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Surrogates

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    High-tech robots threaten humanity in edgy sci-fi thriller.

Themes in this movie include:   revenge

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The movie's basic message is that humankind is in great danger if human nature is sacrificed in favor of technological advancement. It suggests that isolating yourself and refusing to engage in the world will lead to passive self-destruction. The film also takes a harsh look at society's ideas of beauty and self worth. Each human operator creates a surrogate that conforms to the current popular notion of attractiveness and sex appeal, resulting in a society in which everyone is boringly young, thin, and gorgeous.
  • Role models:

    The hero is brave, honest, and resourceful. He's forced to make a weighty decision that's heavy with risk and consequence. The man responsible for the movie's bleak state of the world sees the error of his ways and tries to rescue humanity from the excesses of his own invention. The characters in whom the audience invest heavily all do the right thing when it counts.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Several humans are killed violently with futuristic weapons. Frequent shootings (many at point-blank range) of  "surrogates" who look human and are portrayed by humans. Dead bodies (also the surrogates) are seen falling to the ground en masse. Also lots of explosions, car crashes, bodies being "liquified," vicious beatings, helicopters crashing, car chases, people burning, heads being smashed, etc. Many images of bloody faces, bloody eyeballs, and human faces peeling to reveal machines beneath.
  • Sex:

    Sexy dancing with lots of erotic groping and thrusting in a crowded club scene. A newly acquainted couple engages in passionate kissing and sexual foreplay just before they're shot to death while roughly embracing.
  • Language:

    Brief, infrequent strong language, including one use of "s--t," plus words like "kickass," "dick," "ass," "damn," "crap," and "oh my God."

  • Consumerism:

    Prius is seen on screen.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    One main character is addicted to drugs, as evidenced by large quantities of pills at her bedside. Some heavy drinking/drunkenness by the hero. One scene depicts futuristic drug use -- a blue liquid is injected into the veins of a large group of surrogate partygoers, sending them into spasms of ecstasy and hysteria.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Surrogates was written by Renee Schonfeld

Parents need to know that Surrogates pushes the limits of its PG-13 rating. Yes, it's set in a futuristic world and most of the violence and mayhem is directed at robot "surrogates," but the images are still disturbingly bloody and destructive because these surrogates are portrayed by (and look exactly like) humans. There are lots of shootings with direct hits at close range, bodies flying through the air, multiple crashes that leave many dead or severely wounded, beatings, burnings, and explosions. Scenes graphically depict the extermination of the human replicas. Strong language is fairly infrequent but includes "s--t"; there's also a good bit of drinking, as well as some futuristic drug use. Sexual activity is portrayed in only a few scenes, but it's shown as casual and self-indulgent and involves promiscuity (but no nudity).

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. Does it have less impact because most of the victims are technically robots? Does the fact that they look more human than machine affect your reaction?
  • What is the movie saying about technology? Can you think of ways that technology could inhibit your active participation in life around you? Is there a way to safeguard against that?
  • All of the surrogates seem to be extremely beautiful, handsome, and very fit. What is the movie saying about how we see ourselves and the value we place on outward appearances?
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More on Surrogates

What’s the Story?

SURROGATES is set in a future in which most human beings ("operators") avoid relationships, activity, interaction, and participation in the simple act of living by isolating themselves in their homes and conducting their daily "public" lives via automated, perfect-looking, nearly indestructible robots known as "surries." Using their own surrogates, FBI Agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) and his partner are ordered to investigate the murder of the son of the mastermind of surrogate technology, Dr. Lionel Canter (James Cromwell). When Greer's own surry is destroyed, the real -- and now much more vulnerable -- FBI agent is forced from the insular safety of his operator's lair into the city streets. Efforts to solve the crime find Greer joining a contingent of the very few people who find the surrogate world unequivocally wrong. These hold-outs ("meatbags"),  led by The Prophet (Ving Rhames), have been banished to reservations, where they attempt to counter the quietly menacing forces that have a hold on humanity.

Is It Any Good?

Using a graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele as source material, director Jonathan Mostow and the screenwriters work hard to examine society's blind acceptance of the mechanization that's rapidly gaining on us -- and to reveal its dangers. Unfortunately, while the movie offers some intriguing visuals and imaginative and skillful action sequences -- along with an interesting premise -- the film is undone by wooden performances, a less-than-subtle message, twists that are easy to spot, and some ludicrous motivation. And a subplot about Greer's failing relationship with his wife after the death of their son is melodramatic and very thin.

Bottom line? This is a movie about humanity's disconnect that feels soulless and shallow, even disconnected itself.

