The Surrogates Trailer

Bruce Willis in Another Dreaded Hairpiece Role

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (14)

You know those bland sci-fi thrillers, like The Island, that take place in futuristic utopias that are always too good to be true? Yeah. That’s what The Surrogates looks like. Set in a future where everyone lives in isolation and has their own robot double, who goes and runs all their errands and lives their lives for them while they’re hooked up to their better-looking halves via space-age plugs. A problem arises when the death of surrogates starts resulting in the deaths of the human controllers. Oh noes!

Bruce Willis to save the day! His better looking half is just like him, only he has really bad hair. I’m convinced, in fact, that Bruce Willis’ hairpieces are the opposite of Robin Williams’ beards. When he’s got one, his movie tends to suffer.

Based on the graphic novel from Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, Jonathon Mostow (U571, Terminator 3) directs. Ving Rhames co-stars. And you get to play the disinterested spectator.

Here’s the trailer:

Follow @pajiba

← Michael Moore Documentary Released in the Fall | The Most Famous Person From Your Hometown →

Comments

Well...at least it doesn't star any talentless, bottom-feeding, shit-sucking porn stars, eh? ;)

Posted by: Case at May 21, 2009 7:56 PM

Wow, taking a topic you already gotten slammed on and spreading it to a new post. Well done sir.

/sarcasm

Tha tis pretty much the perfect way to describe that trailer: bland pseudo-utopian sci-fi. Still, I may see it, if only to witness what appears to be Bruce Wills: Terminator.

Posted by: Vermillion at May 21, 2009 8:40 PM

I can't imagine people ever wanting to live through surrogates no matter how much technology progresses. Life is an experience which has to be felt and lived. Therefore to enjoy watching this you'll have to get over that notion which is pretty far fetched and ridiculous. Incidentally, if you're always at home sitting back won't you become bedridden and get all the ailments that poor bedridden fellows suffer from? There's nothing safe about this surrogates idea.

And it does look bland. I think I'll pass

Posted by: barf at May 21, 2009 8:59 PM

I can't imagine people ever wanting to live through surrogates no matter how much technology progresses. Life is an experience which has to be felt and lived.

I would totally agree with you....if not for the myriad of stories of people losing their damn minds over Second Life or WoW or Ragnarok Online. It isn't sane, true, but it is out there.

I fear this sort of thing may be more appealing than one would expect.

Posted by: Vermillion at May 21, 2009 9:19 PM

I tried Second Life for a while and I quite enjoyed it but it's still very far off than anything suggested in this movie. At best Second Life is just like a computer game or glorified chat room but with avatars, houses, bars etc. At the end of the day it's just virtual characters in a virtual world. Even if you're addicted to Second Life, it's just like any other computer related addiction. You spend 12 hours straight at it but at some point you get up to eat, go to work, get out in the real world and maybe get laid. Second Life can only be fun if you know you have the freedom of closing the window and doing other things too. What this is suggesting is virtual characters in a real world with no real people! I agree that people who like Second Life might find this appealing but the concepts although superficially similar are very different.

Posted by: barf at May 21, 2009 9:57 PM

But you see, that is just it: you were able to separate such a virtual world for the real one. But some people can't. Or, more accurately, some people don't want to. In their eyes, those avatars are a hell of a lot better than their real-world lives

So having a near-invulnerable robotic avatar that allows one to experience the world as much or as little as they want, an idealized and perfected representation of themselves that can be altered and upgraded at will? Is it really that inconceivable that people might be tempted?

I am not saying everyone would be up for it, but to say that no one would ever consider it is giving this version of 'life' a bit too much credit.

Posted by: Vermillion at May 21, 2009 11:07 PM

I played a Dread in this film, hopefully I'm not on the cutting room floor. While waiting in holding for the set to be ready for shooting I was talking to some of the other cast members about the similarities to Second Life (SL). I have 2 avi's in SL (isl) one being the primary atm. The name of my first avi is Mohan Arashi. I have to say there is a real attraction to going isl and spending time with the friends you meet there.

Even though we all have perfect hot looking avi's most of us realize there is a real living breathing human being controlling it with real feelings. That said, there are those who do not give a rats ass about that and behave badly because in the end there are no consequences to them because they can just create another account if they get booted for bad behavior.

I see Surrogates as taking the concept of SL and WoW and bringing it to real wold. Would I get a Surrogate if it was available today, mmm, not sure, not unless they can teleport (TP) like SL avi's :p Instead, I'd rather have the connection to my avi like they have for the robots in this story.

I do have one question, having been a Dread I wouldn't know, but what happens if the person controlling the robot has to go to the bathroom? Does the robot go to the bathroom too?

Posted by: Dread at May 22, 2009 12:25 AM

When the Detroit auto worker can go home, sit in his Barca lounger, pop a Schlitz and fuck Claudia Schiffer it'll make crack cocaine look like coffee.

Dennis Miller before he went nuts

Posted by: Chris K at May 22, 2009 6:55 AM

Isn't the basic weakness in this idea the fact that you're limited by the real world? The appeal of something like WoW or SL is that it's not limited by real world physics or locations. In this movie apparently you can get a surrogate that's got bad hair and is otherwise living your life. That's a crappy utopia.

Posted by: Mrcreosote at May 22, 2009 7:34 AM

Posted by: Mrcreosote at May 22, 2009 7:34 AM

Excellent point. But considering that we see Bruce's Surrogate survive having its arm blown off and being hit by a truck (and another Surrogate flip over a bus), I would question just how limited they are.

I have a question: Obviously the movie puts forth the idea that killing people through their avatars is new. So what was the deal with murder before then? Is it still murder to 'kill' a surrogate, or destruction of property?

Posted by: Vermillion at May 22, 2009 8:19 AM

1) fancy robots bumping around but they're still flying choppers form the 70's and 80's? hmm.
2) robotic lady voice overkill. that shit is played OUT.

Posted by: farik at May 22, 2009 10:17 AM

I call bullshit on the wig thing.
Bruce Willis wore a wig in 12 Monkeys and that movie kicked all kinds of ass.
Boom!
Served!

Posted by: Kballs at May 22, 2009 10:45 AM

still looks better than sherlock holmes and the new terminator movie

just saying ...

Posted by: lelnguye at May 22, 2009 2:15 PM

H-O-T
Dating Networking Site

__SeekBi Co M___

Helps you find your ideal lover

Posted by: hotgirl at May 24, 2009 10:54 PM

Pajiba

Pajiba: Reviews, Commentary, Angst

Bruce Willis in Another Dreaded Hairpiece Role

Comments