husband works with. The directing was awesome. The storyline was interesting and carried the movie well, I thought. I can't see how anyone who likes action/military movies wouldn't like this one.

Ok... no, this was nothing like Iraq. I saw part of this movie before most of the theater at Ft Benning walked out laughing. I'm sorry, but no one who has been to Iraq or had any real military experience could stomach this bit of comical garbage.

While this movie does bring a miniscule glimpse of awareness to the viewer of the mental stress and pressure that people go through in Iraq and other war zones, please do not think that this is a realistic depiction of what life is like over there. It is not...at all....in the smallest bit. As a Veteran I found myself completely distracted by the lack of realism to find any real value to the movie. Minus one or two scenes I found myself completely bored and unimpressed as well as lost at what was going on.

When I watch classic movies like The Godfather and Schindler’s List, I wonder if the people who viewed them back when they were released considered them classics. And if they did, how did they know it was going to go down in history as one of the greatest films ever made? It wasn’t until my viewing of The Hurt Locker that I understood. Sure, you’re never positive that it will be considered an all-time great, but you have a really good feeling about it.

Set in the year 2005, The Hurt Locker is about three members of a squad stationed in Iraq that is responsible for defusing bombs. At the beginning of the movie, the leader of the squad is killed, and a new sergeant named James is sent in to take his place. James loves the thrill of combat and putting himself into dangerous situations, sometimes at the expense of his team members. He values the adrenaline rush over anything else in the world and does something more extreme every time he is sent in to take care of a situation. As James becomes progressively addicted to the danger of his job, the more he has lapses in his judgement, which leads to consequences that he and his team will have to deal with the rest of their lives.

This is a film about the Iraq War, however, it completely stays out of politics. It raises no questions to whether the war is morally right or wrong, but focuses on the lives of the soldiers that are fighting in the Middle East and the pressures that they are under every day. It succeeds largely because of these things. It doesn’t matter why the soldiers are there, just that they get those bombs defused so that no one goes home in a body bag.

The actors all do a great job in their roles, particularly the lead, Jeremy Renner. Renner plays James very well, showing his strengths as well as his weaknesses in difficult situations. There are no A-list actors in this film (although there are several cameos from stars such as Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes), which really helps to give it a realistic feel. Some war movies didn’t reach their full potential because they incorporated big Hollywood actors in them (Saving Private Ryan, starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, and Vin Diesel), but this film utilizes great, however unknown, talent.

Like I stated earlier, this film is definitely an instant modern classic. Through its intensity, it shows the complex psychology of the characters involved and that is a very rare trait that movies about war contain. This film is definitely a contender for the Best Picture Oscar, along with several other awards. Apocalypse Now aside, no finer film has ever been made about war. But deciding whether the war is right or wrong, they’ll leave up to you.

I saw this in the theater and was on the edge of my seat through the whole movie! I loved it, can't wait to see it again!!

okay flat out this movie perfect and amazing in every single way. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was sweating adrenaline through out the movie. This movie has suspense,adrenaline, and real warfare action. What you see in that movie is probably the closest idea to what real war is you will ever get. I say buy it now.

This is just amazing, love this piece of cinema. Raw and real yet characters are well developed and are cast superbly. Hands down best film of 2009.

The Hurt Locker didn't do so well at the box office this summer, but trust me, you will be hearing about this movie a lot in the next few months. It's the best movie of the year, unrelenting, moving, and exciting. Kathryn Bigelow is a talented filmmaker and has the perfect screenplay this time from Mark Boal. The performances are not only physically demanding, but really emotionally potent. The Oscars won't dare ignore this one and neither should you. Definitely check it out.

I saw this film on a specisl prescreening and as a veteren of Iraq myself, I found it very well done. This movie is one of the best movies I have seen that shows the emotional and physical challenges that soldiers face. I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in this genre.

Sitting atop my list of "triumphs of 2009" sits this movie. This was the best film I saw in 2009, as well as one of the most intriguing ones i've seen since No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood.

The acting's superb, the scenes are drawn out and realistic, and the characters have great life.

The script is nearly flawless and on many scenes I was trying not to breathe because I was so lost in the film.

The Hurt Locker takes you away into a world of madness and risk taking as you follow a bomb squad on the streets of hostile towns. These men wake up to unexpected fates and sleep with whiplash from the day before.

Watch this movie, i recommend it to everybody who is a fan of great cinema.

I was sweating watching this movie. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and was stunned. It didn't dilly dally with opinions that 'terrorists are misjudged' or 'our government is wrong.' It went straight to the point and didn't ask questions. Our soldiers are there, and there are bad people there who do terrible things to people (never letting my kid go to the Middle East after one scene in particular).

A+++++++

This movie was fantastic in every way, particularly with the desert Brit mercenary sequence and the warehouse sequence.

Buy it now!!!!

Excellent movie loved the up front nitty gritty feel of the edge of your set viewpoint would recommend to it any adult audience especially war movie buffs or vets of OEF and OIF.