Surrogates is a brilliant example of how thought provoking and fascinating science fiction can be when done right. The tale of lost humanity at the expense of technology is a thrilling, absorbing and suspenseful ride that is made all the more believable by the always dependable Bruce Willis. Combining elements and ideas from all the genre greats, including The Matrix, Total Recall and Blade Runner, the movie looks beyond the meaningless explosions and destruction that have dogged sci-fi in recent times to tell a story of substance.  This makes all the action scenes deeply rooted in character development and simply add to what is one of the genre highlights of the year.
 
The film is set in the not so distant future where humans have relegated all their daily activities to a robotic replica of themselves. Through the comfort of a person's living room individuals can indulge in the most dangerous of activities through a seemingly perfect and idealised mechanical counterpart. The human race has become a docile mass in which crime and murder have all but disappeared. The bliss is shattered as the first murder in years leads Special Agent Greer (Willis) to uncover a dark conspiracy in which billions of lives may be at stake.    
 
The great:
Science fiction works best when it’s reflecting on our current times and through allegory engaging with current moral debates. Surrogates continues this fine legacy as it grapples with issues surrounding the role of technology in our daily lives. This adds a level of depth to the movie sorely absent from our cinema screens. The film is after all supposed to be entertaining so don’t expect a dissertation on the topic but at least it poses these valuable questions.
 
The good:
Seeing Bruce Willis on screen is like coming home. Even after all these years his everyman routine works perfectly in creating a character that is very easy to sympathise with.  His true charm is that he never attempts to seem invincible and this makes the excellently staged action scenes even more captivating. Director Jonathon “Terminator 3”Mostow adds some interesting visual flare not necessarily expected in this kind of film.
 
The not so good:
Attempts at a subplot including Willis’ wife and their lost child merely distract from the story and don’t necessarily work. The focus could have gone to Radha Mitchell’s character, which is slightly underused.  
 
Overall it’s a great thrill ride that works as both a detective film and futuristic action thriller. Willis continues to be perhaps the only believable 80s action stars around and a pleasure to see. It may be too soon to tell but with movies like District 9 and Star Trek I believe we may be amidst a quality sci-fi resurgence.