Surrogates (2009) Review

Surrogates was an interesting one, although there were a *few* parts that didn't quite add up.  Overall I found the plot to be intriguing and it is something that will make people think about the "what if".

Surrogates is about a society where everyone has their own personal robot.  Basically someone invented a technology that allowed the elderly and physically disabled to control a robot body using only their mind.  They could essentially stay home while experience the world through their robots eyes.  The trouble is, this robot technology has begun to be mass produced to the point that no one leaves their houses anymore!  Everyone goes everywhere as a "surrogate" while their real human body just lays in a chair and watches.  It has become an addiction to the point that going outside without your surrogate is considered crazy.  Crime has dropped since real people never leave their home.  

Bruce Willis comes in to the story as a cop who is investigating some strange deaths.  It seems some people were fried, in their own chairs, when their surrogates were hit with some strange weapon.  This is unheard of since surrogates getting hurt has never caused their humans to get hurt before!  The point of surrogates was to avoid any of the things in the outside world that could cause a human harm, but now it seems like even using a surrogate isn't safe.  Who's doing this? and why would they want to kill innocent humans?

First of all, it's amazing what some makeup can do!  Bruce Willis the "surrogate" looks all clean cut and perfect, whereas Bruce Willis the "human" is scruffy, older, and a bit out of shape.  All of the surrogates did look perfect which is why some humans became so addicted to them.  They could go out into the world feeling like a perfect specimen, but at the same time letting themselves go at home.  They really made some of the humans look downright ugly, showing how much they gave up on personal appearances since they had a beautiful surrogate going around for them.

The movie will make you think about what you would do if offered a surrogate.  If you were told you could lie in a chair all day while you live life through the eyes of a robot, would you do it?  Five minutes into this movie, I could already say NO to that question.  Just because you can control a robot with your mind doesn't mean you can experience life in the same way.  I'm a computer addict but even I need to get my body up and out of the house once a day just to take a break!  Sure surrogates would give us less contact with diseases as well as less worry about crimes, but what kind of life is that being stuck in a house all day?

On the other end of the spectrum in this movie, there are the Dreads.  These are the people who are anti-surrogates and they have formed their own communities where surrogates are not allowed.  They live on meager means, but to them that is better than living a fake life.  I think I would be with them on this one!  I'd rather experience life in a locked down community than go out living a fake one.

The movie isn't completely action packed.  There are some action scenes but this is more sci-fi than anything else.  Bruce Willis and his partner are out to investigate the mysterious deaths of these few human beings and to determine if surrogates are now dangerous to their owners.  In the meantime, he also has a lot to learn about the whole surrogate idea and determine - is this really a good way to live?  It also brings up a whole issue of trust.  Do you really even know the person who is on the other end of that surrogate?  Just like people lie in the internet world, people lie in the surrogate world as well.

Check out Surrogates at the theater today!  It's only an hour and a half so it has a few things I was left wondering about, but overall it was very interesting.  Enjoy!