Hurt Locker, why the big deal??

[Sideswipe]

Someone really has to explain what the big deal is about this movie.  It was meh at best.  Most of the movie bored me to death.  The action scenes, dull.  The characters, uninteresting.  So why?  Why the big deal?  What was gritty and dramatic about it? 

[ScottotD]

I didn't think it was dull or uninteresting, so the answer to your question is... personal taste I suppose.

[Relaxing Dragon]

Yeah. I mean, I found most of the battle scenes to be tense as hell, and was really interested in the characters. Plus, it took the whole military maverick character idea and examined him to be the jackass he'd actually be.

Still, from what I've come to understand, most people who were actually over there have called the film incredibly inaccurate. And I know how you feel with a movie like this, not understanding why it gets so much love and acclaim. I'm the same way with A Serious Man (seriously, I haven't a clue why that one is perceived as well as it is).

[gojikranz]

i didnt think it was that great at all. 

i didnt dislike it but i dont think it deserves the credit its getting.

i think a lot of it might have to do with the gender of the director.  there is a big push to finally get the best director to a woman(it is a shame it hasn't occured before).  so seems everyone picked this one for the honor.

[MontyServo]

I enjoyed it, but I realized that it was probably a total load of BS while watching it.  It was good, but not great.  I think I enjoyed The Kingdom more.

Still rooting for Inglorious Basterds or Up to sneak in here and grab that Best Picture Oscar from Hurt Locker or Avatar.

[Doctor Who?]

I would smile for weeks if Up won.

[stansimpson]

Someone really has to explain what the big deal is about this movie.  It was meh at best.  Most of the movie bored me to death.  The action scenes, dull.  The characters, uninteresting.  So why?  Why the big deal?  What was gritty and dramatic about it? 

THANK you.

Avatar is at least divisive (some people love it, some people loathe it [and then some people find it ok]).  Nobody's really raving about Hurt Locker because it's good (not great).  Maybe one of the best war movies in many, many years, but that's just because it had the foresight to leave all the politics out of it (and when was the last time you saw a war movie that didn't heavy-handedly condemn the war it was portraying?).  But 9 nominations?  A technical achievement rivaling that of Avatar?  Transformers 2 was more impressive technically.  So to answer your question, I don't know.

Although if you don't find a bomb defuser being surrounded by 5 bombs (as seen on the poster) as compelling, then I don't know what to tell you.

[bettertomorrowamy]

Well it's not primarily an action movie.  It's more of a psychological exploration.  I liked it, but it can't be the best movie of the year.  Also, it was directed by a woman....not that that's a bad thing, but women generally have a different perspective on war and war movies.

[warofthebees]

I thought The Hurt Locker was one of the best, if not THE best, movie of 2009.  I was actually in Iraq, not as EOD (a bomb defuser), thank god.  The movie is incredibly realistic, especially with the "Can I shoot this guy for filiming us?" parts. 

I think the fact that it's an incredibly realistic war movie about Iraq that manages to avoid falling into the political pitfalls of "If you are against the war you hate America" or "The war is destroying America and Bush is the antichrist!" camps is what makes it so good.

That said, while I think that Avatar was a good experience, if that wins Best Picture, I will never watch the Oscars again.  I was pissed off enough that Sean Penn won Best Actor over Mickey Rourke last year.

[ScottotD]

I don't know, the Oscars to me has no more cred or stupidity than any other list of 'best movies' voted by a group of people it just gets more press. 

Someone really has to explain what the big deal is about this movie.  It was meh at best.  Most of the movie bored me to death.  The action scenes, dull.  The characters, uninteresting.  So why?  Why the big deal?  What was gritty and dramatic about it? 

THANK you

...for agreeing with my opinion?

[Sharktopus]

I would smile for weeks if Up won.

AMPAS: "Cartoons are for babies."

Me: "Avatar isn't a cartoon?"

AMPAS: "LA LA LA LA WE CAN'T HEAR YOU"

[bettertomorrowamy]

I don't know if this was mentioned, but the director of Hurt Locker is the director of Avatar's ex-husband.

[Cosmic Muse]

I didn't think it was dull or uninteresting, so the answer to your question is... personal taste I suppose.

Methinks it didn't have enough Michael Bay sized explosions and garbled, girly screaming guys running away from nondescript robots for his taste.

[stansimpson]

I don't know, the Oscars to me has no more cred or stupidity than any other list of 'best movies' voted by a group of people it just gets more press. 

Someone really has to explain what the big deal is about this movie.  It was meh at best.  Most of the movie bored me to death.  The action scenes, dull.  The characters, uninteresting.  So why?  Why the big deal?  What was gritty and dramatic about it? 

THANK you

...for agreeing with my opinion?

Well yeah, but more because I've seen the "What's the big deal?" question a dozen more times than I have about "Hurt Locker".  So basically... just knowing I'm not alone.

[Sideswipe]

I was actually in Iraq, not as EOD (a bomb defuser), thank god.  The movie is incredibly realistic, especially with the "Can I shoot this guy for filiming us?" parts. 

I was in Iraq and I didnt find it accurate at all.