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John Allman

If you’ve ever wandered the aisles at the video store or surfed the DVR pay-per-view options and seen a bunch of movies that you’ve never heard of, chances are John has watched them. Why? He loves movies. All kinds of movies. Good, bad, so-bad-they’re good, even the truly unwatchable ones. He mostly loves horror and science-fiction and drive-in exploitation movies that most upstanding model citizens wouldn’t dare watch. Then he writes up his thoughts so you can decide - watch, don’t watch or avoid at all costs. Sometimes he even gets to talk to the cool folks who make some of your favorite films.

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Gamer

Posted Jan 27, 2010 by John Allman

Updated Jan 27, 2010 at 07:42 AM

Gamer
Genre: Action
Directed by: Neveldine/Taylor
Run time: 95 minutes
Rating: R
Format: DVD

The Lowdown: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor are very creative guys.

That’s not in doubt.

What they lack is focus, and the presence of a good script supervisor to point out when they veer too far off course.

Anyone who has seen “Crank” or “Crank: High Voltage” knows that this directing duo have a fierce appreciation for the crazy, pulpy, over-the-top B-movies of days gone by. There’s very little they’re not willing to try, even if it ultimately undermines the overall impact that their movie might have made.

“Gamer” is no different.

This should have been a must-see vehicle for star Gerard Butler, who has been searching for a hit ever since “300” that could showcase his physical prowess and allow his jocular charisma to shine.

Yes, “Gamer” is essentially “Death Race” on foot with prison inmates trapped in a life-or-death videogame instead of an insane prison race. If they survive enough games, they win their freedom.

But the premise has promise: In the near future, a brilliant techno-geek (Hall) creates a way for people to plug in and take control of real human beings toting real guns and really killing one another in a bloodbath that’s broadcast to millions of home subscribers.

The real human beings are death-row inmates. The players are mostly geeky kids who never leave the safety of their gaming chairs, nestled inside their palatial homes, while they control the fate of their all-too-real avatar.

Of course, the best inmate/gamer – Kable (Butler) – was wrongly convicted and is poised to become the first person to win his freedom. His “controller” is a high school student who basks in the adulation of dozens of girls who flood his social networking sites with come-ons and promises of sex.

And, of course, there’s a catch: The techno-geek wunderkind Ken Castle doesn’t want to let Kable survive long enough to be released. So he recruits Hackman (the underused Terry Crews) as a ringer to specifically target Kable and kill him.

It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, and that’s what makes “Gamer” such a let-down.

Where it could have taken chances and really stretched the genre, it stops just shy.

A prime example is an idea that is introduced so poorly – the notion of a Gamer disconnecting from his Controller, thereby making him that much more lethal as a free-thinking, free-to-react warrior – that when it actually happens, it gets lost in a muddled mess of jump edits and gunfire.

This is one that you’ll rent on a really slow night, but even lowered expectations won’t blunt the sting of what could have been a hell of a fun B-movie thrill ride.

The Stuff You Care About:
Hot chicks – Amber Valetta, very hot.
Nudity – Yes.
Gore – Yes.
Drug use – No.
Bad Guys/Killers – Dexter. OK, not really, but Michael C. Hall.
Buy/Rent – Rent it.
On the Web – http://gamerthemovie.com/
Release Date – Jan. 19, 2010