Gamer

Starring: Gerard Butler, Amber Valletta, Michael C. Hall, Kyra Sedgwick, Logan Lerman, Alison Lohman, Terry Crews, Ludacris, Aaron Yoo, Milo Ventimiglia, John Leguizamo, Keith David
Directed by: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Thriller
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: In the near future, humans can control other humans in video-game-like fashion. Convicts allow others to control them in a game called Slayers, and are in turn granted their freedom if they can survive 30 sessions. Kable (Gerard Butler) and his controller (Logan Lerman) are closer than every before to being the first ones to survive 30 sessions. However, the creator (Michael C. Hall) of the game will stop at nothing to prevent that from happening.

Review:

Tim: Gamer suffers as a movie for a number of reasons- first and foremost, because it bears far too much similarity to the awful Death Race. These movies are sadly interlinked because the subject matter is so close together. The second major problem is that this movie feels completely redundant. So many movies like this have come out in recent years- this film didn't do enough to differentiate itself from those films. I felt like I'd already seen this movie before, and the obvious and tired plot didn't help matters.

This movie tried to tell a gritty, action-packed story, but it didn't quite deliver. The action scenes are all so fast and blurry that it is hard to see what is happening. This is a typical problem in these types of movies, and this film suffers from it. Everything here has been done before, and done better. That is a recipe for disaster.

The cast is surprisingly extensive, but most of them feel like they are running through the emotions. Gerard Butler makes an amazing action hero, but his character here is a silly cliche. He gives a good effort, but that will only take him so far, without good writing to back him up. Amber Valletta is fairly good as Butler's wife. I liked the casting of Michael C. Hall as the film's villain, although he is a bit over-the-top in his performance. Kyra Sedgwick didn't add anything to the film. I did like the casting of Logan Lerman. I think he did a good job, and I have high hopes for him as an actor. The rest of the cast features small, forgettable performances from Alison Lohman, Terry Crews, Ludacris, John Leguizamo, and others. None of these actors do much for the film.

Gamer does have enough excitement and action to keep us at least partially engaged in the film. The movie is interesting, but we never get invested in the story or the characters. It all feels so redundant that there is no real suspense or thrill to the movie. It plays out exactly like we expect it to, which is a major disappointment. That can be said for this entire movie- s film that feels old and tired from the outset. I couldn't help but feel that Gamer was a waste of my time.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Death Race, Law Abiding Citizen, 300