I saw The Hurt Locker when it first came out - better yet, when a theater near me was willing to take a chance on not filling every single seat with some bang-bang-blow-it-all-to-pieces-with-as-much-visual-effects-that-money-can-buy- Megabuster. I must admit, the main reason I was so eager to see this film was because of its director, Kathryn Bigelow. A war film directed by a female was too good to pass up. However, my enthusiasm was kept a bit at bay by a creeping fear that the film would mimic many war films with the in-your-face, “shock-and-awe” approach to filmmaking. Needless to say, I purchased my movie ticket with crossed fingers, making my way to an echo-filled, empty theater (no surprises there).