It appears that you and I and everyone we know are, once again, in peril. At least that’s what Hollywood’s telling us. Somewhere in the midst of our post-9/ 11, pre-2012 apprehensions, it’s become de rigueur for filmmakers to imagine humanity’s many frailties and then throw them up there on the silver screen for all to enjoy.

In the last few years, pessimistic efforts like “Knowing,” “Terminator 4” and “The Day After Tomorrow” have unleashed the Four Horsemen. Even kidfriendly CG flicks like “Wall-E” and the recent “9” imagine us on the brink of self-destruction. The apocalyptic “2012” is coming soon, and a remake of “When World’s Collide” is due out next year. What does Hollywood know that we don’t?

The newest threat? Seems that, in the near future of “Surro gates,” we’ve perfected the surrogate robot—a fully functioning artificial being controlled from the safety (and isolation) of one’s own darkened bedroom. It certainly gives new meaning to the phrase “couch potato.”

Hence most people begin living their lives through their “synth” selves, experiencing every sensory response that their surrogate robot experiences, yet forgoing the nasty repercussions that may occur if one’s surrogate, for instance, falls off a cliff. Suddenly the streets are filled with very stiff, but oh-so-good-looking folks who may or may not represent everything their human operators are—or aren’t.

But then, of course, something goes terribly wrong, and a cop (Bruce Willis) must find out who or what’s brutally killing off both the surrogate and, simultaneously, its unsuspecting operator.

As a futuristic-tinged, sci-fi thriller, “Surrogates” isn’t half bad—sort of “I, Robot” with a new twist. And, sorry, but I think Bruce Willis is just fun to watch, either as his old crusty self or in the guise of his battery-operated, wrinklefree, blond-tousled “synth.”

Okay, the flick’s sort of predictable, kind of easygoing, a little farfetched (I mean, besides the robot part), but what I like about “Surrogates” is that, if you think about it, we’re already partway there. Anybody can jump online these days, pretending to be who they really aren’t (for better or for worse). The film simply takes the concept to another level—a level, by the way, that leads mankind to the brink of extinction. But if it didn’t, what would Bruce Willis even do in this safe new world of ours?

All in all, “Surrogates” is pretty slick and harmless, end-ofsummer fun; not exactly killer scifi, but what is these days?

— D.W.

Sports movies focusing on women are few and far between. Not since “A League of Their Own” has a female-centric sports story captured our hearts.

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, “Whip It,” enters a new league all its own. It’s a fun, feisty film that reminds girls (and women) it’s okay to be different— and it’s actually pretty cool to be a chick. But it’s not a total chickflick. There’s also plenty of action and humor to keep your attention.

The story revolves around Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), a social misfit forced by her wellmeaning mother (Marcia Gay Harden) to enter beauty pageants. With little going on in the small town of Bodeen, Texas, Bliss is living anything but a blissful existence. Her life is going in circles, and she feels like she’s going nowhere . . . until she discovers the roller derby and joins a league called the Hurl Scouts.

Soon, going in circles begins to makes sense. Bliss learns she can create a new life for herself without completely letting go of the one she’s always known.

Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis and Jimmy Fallon round out a perfectly chosen cast. Barrymore has clearly brought about a real sense of camaraderie among everyone involved.

Throughout the film, we are urged to embrace who we are. And hat means embracing all of our mperfections, quirks and eccenricities. As the tagline says, “Be Your Own Hero.” You may dis

over your own inner hero.

—Karma Christine Salvato