Critics Consensus: Surrogates Is A Passable Thriller

Jpeffer on 09-24-2009 05:47 PM

Nothing this week looks any good. Surrogates looks ok but that's about it. Might just wait til next weekend for Zombieland and The Invention of Lying.

flapjaxxc on 09-24-2009 05:47 PM

I'd hardly call Pandorum a version of 2001.

LakersFan-BostonSucks on 09-24-2009 05:54 PM

I've been wanting to see Surrogates since i first saw the trailer a few months back but that early tomatometer scares me...Remember right before G.I. Joe came out it was at like 90%...Exactly!
Pandorum looks like a remake of Event Horizon (which I thought was underrated) except not as good (can't stand Ben Foster either).
Next week shoulda been Shutter Island but, oh well, at least basketball season starts soon.

Mr. Bo Ziffer on 09-24-2009 07:16 PM

Agreed that "Event Horizon" is a decent movie. "Pandorum" looks like that mixed with "The Descent". I'll say 38%.

"Surrogates" looks pretty awful to me. Bad editing, mediocre special effects, feeling of deja vu (and this is just from the trailer). Also, it seems like there's some kind of "creepy hair disorder" going around in Hollywood. Tom Hanks had it in "Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons", and Nic Cage has been coping with it since Ghost Rider. Now Bruce Willis? The man should just keep his head shaved; it worked twenty years ago, it'll work now.

RunAmok on 09-24-2009 06:07 PM

Pandorum 32%

Zaraki on 09-24-2009 06:12 PM

Pandorum: ~20%

AntonChigurh on 09-24-2009 06:13 PM

10%

wayne c. on 09-24-2009 06:31 PM

pandorum 28%

Jack Waters on 09-24-2009 07:44 PM

Good to see Surrogates in "Fresh" territory. Hopefully, it can stay there(doubt it).

Jack Waters on 09-24-2009 07:45 PM

Pandorum- 22%

lancerbird13 on 09-24-2009 07:57 PM

Pandorum 24%

Vendicatori Assemblare33 on 09-24-2009 07:59 PM

surrogates looks ok,but it kinda gives me a Terminator vibe

Jack Waters on 09-24-2009 08:14 PM

I disagree completely. Terminator Salvation was devoid of any interesting or thought- provoking ideas. Surrogates has a concept that inspires one to truly contemplate the reliance we have on machinery and what it is doing to our society and how far it will truly go. Plus, Bruce is THE MAN...Bale is just the batman.

Hans M. on 09-24-2009 08:10 PM

Good for Michael Moore, I say.

That said, Surrogates is one bastardized version of its comic book source. I just saw it, and I could tell there were changes to the story from the trailer, but I had no idea to the extent these Hollywood hacks would **** up the perfectly outlined story of the mini series. I don't know what they were thinking to change such key plot points as they did for the movie version (I'll spare teh spoilers, for those who want to read the book). Save yourself the money and buy the graphic novel instead. Way creepier and way more powerful as a simpler story. It's not a perfect graphic novel, but it is not the abomination that is this movie. I don't know to what extent the creator of the mini-series was invovled with this movie, but he should be mortified by the results of the Hollywood version.

Jack Waters on 09-24-2009 08:17 PM

I plan on reading the graphic novel, but I'll still see the movie(probably first). Good for Michael Moore!? Sorry, but I'll take Bruce over that hack anyday of the week as I will this weekend.

BTW, if I'm not mistaken I'm pretty sure they released a second Surrogates graphic novel that was a prequel or something. I'll read it if I enjoy the other one. I just didn't know if you had heard about it.

Hans M. on 09-25-2009 04:03 AM

My Michael Moore comment is an aside that has little to do with the actors of Surrogates, as it does the Hollywood Machine that created the greedy mentality to **** with the original story of the book via some kind of crooked-brained committee. I'll always see movies as art (yes, done by committee, but I'm talking directors, actors, writers, not producers, marketers and script doctors) and not some gimmick to sell seats and popcorn.

Indeed I've heard of the prequel to Surrogates-- same artist and writer, by the way. I might check out. Anyway, reading the graphic novel before or after won't make much difference since the story was changed so much, but some of it will be spoiled by watching the movie first. I understand graphic novels and movies are totally different mediums, so comparisons should be taken with a grain of salt as a rule, but the story was so tampered with, don't look for the guy on the cover of the graphic novel to even be in the movie.

Jack Waters on 09-25-2009 12:19 PM

"the story was so tampered with, don't look for the guy on the cover of the graphic novel to even be in the movie"

Haha. I know what you mean. That's why it's probably a better idea for me to see the film first so I'll still like it and then respect the graphic novel that much more. Sometimes graphic novels are changed for the better though. For instance, the Wanted comic series I found absolutely terrible. But, the film blew me away and was completely different.

JettaJameson on 09-24-2009 08:15 PM

Pandorum - 14%

Watching the trailer for Pandorum reminds me of the line delivered by Cameron Diaz in The Holiday. Her character is a movie trailer maker and created a trailer for a fake Lindsay Lohan/James Franco movie. "Yes! It finally looks like a hit!"

ZenFan on 09-24-2009 08:25 PM

I really thought Pandorum looked good, found it odd they didn't screen it. I'll still see it. My guess is 48%

Opening this week that I will check out next week, after expansion:
Capitalism: A Love Story
Coco Before Chanel
I hope I get to Paranormal Activity.

account on 09-24-2009 08:29 PM

I say 43%.

inactive user on 09-24-2009 09:05 PM

"I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell"...I don't get it.

Jack Waters on 09-24-2009 09:51 PM

You and me both.

Jon C. on 09-24-2009 09:06 PM

NOTHING HERE I WANT TO SEE

Coolio D. on 09-24-2009 11:53 PM

It's a very meh weekend, to say the least!
Pandorum - 24%

The Stunner on 09-25-2009 05:04 AM

Pandorum 31%

Gordon Franklin Terry Sr on 09-25-2009 08:59 AM

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
(kind of like an editor spaming out rejection notices)
---

Hey I got KILLER FISH in Spanish . . . yet with
English subtitles, YAY!

AGGUATO SUL FONDO

I'll watch KILLER FISH

The NewHampshire Database on 09-25-2009 11:02 AM

Seriously...what's wrong with you?

Psycho Manana Banana Man on 09-25-2009 11:09 AM

I think Surrogates looks quite good. I've seen one Jonathan Mostow film which was Breakdown with Kurt Russell and one thing I remember is his direction enlivening an average plot.

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