A very, very good " Iraq war" movie. I liked it, but still the critics are pissing themselves too much it seems. The ratings for this movie are so great everywhere that my expectations were too high. I liked the fact that this film did not tried to get into politics also.

An only-American movie!!!! No one else in the world can understand that patriotic feeling, without it the movie is complete poor.

This is a very average movie - I don't understand all the hype. The story is cliched and simplistic, the acting is adequate. The actions of the protagonist are barely believable. Visually, very pretty, but really, nothing we haven't seen before. Can anyone honestly say they would look forward to watching it a second time?

A great film but you have to be in the right mood to watch it. Not worth an Oscar by any stretch. However there should be more film like this...ones where you need at least half a functioning brain to enjoy.

I'm not sure which movie the critics saw, but Hurt Locker is unskilled at just about every level.

This movie was good for the first 20 minutes of the movie suspenseful then the rest had me rumbling my lis and slouching in my chair don't see it

What's with all this military elitism in the other comments? Would you be satisfied with any portrayal of the military short of outright propaganda? This movie is not intended to be an absolutely realistic portrayal of the military. It's intended to huumanize and de-politicize the military experience, which it does brilliantly. Seriously, do you have any idea the way you're portrayed in the media? Either you get the anti-war 'death machine' portrayal or the pro-war 'ubermensch' portrayal. The characters in this movie are relateable to civilians and were put into situations where a single mistake or oversight could mean death. It strips back the pro-war and anti-war propaganda and makes you feel for the situation the soldiers have been put into. But I suppose you just wanted the military portrayed as a bunch of Rambos.… Expand

To all of you military types complaining that this movie wasn't realistic enough, it's not a documentary. It's a work of fiction. Period. The Hurt Locker isn't concerned with the nuts and bolts of making every tiny detail as 100% accurate as possible. If you want that, watch the Military Channel, or better yet go re-enlist and get shipped back over there if want an "authentic" experience. This is the first war movie in ages that paints its soldiers as real, complex people instead of cartoons or psychos, and all you can do is complain? Sheesh. Luckily, for the rest of us, this film will do just fine, because the enlightened viewer will realize that The Hurt Locker isn't about the details, but the big picture. It's a document of what a war like this means and how it affects the participants on both sides. It's neither pro-war nor anti-war, but instead just shows the ways things are without pronouncing judgment on its characters or their actions. It's also a showcase for some of the most impressive action and suspense set pieces to grace the cinema in a very long time. Hard, sharp, and honest, The Hurt Locker is one of the year's very best films. THAT'S the reality.… Expand

It was not what I would call an action movie, it was a good drama but not an action movie. The ending is sadly more true to life than you'd imagine.

I'm with RW on this one. I thought this was a dumb, empty movie and haven't found a single review that points out what I've missed other than it was some kind of adrenaline rush. "It was so real, man." What kind of ivory tower institution do you people come from? This movie is disrespectful to American soldiers and Iraqi civilians alike. It's just another lame Hollywood vision of reality that allows people to pat themselves on the back for saying absolutely nothing. I don't know. It's an empty movie with bad dialogue and ridiculous, two-dimensional characters.… Expand

Truly an immersive war movie. An eye-opener. As I was watching it I was thinking about whether this is as good as classics like "Full Metal Jacket," and it's nearly at that level.

A very good film with some memorable scenes, it is very easy to give this film a high rating however on reflection it certainly does not desrve the 10/10 that many critics have dished out so easily for this film. I would say Moon is a better film and that got a 67 (84 from users) from the critics, who I believe have been a little out of touch with reviews for 2009 films.

Watch The Messenger instead, why the critics are rating this so highly is a mystery. It doesn't even compare to Apocalypse Now and Platoon. Heck it's just awful, watch Jarhead instead.

I am a Marine combat veteran and I rate this movie as the most realistic war movie I've ever seen. It really captures the intensity and the individuality of combat and the changes it causes in all of its participants. Movies like Full Metal Jacket and Apoclypse Now and even Saving Private Ryan are cartoons - Hollywood director's fantasies of what war and conflict are. Most war movies are laden false events and dramatic devices and political "messages" but Hurt Locker embraces the realities of war and the people in them. This is a movie I'll keep for my children and grandchildren to show when they ask me what war was like.… Expand

