The future, 98% of humans live their lives via Surrogates, androids remotely controlled by their users at home. But when the impossible happens, users being killed while plugged into their mechanical avatars, jaded FBI agent Tom Greer must step outside his front door for the first time in years to solve the case and uncover a dangerous conspiracy.
Even the harshest critics of Terminator 3 would agree that it has well executed action scenes courtesy of Jonathan Mostow. The same can be said of Surrogates starring Bruce Willis as another rebellious hero, in both his slicker robotic persona and as a familiar faced bald grizzled lawman investigating corrupt cops and duplicitous corporations. However this comic book adaptation never successfully explores its central concept to a satisfying level, with thought provoking themes left underdeveloped. As such despite the best efforts of a strong supporting cast what could have been a companion piece to the likes of Blade Runner and Minority Report is instead a routine action thriller.
Mostow's film is efficiently made but also surprisingly short, and it does feel like a more ambitious intelligent movie may have existed before possible studio intervention. Nevertheless despite this and the fact that it follows a well-worn formula Surrogates is enjoyable, mainly because the premise is so intriguing.
