Can one man reclaim the missteps of humanity? In the science fiction film “Surrogates,” based on the graphic novel, “Surrogates: Flesh and Bone,” mankind succumbs to a dependency on machinated droids to physically replace people in their day-to-day lives.
Bruce Willis plays agent Greer, an FBI official that is overly dedicated to his work. Greer becomes engrossed with the idea that humanity should rely less on their android clones and he eventually becomes insistent on accepting his more mature natural state instead of using his surrogate.
In the movie, citizens who are robot users live in one society where their droid counterparts are morally and conventionally accepted, while people who are “anti-surrogates” are confined to another society where they favor living a more organic existence.
Beginning with the creation of the androids until the film’s depiction of the present day state where the androids have completely dominated people’s lives, the droids have been slowly gaining in popularity for the masses. They become an integrated part of civilian lifestyle because of their aesthetic appeal, durability and for sheer convenience.
In “Surrogates,” man’s desire to make machines work for them is portrayed as having unexpected ramifications. The fact that these robots are built with capabilities that can overpower and exhaust any human being poses a threat when systems collide and a battle between man and machine furiously escalates, turning over into a most satisfying ending.
This film’s director, Jonathan Mostow, who has built his directorial reputation behind the success of previous films such as “Them” (2007) and “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” (2003) continues to impress with his latest work in “Surrogates.” The movie delivers a lot of action as well as eliciting a mood of introspection, which succeeds at prompting viewers to re-evaluate how much our society relies on machines. With Mostow in the works to direct the upcoming film “Swiss Family Robinson” in 2012, I am already looking forward to his future projects.