I have completed 2 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the US ARMY. This was by far the worst movie I have ever seen. Nothing in this movie is the way things are done over there. Nobody drives around by themselves! Nobody leaves their FOB by themselves to "investigate" somebody. EOD does not even come out at night. They wait until the next day to use the robot to blow up the IED. They hardly ever, ever make "the walk" as the movie so ridiculously put it. Anyway, do not think this movie is the way it is. This movie is complete make believe!!!… Expand

This is an incredibly tense film, I was on the edge of my seat for just about all of it, and the bits I had time to slide back were moving and harrowing. I kinda felt like I was getting yanked in two directions though; one side glorifying the intense, adrenaline-packed army lifestyle, and the other demonizing war, tackling the themes of shell-shock, PTSD and sacrifice. Having said that this film is a brilliant spectacle worthy of its praise. (I think The Hurt Locker will contract Any Other Year Syndrome, in terms of the Oscars anyway... damn Avatar).… Expand

Anybody who has been over to Iraq will laugh at this movie. It's a joke. It's almost as if the creators of this movie didn't get any professional military input at all. Whats frustrating for me, as well as everybody else who has been there and done that, is that they sold this movie and advertised it as the "real deal" and how this is a good example of "what things are really like over there". There are so many innaccuracies in this movie, some downright lies, that it was hard for me to watch and take it seriously. From that viewpoint, this was absolutely the worst movie of the year. It could have been a decent movie had they not made it out to be this realistic war drama about life in Iraq.… Expand

What a BORE of a movie! Badly directed as well. AVOID

After watching this movie I thought with myself : " Did this piece of art merit winning Oscars !? " I paused for a moment , I back warded the movie to the beginning , watched it again , then I flash-forwarded to the end , and reviewed the walking of James toward hell and I answered myself : " Hell it did its job " movie begins with great atmosphere giving you the feeling that you are really in that location and it triggers the feeling of compassion with characters , you feel the rising of their Adrenalins , you feel their sweats , you feel the god-damn hot air , and so on . the story takes you to its deep and dark resolution of showing what really is life in that messy city , the city of women crying for the loss of their beloveds , children still playing soccer in the street joyful and some others selling porn movies in order to earn their livings , men watching American from their balconies and wondering " What will be the future of Baghdad ? " You simply just hold your breath in some scenes , leaping to the edge of your seat , crying just for compassion , just for realizing the truth [ I didn't cry ;-) ] ... I don't wanna spoil the story for you cause the plot is available everywhere and I'm not here to repeat those plots again and just bore you , I just want that it be clarified for you that this movie is well directed , although I didn't like the performings very much , Jeremy Renner [Staff Sergeant William James ] wasn't at his peak , he could do better . the cinematography [Barry Ackroyd] is lifelike and that's what gives you the sympathy with the characters . The writer I don't know him/her but he has done a great job.… Expand

Great Intense and Suspenseful Movie with great direction, who knew she had it in her.

Hello, I pirated this movie, and I didn't like it very much. From all of the hype, I was expecting a lot more. The rise to the climax felt loosely strung together, and there was hardly any character development at all. If you've seen the trailers, you've seen the best parts already. It also came to my attention that the director indirectly called me an idiot and wished for innocent people's children and spouses to be locked up in jail. I can't support someone with such a sick sense of morality.… Expand

What a stinker. Ironic how this retard is now suing people that pirated it, just because no one wanted to pay to see this piece of trash film. Get out of the film business PLEASE.

One of the most realistic war movies that I've ever seen.

I am so glad some of our men and women in the armed forces are speaking up about the inaccuracies in this film. I didn't like this film for other reasons, but know that I have read their comments here, I am angry, appalled and embarrassed. Bigelow didn't claim this film is realistic, but she sure seemed to try to pass it off as such, and the critics and others ate it right up. I truely am embarrassed that this film is getting the "special treatment" from critics that should know better. Sad.… Expand

Relentless, devastating and totally awesome. Not a political soapbox, but a good war movie is always a moral one. Go see it. Make everybody you know go see it. An effort this fine deserves some box office heat.

Really good film focusing on character study and interaction in extreme circumstances. Take it for what it is! Don't let Hollywood ruin it!

Clearly there are people voting here that are working for the studio because this film is not at all engaging and people that say it is good are either being payed to say so or are movie morons.

The Hurt Locker, Movie Review by BANJO52.blogspot.com The Hurt Locker: 4 (on a scale of 1 low to 4 high ) In this study of a U.S. Army bomb squad in Iraq in 2004, director Kathryn Bigelow grabs us by the throat in the first few minutes and never lets go. I find myself tempted to say this is the best war movie I