Have you ever seen one of those previews for a film that made it seem as if it was the greatest idea in the world? All the flash and bang, all the explosions, all the quick quips that make it seem exciting and witty and worth your money to see? But then when you see the film you realize that all the best parts were spliced together in such a way that the preview was more entertaining than the actual movie? Such is the case with GAMER.
In the future mega whiz Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) is a computer genius who has created two games that everyone plays. The first is recognizable as a Sims style game but with a difference. Volunteers have had nanobytes placed in their brains that allow them to be controlled by game players to do their bidding. This includes everything from standing on their head to having sex. The nanobytes also give the game players the opportunity to view all that goes on.
The second game, Slayers, is a more adventurous one. In this one, the nanobytes have been implanted on prisoners sitting on death row. Game players control these people in a dangerous setting, each armed with real weapons as they make their way to a goal through high powered obstacles placed in their way. Their objective is to play the game out and win so many times and in return the player (or prisoner in this case) is granted his or her freedom.
As the film begins Kable (Gerard Butler) is the most popular of the pieces in play. Simon (Logan Lerman) is Kable’s controller/game player and the duo has gone further than any others in the game. Kable is nearing the chance to be free but of course the powers that be can’t have that (shades of ROLLERBALL!). Instead the rig the game to make sure he loses.
But Kable has a plan of his own. Via flashbacks we get a glimpse of the life he led before, some of which he can recall but not everything. Kable has a family and a life he misses and somehow Castle was involved in taking it away. Not until a final confrontation are we privy to what that connection is.
Along the way we get to see Kable’s wife Angie (Amber Alleta) as she plays the Sims style game as a pawn for an overweight slob who controls her into some seriously strange situations. Those involved in this game seem intent on displaying the most depraved situations everywhere. Of course, this is graphically viewed by anyone watching this DVD. Suffice to say gratuitous nudity for the sake of gratuitous nudity is on hand.
Another plot line involves rebels out to take down Castle and his plans at world domination via game players and nanobytes. They interfere with Kable and Simon in the hopes that Kable will survive no matter what is thrown at him and then have the chance to find Castle.
So what about the movie as a whole? It’s quite disappointing with many of the action sequences the preview promoted short and far between. The plot seems thin at best and copied from various other films in the past at worst. The pacing is slow, the set up lame and the payoff predictable from early on.
The acting in this film is standard with no outstanding performances. Those involved offer little or no emotion, seeming more like the characters seen in video games that they discuss. Even Butler, who I think is becoming a better actor as he goes, offers nothing that makes this one something to seek out.
The effects take center stage here, most notably the camerawork. So much so that one of the main extra features discusses the camera system they used to get the look they wanted. If you’ve seen either CRANK film (by the same directors) you know the look I’m talking about. But while that film offered many tongue in cheek moments, this one just doesn’t match up to the promises made in the previews.
Die hard Butler fans will want to seek this out. Others may want to rent it just to see what its like. But if you were given a copy of this as a gift, watch it and then take it to your local DVD trader before everyone else does.
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