Movie Details

Studio: Touchstone Pictures, Director: Jonathan Mostow
Run time: 88 minutes
Theatrical release: 9/25/2009, DVD release: 1/26/2010
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, language, sexuality and a drug-related scene

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    interesting movie

    I loved the plot of this movie I thought it was very good very interesting. It's worth seeing and I would even watch it a second time. I did think it was violent in some thing but mostly action. There were some sexual scenes we could have done without I mean considering these people could make their surrogates look like whatever they want and do whatever they want them to do it could have gotten way more out of hand so it wasn't too bad. This movie is a thriller one you have to piece things together and try and figure it out so if you like those kinds of movies you'll like this.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    violent sci-fi thriller

    this movie was exceptionally violent. people control surrogates so that they look young as they go about their everyday lives. there is a night club where a young boy and girl were kissing extremely passionately, and there is a lot of killing. a special weapon was created so that when a surrogate died, the person controlling it died as well. a whole feature nation was nearly wiped out with a certain weapon, and the main character finds himself frequently in tight spots. however, i think this movie was really good. i think its NOT for kids or tweens, and okay for mature teens. all in all, violent, but a great movie.

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    Robot Movie Over Done-Violent and Disturbing

    Destruction of Surrogates kills many people and substantial amount of blood is shown. It shows a more futuristic view of how sexual feeling are produced. It pushes a PG-13 rating to the border, and in my eyes, should have been rated R.

  4. I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Negative role models
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Good sci-fi thriller, fantastic plot though

    Has good and bad role models, some are neutral. Good message overall. Great sci-fi thriller, but I wasn't too thrilled since I hadn't had much sleep at the time when I saw it. Definitely quite a bit of violence. Again, I think this movie would have been better without swearing, no matter how infrequent it is.

  5. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 3.0

  6. Parent Reviewer
    I rate this title off for age 12 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    There were more sex scenes than mentioned in the review.

  7. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    COME ON! Love this movie no human violence WAY wrong review by CSM

  8. I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    Wouldn't see it again

    The reviews on this site aren't very accurate because they commonly overlook the extensive sex in the majority of the films I've seen. I rented Pride and Glory and there was a topless woman running down the stairs that was not even mentioned in the movie rating or in the review on this site. It was not a quick glance, either. Another example is shown in the movie Surrogates. A woman in a thong was shown (from the back, of course) for about 30 seconds laying in a bed and walking around. I have also seen several movies with very graphic same sex scenes that were not mentioned in the review. For the people on here doing the reviews: If you are going to review the movie for parents to make informed decisions, please do it right.

  9. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Georgia
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 3.0

    Pretty good. Kind of odd. ROBOT DRUGS! Hahaha. You know what I'm talking about. (:

  10. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    Simply Put: Disapointing.

    I was quite disapointed in this sci-fi flick. The action wasn't bad, but some of it was disturbing. Bruce Willis wasn't as witty as usual. Bummer. PARENTS: There is some sex stuff and graphic violence for a PG-13. Thanks for reading - Movie Man.

  11. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Watch For Violence!!!!

    This movie was pretty good overall. bruce willis is very good and portrays a good and honest man. after a while, i think the violence in the movie gets a bit much and there is a little bit of sex but other than that it is a good movie. there are a few gruesome images but nothing a mature audience cant handle.

  12. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

  13. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 14 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    Not a perfect adaptation, but a nice sci-fi thriller

    I, unlike most people who are seeing this movie, have actually read the source material (a graphic novel) and think this is a good adaptation, but plot twists are added in order to appeal to a broader audience (they end up failing somewhat, except for when the surrogates get killed in the film, the person controlling it gets his/her brain liquefied; in the novel, only the surrogate dies and it's just a property violation). The story is basic, but awesome: in the year 2017, people basically live their lives through complex androids called surrogates, and one company named VSI makes them. Life is basically perfect. However, when the founder of VSI's son is killed through his surrogate, things get real ugly, real fast. On the content side of things, this is worse than the graphic novel, which was a strong PG in my opinion. The film, on the other hand, is a hard PG-13. There's some pretty bloody imagery when people are killed through their surrogates. Also, surrogates do get shot, and white/green liquid (probably oil) comes out. On the sex side, the scene in the club has a bit of erotic dancing, and two surrogates make out shortly after. Also, in a party scene of sorts, several surrogates each take a turn using a bong-shaped electrode/syringe thing filled with blue liquid to stimulate their senses...like a futuristic drug, I guess. If your kid's under 14, I don't think they should see this film. If you do see this awesome film, I highly suggest you also read the graphic novel and its sequel, Surrogates: Flesh and Bone.

  14. I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    This movie had nothing original or entertaining to offer in the genre. Only suitable for older youth (teens), due to violence and some disturbing concepts.

  15. I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give it 4.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    great yet violent

    this was a good movie for the age appropriate audience. the futuristic idea of living life through a robot is fun and controversal. positive messages are sent to the audience when the main character must chose to spare or destroy all the robots in order to restore mankind. the people in the movie who dont use the surrogates are prety violent and rude. overall if you like bruce willis you'll like this movie. all his movies are about the same; rarely sexual content, lots of action and fast paced car chases and an awesome story line :)

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