Surrogates (2009)

Director:

Jonathan Mostow

Writers (WGA):

Michael Ferris (screenplay) &
John D. Brancato (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

25 September 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

How do you save humanity when the only thing that's real is you?

Plot:

Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others’ surrogates.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Robot | Futuristic | FBI Agent | FBI

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Tom Greer
Radha Mitchell	...	Peters
Rosamund Pike	...	Maggie
Boris Kodjoe	...	Stone
James Francis Ginty	...	Canter Surrogate
James Cromwell	...	Older Canter
Ving Rhames	...	The Prophet
Jack Noseworthy	...	Strickland
Devin Ratray	...	Bobby
Michael Cudlitz	...	Colonel Brendon
Jeffrey De Serrano	...	Armando
Helena Mattsson	...	JJ
Michael Phillip	...	Uniformed Cop
Danny F Smith	...	Victim (as Danny Smith)
Brian A. Parrish	...	Hard Hat (as Brian Parrish)

Also Known As:

Vicarious (Philippines: English title) (review title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, language, sexuality and a drug-related scene.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #45570) | Ireland:12A | UK:12A | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-13 | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba) | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Norway:11 | Australia:M | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | South Africa:13V | Hong Kong:IIA | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Japan:G | Argentina:16 | Netherlands:12 | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

In the "beauty shop" where Maggie works a device can be seen for holding the "faces" of surrogates, the device is actually a Gorillapod, a flexible tripod for cameras.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Greer is talking with the colonel in charge of the surrogate soldier program, the colonel's right shoulder shows a Ranger qualification tab. This tab should actually be on his left shoulder.

Quotes:

Female Counsel: Agent Greer, we're not doctors.
Tom Greer: Honey, I don't know what you are. I mean, for all I know, you could be some big fat dude sittin' in his stem chair with his dick hanging out.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Late Show with David Letterman: (#17.14)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

HiJacker

A Nice Hybrid of High Tech Action Thriller Movies

SURROGATES presents a strong sci fi storyline that isn't so convoluted that it exhausts the viewer from mental analysis of what's going on. It also is crafted well so that unlike a number of sci fi action movies, the balance between the action and the human relationship components are in sync. This hybrid sci fi movie includes elements from I, ROBOT (2004) that introduced many of the similar robotic images, THE MATRIX (1999) that introduced the notion of virtual reality plug ins, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981) that introduced a post-modern society isolated from the rest of humanity, and FAHRENHEIT 451 (1966) that presented the dystopic future angst of a couple separated by technology. Bruce Willis continues at the top of his game in this movie bringing an even more subdued and sympathetic character to the screen. The action is compelling and strong, the technological premise of this movie is well executed, and the human/surrogate disconnect is remarkably engaging on an emotional level.