OT - The Hurt Locker

[Mahatatain]

Sorry, dredging an old thread up from the past as I've just gotten round to watching this film!

As others have mentioned the scene with the British PMCs also struck me as a little odd. The sniper who shot several of the PMCs seemed to then cease fire for quite a long time while the US soldiers cleaned up the rounds for the Barrett. There was a significant amount of time where one or two soldiers were visible to the sniper (he had just killed Ralph Fiennes character in the same position) but he didn't fire for some reason - even having him firing and missing would have made more sense to me.

Another thing that struck me as odd was how on their own the EOD team were driving around Bagdad. Do US EOD teams actually drive around on their own? Three men in a single vehicle seemed very exposed to me so I wondered whether it was actually realistic or not!

[Sanjuro]

There was a significant amount of time where one or two soldiers were visible to the sniper (he had just killed Ralph Fiennes character in the same position) but he didn't fire for some reason

Perhaps he relocated after the successful shot?

[Cdnwolf]

Another thing that struck me as wrong was most of the IED were remote controlled and the guy holding the remote is just going to sit there and watch as the guy tries to disarm his bomb. I would be pushing the button the moment he came within 10 feet.

[pmulcahy11b]

I did watch it, finally -- but most people don't like to watch war movies and suchlike with me because I delight in pointing out the mistakes -- don't what's wrong with them -- don't they want to know the facts?

[Mahatatain]

Originally Posted by Sanjuro

Perhaps he relocated after the successful shot?

From what happened next I don't think that was the case. I was certainly sitting there thinking that one of the American soldiers was going to get shot or at least shot at but nothing happened until they'd cleaned the blood of the Barrett rounds and were able to engage the sniper again.

I might be wrong though.

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

Another thing that struck me as wrong was most of the IED were remote controlled and the guy holding the remote is just going to sit there and watch as the guy tries to disarm his bomb. I would be pushing the button the moment he came within 10 feet.

I know what you mean, though with a couple of the IED's there reasons. The very first one, where Guy Pearce's character was killed, the man with the phone was seen trying to get back to the site where he could see what was going on. My assumption was that it took him a while so he couldn't see what was happening for a while. It was odd though because he could have hung back a lot further at the boundary line the other US troops had set up and detonated it from there.

The other IED that was never detonated for some reason was the multi connected set of shells that were very neatly laid out in a pattern for the picture they used to promote the film. I think that what was going on there was that the man who was supposed to set it off bottled it and ran away.

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

I did watch it, finally -- but most people don't like to watch war movies and suchlike with me because I delight in pointing out the mistakes -- don't what's wrong with them -- don't they want to know the facts?

I'm also bad for picking holes in films - what others did you spot in this one?

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by Mahatatain

The very first one, where Guy Pearce's character was killed...

Wait, Guy gets slotted!!??

[simonmark6]

Yup, finally he pays for not being in The Sullivans.

[Targan]

The actor who plays the main character in The Hurt Locker is also the archer guy in The Avengers isn't he?

[Stackmouse]

I wish they hadn't made this one. I think EOD/IEDD business doesn't need any promoting, at least not high fantasy stuff like this. The procedures made little if any sense. I guess it is a kick ass military action movie for those who have no idea about how military in general or EOD works.

For me it sucked, the disbelief was not suspended... but then again, the EOD is my current field and I tend to view it in a bit different light than most.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Originally Posted by Targan

The actor who plays the main character in The Hurt Locker is also the archer guy in The Avengers isn't he?

Yes. Jeremy Renner, aka "Hawkeye". He also has a cameo as an SFOR guy (who later becomes Hawkeye - same character and actor) in Thor. Donno if he has one in Incredible Hulk too, but he's definitely in Thor.

He played Sgt. Doyle (a sniper) in 28 Weeks Later.