"HURT LOCKER"

[LR27]

Originally Posted by 18DWife

The Sniper scene took the cake

Totally ridiculous

You mean its unrealistic for an EOD tech to hit an insurgent on a dead run with an M107 that's not even zeroed to him??

[Abu-Shakra]

Originally Posted by Kyobanim

Well, Michael Bay uses active duty military in his movies whenever possiible. Not saying He gets it right all the time but the thought is there. In the end, it's still just a movie.

Alright, I'll give him that. I still think his movies suck though.

[Paslode]

http://movies.about.com/od/thehurtlo...emy-renner.htm

Even the actor says it isn't real world.

Jeremy Renner Talks About 'The Hurt Locker'

By Rebecca Murray, About.com Guide
"Jeremy Renner The Hurt Locker"

Jeremy Renner in 'The Hurt Locker.'
© Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment hopes to buck the trend with The Hurt Locker1, the dramatic story of an elite group of soldiers who risk their lives disarming bombs in combat situations. Serious films overall haven't done well at the box office in 2009, and films portraying anything to do with war haven't felt any love from audiences in years. But The Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner says that although this film definitely has to do with soldiers – and is based on journalist/screenwriter Mark Boal's observations made while he was embedded with an Army bomb unit in Baghdad – he views it more as an intense character study that just happens to focus on soldiers.

"This is not about the war on terror so much to me," explained Renner at the film's LA press day. "It was about an interesting job and fascinating characters to me. It could have been truly about bullfighters or bullriders or some job I'm not really familiar with, and I'd still think it's fascinating. And you throw in these characters and the whole thing and that's what it is to me."

Renner was totally unfamiliar with the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) squad before he was attached to star in The Hurt Locker, but once he got involved in the project, he met with the real men who perform this dangerous work. Although their work goes mostly unreported, this elite unit is responsible for saving the lives of countless soldiers and civilians.

Renner's character in the film, Staff Sergeant William James, takes over a unit and is viewed by his men as an unorthodox leader who disregards established safety procedures. In reality, Renner says the things his character does wouldn't happen in real life scenarios. "There was one guy that did this stuff. He would go up to 155 [artillery round] and see all this stuff and he would kick it. He'd say, 'Oh, it didn't go off. I won. Whatever.' That's how he thought, that's how he went about things. One guy though - that's not what normal EOD guys would do. Like the UN building where the car is on fire and they know there's no 155s in it, well they have a saying in the EOD - and I wish I could remember it - but, 'If you see me running, you better run faster.' If the EODs hauling ass, get the hell out of there. So they would be running the other way, unless however the President was inside that building. Otherwise forget it, run the other direction."

In order to get ready for the role, Renner also did weeks of intense physical training. But according to the actor, it was his time spent with the men who did this job that really helped inform his character.

"I only wanted to be informed about the movie we're making and have it be about EOD and not about boot camp," said Renner about his approach to tackling the character. "It was a great opportunity to sit down with these guys and pick their brain, and learn not as much about them and what they do - until you get a little bit more booze inside of them - because everything's, 'Top secret, top secret,' so I know I'm asking good questions. I'm like, 'What about those things at like Ralph's and the sensors and they open doors, why don't they just use that to set off?' They're like, 'It's top secret. We can't tell you.' Everything was top secret, so I knew I was asking good questions. So all those questions I asked when it was top secret, I asked again when they were in my apartment. Or not even just those, but just more personal questions because they're on base, they're very professional and very straightforward. But when I got a couple of the guys to hang out and just be human beings, it was really interesting and also very telling of like how they were."

"I remember we're sitting at a bar eating a burger, and this guy that I'm with is a monster of a dude. Just a linebacker-built of a guy and he's pretty nervous, and it's the middle of the day. I'm like, 'What's wrong, dude?' And he's like, 'I'm not very comfortable sitting with my back to the door.' And I'm like, 'Why?' 'I'm just thinking of an exit plan, which window I'm jumping through. I have like three exit plans already.' I'm like, 'Let's sit somewhere where you're more comfortable.' I'm sitting there having a beer, like, 'La-la-la-la-la,' but I'm noticing that he's tense. That's just telling to me of a thousand different things of what goes through his mind. That's interesting to me."

Getting into the character physically was an adjustment for Renner. As Staff Sergeant William James, Renner had to wear a special, heavy suit. "It was hell but it was... It's two things. It's informing and it was hell. It informed my character a lot," explained Renner. "Physically, I thought I was in good shape and then I'd find I was sore around the shoulders carrying the gun around. But then it just became an emotional and spiritual thing after the first week. I didn't feel sore anymore. "

It helped that Renner didn't have to stay in the suit for long periods of time while shooting The Hurt Locker. "I'd probably say about 45 minutes for the test - that was the longest I stayed in it. And then during the movie, I was in maybe 25 minutes, half hour. The helmet would come off for sure. I couldn't keep the helmet on for longer than 25 minutes because it was too hot. There's lots of parts to the suit, there's a diaper - there's all these thousands of parts - so a lot of times I wouldn't want to take the whole thing off but take the weight off of my shoulders and just wear the suspenders and the pants and the diaper. The diaper is Kevlor - the whole thing is to protect you from shrapnel. It's not really a diaper," said Renner, laughing.

[Honor2Serve]

Originally Posted by LR27

You mean its unrealistic for an EOD tech to hit an insurgent on a dead run with an M107 that's not even zeroed to him??

I also love how erratic his shooting is. He finds his offsets on the insurgents on the roof, then can't seem to use the same offsets for the insurgent out in the open but miraculously can remember them plus calculate the lead as he is running. Then dementia sets in and he forgets his offsets once again as he returns to fire on the building occupants. Someone should have let the writer know that optics have little round turrets on the top and side. God knows he had enough time to dial it in. As a side note, has anyone seen blood stop an M107 from striping a round out of a magazine?

