Project-Blu Surrogates, by M. Enois Duarte

Surrogates

By: M. Enois Duarte, 1.23.2010

The Movie Itself:
Sadly, 'Surrogates' falls in line with many other sci-fi films which contain an intriguing premise but fail to completely deliver on the goods. With high production value and plenty of computer-generated action, the movie is kept interesting and entertaining for those looking to merely get lost in the possibilities of the near future. But in the end, many of the script's grandiose ideas of a society dependent upon technology are regrettably, "blink-and-you-might-miss-it" glanced over in favor of a movie dependent upon technology to reach the finish line. Although based on the popular graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, this sci-fi actioner from Jonathan Mostow ('U-571', 'Terminator 3') comes equipped with a meager script and a poorly delivered narrative from the same brilliant team who gave us the always-favorite 'Catwoman (2004)'.

Be that as it may, this is not nearly as bad, and 'Surrogates', at least, actually presents a feasible concept of a future civilization using representative machines to function normal daily activities. Much like our use today of avatars when communicating electronically, people download themselves into robots called "surrogates" and go about doing their usual business, living an obviously artificial existence. The bountiful implications of just this one aspect are teeming with so many possibilities, but the narrative never stops for a moment to consider any of them. Even when questions of addiction arise, they are literally overshadowed and pushed aside for the more important element of the story, mainly, the destruction of two surrogate units which have somehow caused the deaths of their users.

FBI agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) is called in to investigate what is soon determined as the first murder in years. Apparently, the surrogate machines can withstand a tremendous amount of damage without the least bit of harm to their users. This is where the first series of questions comes in which go unanswered because, of course, guns, explosions and chases are of more value. The correlation between criminal activity and robotic technology is not an easy one to argue, so why is it that violence drops dramatically simply because human-like machines walk the streets? It's much easier to imagine a society that takes advantage of their host's super-strength and indestructibility. Even if the violence is robot-to-robot, as in one scene where soldiers control their surrogates like it were a videogame, filmmakers miss an opportunity to make a more interesting sci-fi feature.

At times, 'Surrogates' even feels much like the dysfunctional half-brother of 'I, Robot', even bringing back James Cromwell as the genius inventor of robotics whose son is one of the murder victims. Greer and his partner Jennifer Peters (Radha Mitchell) become convinced it's part of an assassination plot. They learn of a secret weapon being used to cause the murders and suspect a connection with The Prophet (Ving Rhames), the charismatic leader of a society that objects to the use of surrogacy. During one of the many chase sequences, Greer's surrogate undergoes sever physical damage and forced to unplug, performing the rest of the investigation as his true self. Creating another instance of enticing yet vain possibilities, his awakening is put to better use in revealing a rocky marriage with Rosamund Pike than the drive to solving the mystery.

In spite of its many drawbacks, this adaptation of the graphic novel remains surprisingly entertaining, and its other aspects keep it at least somewhat fascinating. Especially interesting are users who use surrogates as younger versions of themselves, like Greer and his wife, or who radically alter their image to appear like supermodels. Oliver Wood's ('Step Brothers', 'The Bourne Ultimatum') photography provides the sci-fi flick with an attractive look that differentiates between the artificiality of the surrogate society and the grittier reality of the Dread Reservation. Although the CGI action overwhelms an imaginative plot, it is, at any rate, well done and exciting to watch. If for nothing else, 'Surrogates' offers an entertaining 90 minutes of mindless action, but expect little else beyond that.
Rating: 5/10

The Presentation:
'Surrogates' arrives with a mostly good picture quality which really shows off some of the intentional photography for the filmmakers. Presented in a 2.40:1 window, the AVC-encoded transfer displays great detail and clarity from beginning to end. The finer lines in various objects are sharp and crisp for a majority of the film, but it doesn't really compare to the best releases from the studio. The color palette is warm and vibrant with particularly nice saturation levels in primaries, giving the picture a very attractive appearance. Black levels are richly rendered and profound with appreciable gradations in the highlights, giving the image some good depth. Shadow delineation is equally strong with clear visibility of random items in the darker portions of the video.

Where things become a little more interesting are the differences between the "surries" & the humans and the city versus the Dread Reservation. Scenes with surrogates show faces as very pasty and mega-smooth almost as if the result of DNR. But it's just heavy make-up application and all intentional. The human counterparts possess healthy, natural flesh tones and lifelike textures in complexions. Contrast is also a strange one as it alternates from spot-on during reservation scenes to much warmer in the city of surrogates, probably to better reflect the artificiality of everyone's existence. Whatever the case may be, it doesn't fully explain the few instances of blooming and clipping that tend to diminish sharpness and detail in some areas. Overall, the picture quality of 'Surrogates' is pretty good, but we've also seen better from Disney.
Rating: 8.4/10

As for the audio, the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack makes a much better impression than the video, but it's not at the high standards one would expect from an action thriller. Nonetheless, from the opening sequences, surround use is apparent, teasing viewers by creating an enveloping experience that's very enjoyable. Once the movie gets going, though, things quiet down significantly, and the track turns into a front-heavy mix with crisp, well-prioritized vocals, nicely-balanced separation between the channels, and a sharp, wide mid-range. Rears only become active as soon as the action picks up, displaying smooth pans and convincing directionality. During these sequences, the lossless track generates a credible soundscape of random noise and helicopters flying overhead while accompanied by some forceful and powerful low-frequency effects. Only downside is a lack of consistency, given the story takes place in a noisy city. But that's neither here nor there. The hi-rez audio option is still good, and fans are sure to enjoy.
Rating: 8.8/10

Overall Presentation: 9/10

** 9 - 10 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
Disney Home Entertainment brings this adaptation of the popular graphic novel the Blu-ray format with a puny but decent package of supplements.

Audio Commentary
A More Perfect You: The Science of 'Surrogates' (HD, 15 min)
Breaking the Frame: A Graphic Novel Comes to Life (HD, 7 min)
Music Video (HD), Breaking Benjamin performs "I Will Not Bow"
Deleted Scenes (HD, 6 min)

Rating: 5/10

Final Thoughts:
Though crippled by a script that never capitalizes on its many intriguing ideas, 'Surrogates' is still a fairly entertaining and sleek-looking sci-fi thriller. For this Blu-ray edition of the movie, Disney equips it with a very attractive A/V presentation, but a very small collection of bonus material. In the end, 'Surrogates' delivers an imaginative plot with mindless action and makes for an easy watch when the mood calls for it.
Rating: 6/10