Gamer (2009)

A seat of the pants action ride through the not so distant future foreshadowing the next level in gaming that will bring new meaning to the saying, "you don't live to play... you play to live."

From the duo who brought us both in-your-face installments of Crank, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor are at it again with this near future gaze into a society completely enveloped in the digital realm. Michael C. Hall (Dexter) plays the megabillionaire playboy Ken Castle who has the word at his fingertips, literally. After plans fell through on a government project he was working on, he took the technology mainstream and has integrated it into two of the biggest entertainment crazes the world has ever seen. The first being a live action version of "The Sims", where you can live your life through another person and do all sorts of whacky things. The other, live action first person shooter deathmatch tournaments where death row inmates volunteer their lives in hopes of surviving long enough to be set free. Enter Kable, played by Gerard Butler (300, RocknRolla), who is the games main phenomenon... on the verge of his release. Controlling him, is a 17 year old gaming wonderkid named Simon (Logan Lerman, 3:10 to Yuma, Hoot). Unfortunately for both, Castle has no intention on letting any of this get out of control. But if Kable wants to survive to see the outside of prison, and get back to his family, he'll have to use Castle's technology against him and free the will of the world.

For any fan of online FPS games, you must check this flick out. In the respect of technology, gaming, action, FX... this movie is a giant success. Sadly, there were lots of flaws elsewhere int he movie that really kept me from using my bias towards these type of movies to the fullest. Okay, so all those good things, the only thing better was that it had a half decent cast. Not only the main players, but adding in Kyra Sedgwick, Ludacris, and Terry Crews... not to mention a cameo by John Leguizamo... you'd have expected a better level of acting than what was being done. Outside of the action scenes, the camera work seemed really sloppy and choppy. And there were so many jump near the beginning, this and that going on, it was hard to follow. And you'd be retarded not to compare this move to Death Race, more specifically the remake with Jason Statham in it. Basic overall plot... same. It's a fine, entertaining movie... just don't go in expecting something oscar worthy and you'll come out happy.

6.4/10

Rated: R
95 mins