But enough said, as most have already indicated, this is hollywood and we can't expect reality. And what percentage of the viewing populous do you think believe this is, in truth, the way it is?

-H2S

[Utah Bob]

Just got nominated for 9 count 'em NINE Oscars. Hollyweird is all a-gaga over it.
The director used to be married to James Cameron. (who also received 9 for Avatar)
I'd like to know who the tech advisors were for this film, maybe Blackwater dudes?


Amazing. 9 nominations for a great movie and 9 nominations for a stinker.

[AngelsSix]

Well reviewed by whom? NOT Soldiers.

1. The cowboy BULLSHIT that Hollywood loves to glorify. That crap would have gotten him fired or killed. From him skipping the robot to detect/defuse - to the "Let's slit up! you go left, you go right I'll go up the center - oh shit one of my guys got captured!" Moronic tactics...

2. The fact they did it (cowboy crap) with a character that was from Ranger Regiment only highlights how clueless they are. The Rangers I know are ultra disciplined. That crap would have gotten him fired from the Regiment so fast he wouldn't have known what hit him.

3. The stupid scenarios through out. SAS surrendering to US forces? Then acting like they don't know what the hell they're doing when the enemy shoots at them? Not treating casualties or evacuating the dead? The US forces with fully functional vehicle just hanging out in the kill zone for hours despite the ability to easily exfil? The list goes on...

4. The patchwork of short stories clearly cut and pasted together.

5. the first 20 minutes or so of the movie that was clearly an advertisement for the EOD Remote Robots.

6. The fact he's running around defusing bombs that clearly should have been blown in place.

7. The WAR CRIME that the COLONEL winked and smiled about ordering the death of a detainee? WTF!!!

8. The Obnoxious praise the COLONEL gave to the Cowboy, hot dog JACK-ASS for his stupidity? He should have been chewing that guys ass for the stunts he pulled that almost got his team killed...WTF!

9. Not in the mood to continue...it was crap.

Eat your popcorn - enjoy your coke - but don't tell me this was a good movie.

Originally Posted by Pete S

The sniper scene was irritating beyond all belief.

Why were they hanging out there all day again?

We have a vehicle with an M2 but we need to hide behind this hill all day scared and not doing anything.
Capri Sun is the life blood of sniper ops.

You know, I love to watch movies, but I get sick of seeing military movies that are so completely steeped in bullshit.
I'm an AF cop and I picked up on all of this crap. Why do they do this? Why not make it realistic? Oh, I forgot....because showing some guy/gal sitting in a tower or at a checkpoint for hours on end doing nothing would be BORING, but realistic, and we all know how well REALISM goes over with folks these days....

Originally Posted by Utah Bob

I'd like to know who the tech advisors were for this film, maybe Blackwater dudes?

Ouch. That was cold.

[ZonieDiver]

I suppose it's because as you QPs and other military folk are saying, that the critics looking at it have no idea what they are looking at.

Or, maybe they do...and just don't give a rat's patootie about such things. Maybe their experience with "the military" is sitting at a bar next to one of the many posers out there who proceeds to fill said critic with the "There I was..." bs they all seem to have.
Just a thought...

[Ambush Master]

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004

One thing I wonder though, from what you soldiers are saying, why doesn't the Hollywood director get some real soldiers as consultants to make it accurate?

Originally Posted by Utah Bob

I'd like to know who the tech advisors were for this film, maybe Blackwater dudes?

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

Maybe their experience with "the military" is sitting at a bar next to one of the many posers out there who proceeds to fill said critic with the "There I was..." bs they all seem to have.
Just a thought...

My point Exactly!!! Haven't we outed at least 2-3 posers that were "Consulting Hollyweird"?!?!?! That's just little ole PS.com!! There must be dozens and dozens of these posers out there in Hollyweird!!

Take care.
Martin

[Abu-Shakra]

Originally Posted by Utah Bob

Just got nominated for 9 count 'em NINE Oscars. Hollyweird is all a-gaga over it.
The director used to be married to James Cameron. (who also received 9 for Avatar)
I'd like to know who the tech advisors were for this film, maybe Blackwater dudes?


Amazing. 9 nominations for a great movie and 9 nominations for a stinker.

The Acadamy Awards have been pretty off the past few years. Look at "Crash" and "Slumdog Millionaire". Not even the best movies that year but they were definitely the two "feel good" movies.

[99meters]

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004

Don't know what awards "Crash" won, but I thought it was a good film in terms of pointing out that just because a person of one race might have a hateful moment towards a person of another race, does not mean that that person is a racist.

Or, not because a person of one race does something nice for a person of another race means that person is not a racist.

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004

I suppose it's because as you QPs and other military folk are saying, that the critics looking at it have no idea what they are looking at.

Hollywood, (actors, producers, directors, critics), all know the truth, however truth doesn't sell, it's not entertaining enough. These are businesses and business need to make a profit.

The irony is, if they did make a realistic movie, it would sell more.

[jatx]

Hmm, well, one of the guys who was there is on this site - maybe he'll answer you...

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004

One reason I ask is because I read in Michael Durant's In the Company of Heroes, he says that the Delta soldiers were very cocky.

Having known a few pilots and many from CAG, all I can say is, some would say the same thing about pilots of the 160th. The truth is, all are a bit cocky, but in a cool curtain kinda a way, not over bearing, but confident.

Not all pilots of the 160th are the same, nor are the D-boys. Everyone comes from a different place.

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004

"The Little bird pilots thought they were hot shit."

They'd have to be, very exposed, no armor, very vulnerable.