By Andrew Lyons
Staff Reporter

“The Hangover” and “Transformers” may have stolen the show in terms of box office sales, but “The Hurt Locker” was the sleeper hit of the summer. I can safely say that it is one of the most intense action movies I have ever seen. It also comes with interesting and developed characters, something you don’t usually find in most action films.
“The Hurt Locker” is the ninth and probably best film of director Kathryn Bigelow’s career. It is based on the writings of journalist Mark Boal during his stay with an American bomb squad during the Iraq war. The movie focuses on a fictitious United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team during the earlier stages of post-invasion Iraq.
When the team’s sergeant is killed by a remote detonated explosive, Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner) is called in to replace him. James’ reckless attitude and thrill-seeking behavior soon begin to wear on his squad mates. The rest of the film chronicles the squad’s daily battle to survive until the end of their rotation in Iraq.
The bomb-diffusing scenes are some of the most suspenseful moments I have experienced in a movie. You would think that scene after scene of close-ups and close calls would become monotonous, but Bigelow makes it work.
Great cinematography and editing grab you and immerse you in the suspense and stress the soldiers go through. Rottentomatoes.com, which compiles scores based on critics’ consensus, gave the film 98 out of 100 percent. To compare this to another review, “The Dark Knight” was given 95.
Famous film critic Roger Ebert gave it four out of four stars, speaking highly of the film’s level of intensity and the strength of the actors’ performances.
Despite all this critical acclaim, “The Hurt Locker” was shown in very few theatres. I could only get a show time at Baxter Avenue.
Action junkies and lovers of the war genre cannot afford to miss this thrill ride. The film is no longer in theatres and the release date for the DVD has not been announced, but it should be out soon. If you’re looking to watch one of the best American films in recent times, then look no further than “The Hurt Locker.”