Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments, a star player from a game called "Slayers" looks to regain his independence while taking down the game's mastermind.The idea behind Gamer (2009) is simple, we have another cautionary tale about the dangers of technology mixing with morality in our modern world. It is another look at what might happen when runaway science meets up with cold callous business world facts and profits. Gerard Butler plays the lead role of the deathrow inmate that is fighting in a game while being puppeted by a hotshot nerdy teenage tactical player. Michael C Hall is great but under utilized, Butler spends alot of time on screen but really is nothing more that a muscled up killing machine and also under utilized. The best work comes from Valletta and Sedgwick but isn't enough to carry the film. At 95 minutes for an action thriller of this scope it seems a little on the short side and might have been the victim of over editing.
With an allstar cast of Leonidis from 300!
...Dexter Morgan from Dexter!
...Cheeseburger from The Longest Yard!
...and the guy from Heroes playing a character named Rick Rape...
I liked the actors in the movie. I enjoyed it a little. This movie could've been a lot better, but with me enjoying violence and Rick Rape... I'll have to give it 3/5 stars.
***/*****
3/5 Stars
When the 'Running Man' is a better social commentary on this type of 'give them what they want' reality TV movie you know you got problems. That dance moment was right out of another movie entirely. Why always prisoners. Why not people who actually are motivated by something other than fighting for their lives then going right back to prison. We all know that 'win five games and get released' b.s. never works. Why not have people audition. Give them all different movitvations for fighting and staying alive as it should be with the 'home player'. Give me a twist at the end. Make the bad guy be a 'puppet' himself of someone more powerful than he is but not expected. And there is lies the problem for me. If I am re-writing it in my head as I am watching it then it's crap. I should never be that distracted by the lazy ass script. Good review though. You are finding it.
ReplyDelete