Hollywood has churned out plenty of war movies through the years. World War II and Vietnam have been done to death and through those topics, unquestionable cinematic classics have emerged. But when it comes to the Iraq war and our country's conflicts in the Middle East, nobody has been able to nail it on film.

Enter "The Hurt Locker," a tense action thriller and dramatic powerhouse with objectivity and gritty realism thanks to director Kathryn Bigelow's unflinching direction and a can't-miss cast.

Instead of trying to capture the grand scale of the Iraq war, the story zeroes in on an Army bomb squad unit in 2004 sent to carry out missions that could turn them to dust in the blink of an eye. This is exactly what happens when Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) watches his squad leader die in the line of duty only to be replaced by Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), an unhinged livewire who loves his job and the adrenaline rush that comes with it.

Counting down the days until their rotation and through each increasingly risky mission, James rebels against orders and puts himself in unnecessary danger, whether he disgards his protective suit during bomb diffusions or goes AWOL to enact personal vendettas. This comes to the chagrin and frustration of Sanborn and mentally frays Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), who shows the noticeable psychological effects of his duty.

In war films, which tend to veer between extremes of poetic art ("Full Metal Jacket" and "Platoon") and action-packed commercialism ("We Were Soldiers" and "The Kingdom"), "The Hurt Locker" walks the middle ground and walks it well. Director Kathryn Bigelow, with an on-the-front-lines script by journalist Mark Boal, gives viewers the immersive experience of the mission with every pulled wire and sweaty, sand-covered grimmace. The film's calculated tension and explosive action easily ranks as the best viewers will see on DVD this year.

But the action won't stick with you as much as the film's human elements. Geraghty turns in a solid performance while Mackie seems to get better with each role. But Renner is the film's volatile center. He could have easily played the role as a one-dimensional thrill seeker, but his character's confident swagger hangs alongside flesh-and-blood compassion for fellow soldiers and his friendship with a young Iraqi boy.

Through the prism of Renner's performance and Bigelow's keen eye, "The Hurt Locker" will keep on ticking in your head.