The Surrogates

[Decaf]

This movie could have been taken straight out of my imagination. I'm pretty pumped for what seems to be a combination of The Matrix and I Robot with Bruce Willis, except it is far more socially relevant.

YouTube- 'The Surrogates' Trailer HD

What do you think?

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

My first impression is that the basic premise comes out of David Brin's novel Kiln People. The storyline obviously varies away from the book but the idea of sending out artificial surrogates comes from that book (or perhaps someone knows of an earlier work using that premise).

Anyway, I look forward to seeing it! Looks great.

 

[Artifice Orisit]

Robot Bad, urgh.

One day movies like this we be shunned and buried, like the old Looney Toons clips that featured racist stereotypes.

 

[Decaf]

Robot Bad, urgh.

One day movies like this we be shunned and buried, like the old Looney Toons clips that featured racist stereotypes.

But the movie isn't about artificial intelligence at all. Its about people turning to technology to remove all of the risk out of life. Yeah, they throw in some Die Hard level action for a good movie experience, but I think that concept is a fertile ground these days.

 

[Artifice Orisit]

But the movie isn't about artificial intelligence at all. Its about people turning to technology to remove all of the risk out of life.

Yeah, but I bet my left testicle that this will somehow be the root of the problem.

Could it be a love story exploring the relationship between intimacy & attachment?
NoOOOoo.

What about a war story that explores political philosophy through the eyes of the (robotic surrogate) troops in the field?
NoOOOoo.

I bet the bad guy will either be an AI or some 2D soulless corporate cliché that wants to rule the world, preferably while hurting people.

 

[Decaf]

My guess is its a sci fi story where the villain is an extreme example of what such risk isolation can do to people. Believes he's invincible and can do whatever he likes, including killing others, at no risk to himself. Now that's not proper Hollywood motivation, so you may have part of it, but I think this story has the POTENTIAL to go at a weakness of the human psyche rather than just another cliche.

 

[Artifice Orisit]

Regardless, my balls are still safe.

 

[Waterstiller]

This looks pretty good. Especially for an action movie.

 

[Android]

I've read at least 3/5ths of the graphic novel.. if I remember right it wasn't really for or against robots, transhumanism etc. It seemed to be more of a discussion about the idea of people improving themselves. I think the main anti-surrogate voice was portrayed as a mad-prophet speaking against the "blaspheme against god" that is "improving on god's creation/god's image (humans)".

 

[Ulysses]

Toyota is currently in the process of developing something very similar to the surrogates in this film: the Toyota I-Real. Despite its motorised wheelchair-like appearance, it's actually targeted at non-disabled persons. It also comes with a built-in communicator that links to other I-Reals in the vicinity and assists the driver with their socialising by allowing them to send out text-to-voice messages.

I-Real on Top Gear: YouTube- Toyota I-Real Top Gear

 

[Toon Scheur]

This movie is like the Blade Runner of the 10's. I've watched last month and like Blade Runner, it all looks so plausible. We used to walk to a tv to change the channel, then we used the remote, and nowadays, when the remote is just a mere couple of centimeters out of reach, we give up already.

I hope this couch potato behavior doesn't evolve in what we see in the Surrogate. That we all become like Stephen Hawkins by choice and let an android be our remote.

The scene that Bruce Willis's surrogate returns home and stares at the real Bruce Willis with a smirk before stepping in the recharching station is just surreal.