Surrogates

Some mornings, getting out of bed is a chore.

Wouldn't it be lovely if you could dispatch a doppelganger to take your place: a clone with perfectly coiffed hair and ironed clothes who could literally step out of a charging pod, under your control, and endure the rigours of the day without you lifting a finger.

In Surrogates, a futuristic action-thriller based on a graphic novel, 97% of humanity does just that because in this utopia, humans slip on virtual reality goggles and recline in special chairs in the comfort of the homes and take control of sexy alter egos.

While the user vegetates in familiar surroundings, the robotic self carries out all of the mundane tasks.

Pain, fear and most importantly crime are eradicated overnight.

The physically disadvantaged can walk again, and racism and sexism are eliminated because surrogates are ordered with the user's preferred physical characteristics.

Everyone is beautiful, on the surface at least.

Reclusive genius Dr Lionel Carter (James Cromwell), who is confined to a wheelchair, is the M.I.T.

genius responsible for this technological breakthrough.

He makes surrogates an everyday part of life, only to be unexpectedly banished from the boardroom of the company he founded, never to be seen in public again.

Some years later, Dr Carter's son is murdered, seemingly whilst connected to a surrogate.

The scientist entreats FBI Agent Greer (Bruce Willis) and his partner Jennifer Peters (Radha Mitchell) to apprehend the man responsible, Miles Strickland (Jack Noseworthy), who is in possession of an Overload Device, which literally fries the brain of a surrogate and its user.

In his pursuit of justice, Greer breaks with protocol and strays into the Dread zone, an area of the city ruled by The Prophet (Ving Rhames) and his followers who vehemently reject surrogates.

The cop's robotic doppelganger is badly damaged and Greer is forced to re-enter the real world, where the grief over his son's death is still raw and he his wife Maggie (Rosamund Pike) refuses to leave her room.

'It feels like we never spend much time together,' Greer tells his wife's surrogate.

'We see each other every day,' replies the robot.

'Surrogates,' laments the cop.

'It's better,' responds the wife dully.

As he risks life and limb to locate Strickland and the Overload Device, Greer discovers a deadly and far-reaching conspiracy involving the upper echelons of power that will test his faith in humanity to breaking point.

Surrogates is an intriguing premise, clumsily executed by director Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines).

There is half a decent film here but in 88 plodding minutes, screenwriters John Brancato and Michael Ferris barely touch upon the moral implications of a mechanised society.

Presumably, all of the characterisation and snappy dialogue, which are painfully absent on the big screen, are still on the pages of Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele's celebrated graphic novel.

Real Bruce and fake Bruce, the latter sporting flawless skin and a full crop of hair, are equally inexpressive while Mitchell and Pike appear almost entirely as their robotic alter egos, performing duties in heels and sharply tailored suits.

The 'surprising' revelations of the final chapter are glaringly obvious and poke large holes in the film's logic.

Action sequences are well orchestrated if short on thrills, including a hilarious car chase, which sees the real Greer collecting surrogates on the bonnet of his pursuit vehicle as he races after a target.

The best set piece of the entire film is saved until the denouement and the dawning of a new age of human experience.

Until then, there's predictable, generic fluff like Surrogates.

• Release Date: Friday 25 September 2009

• Certificate: 12A

• Runtime: 88mins

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