Synopsis: In Surrogates, FBI Agents investigate the murder of the man who created a high-tech surrogate program where people can purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves.
Release Date: September 25, 2009 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Thriller
Film Review
Production
In this world of freaky doll-like surrogates the term ‘plastics’ takes on a whole new meaning. The premise of the movie had potential going in, but it loses you within minutes. There is no suspense or real mystery. Anyone who has ever been to a movie will be able to guess who the ‘bad’ guy is that’s trying to put an end to surrogacy. Trying to actually understand how surrogacy is possible, and in such a short amount of time, is never fully explained. The explanation given is choppy and without real technological merit. The grand climactic moment at the end is anything but climactic. It comes and goes without a second thought. Falling asleep in the movie is quite possible, and being able to pick up at the moment you did fairly likely. Giving any more thought or analysis to this film is pointless. It is a science fiction thriller that lacks both the science fiction and the thrill.
Production Design
This is the future. It’s not very far into the future, only 14 years I believe, but if we are living through surrogates aka robots linked to our actual brains, then wouldn’t people not use external web cameras on their computers anymore? Would we still be driving the same cars we drive today? This film makes it appear as if the rest of technological development stopped when surrogates were created and there has been little, if any, advances in anything. This world is not futuristic in any way, shape, or form. Sure, there are fancy upright charging stations for surrogates but they just look like a pod with spidery legs encasing a body. There is no suspension of disbelief necessary to interpret this world or the possibility it exists.
Action Sequences
It is hard to even remember any sort of real action in this entire film. It is so incredibly mild you blink and its gone.
Makeup and Hairstyling
In this strange future where people never leave their homes, they are given the opportunity to create a surrogate that either looks like them or is completely different. The great part of the make-up effects employed is how surrogates are made to look flawless. It is a world of walking and talking Barbie and Ken dolls. Every face and body is stylized to the point where the faces appear to be wax-like doll replicants of the image their human counterpart wants to exist. It is especially apparent just how well the effects are when you see the actual human hooked up to their machine in the privacy of their own home. A beautiful flawless woman via her surrogate may actually be covered in acne or have facial scars from an accident. Or a man may be obese and bald but his surrogate is a strikingly young and gorgeous woman walking the streets. The idea of not knowing whom you are actually coming into contact with is astonishing in the movie and provides possibly the only really intriguing dynamic of the entire story.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Jonathan Mostow
- Producer(s): Michael FerrisJohn BrancatoBruce Willis (Agent Greer)
- Screenwriter(s): Radha Mitchell (Agent Peters)Ving Rhames (The Prophet)
- Story:
- Cast: Kevin StittBarry ZetlinOliver WoodJeff Mann
- Editor(s): April Ferry
- Cinematographer: Richard MarvinIndustrial Light & Magic (ILM)
- Production Designer(s): Synthespian Studios
- Costume Designer:
- Casting Director(s): Lidar ServicesMoving Picture Company (MPC)
- Music Score:
- Music Performed By:
- Country Of Origin: USA
