Off Topic Rant #1

Alright, that’s it! I’m pissed. I was hoping not to have to bring this up, but it just won’t go away. The more time passes, the more I hear about how great The Hurt Locker is. It isn’t. It really isn’t. It’s a crappy movie. I am tired of hearing about how great this thing is. It’s the emperor’s new clothes all over again. The acting is good, but that’s about it. The characters are shallow and frankly stupid. Who cares about a bunch of dogs who don’t know their place in the world?

Now, I’ve recently become quite critic of the modern US military, so I can see that I’m probably jaded. It’s not the soldier’s fault. It’s the military’s. The people who volunteer are by and large, the dregs of modern society. Addicts, drop outs and generally about as intelligent as a 14 year old. And there’s no shame inherent in that. But then the army comes along and tells them all sorts of bullshit about being the top 1% and type A and gives these people a sense of false superiority. And that’s great, on the battlefield. But when they come home, get drunk, and are challenged, they can’t handle it and get all shooty and stabby. Acting basically like their favorite dog, the pit bull.

But, I digress. The movie actually does a decent job of portraying this lost soul thing. Maybe it’s just that I am not sympathetic? But on another note, this movie still sucks. The military aspects are all so stupid. I lost count of the times that one of these soldiers did something that should have killed them. A good soldier wouldn’t waste their life like that. Or at least shouldn’t. I actually have a friend who fought in Iraq and got shot through the knee. So he knows a little more about what’s going on at the front than I do, and he saw this movie. He told me that for the most part, the soldiers are that dumb and prone to dying stupidly. So I guess I’m just mad at the situation. But despite all the holes I am putting in my own theory, I still don’t think this movie is anywhere near worthy of so many accolades. And in no way should we celebrate stupidity like this, even if it’s in the form of bravery.