 | |
List Price: $29.95 | | Label: Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Salesrank: 5577
Released: January 19, 2010 |
| Our Price: $18.99 |
|
|
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
Gerard Butler stars as Kable, condemned criminal and globally famous super-soldier in the ultimate multiplayer game, "Slayers.” Human controllers direct each thought and move of real-life prison inmates battling in hyper-intense environments – where the goal is freedom and the penalty is death. But when Kable suddenly decides he wants out, his rebellion threatens the twisted plans of game creator Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall, TV’s "Dexter”), who will stop at nothing to crush the renegade commando in this taut, adrenaline-packed action-thriller.
Gamer Reviews:
A visually engaging treat! 
2009-11-29 - Perhaps flying in the face of the many not-so-positive comments, I personally found this movie to be a very enjoyable romp in fantasyland! Drawing inspiration from the Death Race, Kill Bill, and Punisher movies, it relies on intensive action visuals rather than plot complexities to hold your interest. Not being a gamer, I was unburdened by the inconsistencies in video game correctness; further, I thought the dance sequence was totally fun and appropriate, only serving to show off the arrogance of the self-obsessed billionaire creator of the human control mechanism! My only quibble with the film was the style of editing; the choppy, resolution-varying images made it difficult to appreciate the myriad of details during some of the faster-paced scenes. Like many action movies, this film was intended to dazzle through visual stimulation; for me, it succeeded!
good movie not for people who think they are siskel and ebert 
2009-11-13 - I thought this movie was awesome i am going to get it when it comes out on the dvd i didn't get the dance scene like the other guy but it didn't ruin the whole movie for me I thought they could of had a better ending i was thinking something like the whole movie turned out to be a game or something like that something that would surprise the audience cause happily ever after going off into the sunset family vacation isn't very surprising but the movie is pretty good i thought the pervert peter petrelli was funny too (milo ventimiglia)
GAME OVER...INSERT COIN. 
2009-11-10 - Gamer is yet another survival action flick, the difference being that the person who must survive is being controlled by another person who is literally playing with an individuals life. Gerard Butler plays an inmate who plays the game to win his freedom, the game being a capture the flag type of battle to the death. This movie is action packed and fairly stylized. For the first 30 minutes or so I thoroughly enjoyed the clever writing, the fast pace, and the different and interesting approach to the cinematography. But the good points in the beginning do not persist. There where many many moments in gamer that where quite simply awesome...unfortunately ridiculous plot twists....a corny dance number toward the end ( that's right I said dance number)and just garbage writing at times keeps this movie on the back burner. If you like brainless actioners then by all means try this one...as it has more brains than allot of the brainless actioners..but this movie is not really a good movie...entertaining...and sometimes interesting...but as a whole not that good.
GAME OVER.....INSERT COIN.
2009-11-10 - Gamer is yet another survival action flick, the difference being that the person who must survive is being controlled by another person who is literally playing with an individuals life. Gerard Butler plays an inmate who plays the game to win his freedom, the game being a capture the flag type of battle to the death. This movie is action packed and fairly stylized. For the first 30 minutes or so I thoroughly enjoyed the clever writing, the fast pace, and the different and interesting approach to the cinematography. But the good points in the beginning do not persist. There where many many moments in gamer that where quite simply awesome...unfortunately ridiculous plot twists....a corny dance number toward the end ( that's right I said dance number)and just garbage writing at times keeps this movie on the back burner. If you like brainless actioners then by all means try this one...as it has more brains than allot of the brainless actioners..but this movie is not really a good movie...entertaining...and sometimes interesting...but as a whole not that good.
Huston, we have a winner
2009-11-06 - So far, "Gamer" takes the lead as the worst sci-fi/action flick of 2009, a year exceptionally rich in strong contenders in that category!
Written and directed by Neveldine/Taylor, the pair responsible for the highly entertaining "Crank", "Gamer" does not bring anything new to the table. It is basically a repeat of the "Crank" action-sequence delivery style, though stripped of its humour and set amidst a very thin, re-fried plot:
In the near future, an evil computer genius Castle (nicely cast Michael C. Hall of the "Dexter" fame), hell bent on taking over the World via mind control, can only be stopped by a father (Gerard Butler of "300", as Kable) on a quest to free himself and his family from the false persecution by the aforementioned evil computer genius. Kable is rotting in prison for a murder that was not of his doing. Like many other men and women on death row, he chooses to become an avatar in an uber violent, interactive, multiplayer game called "Slayers", Castle's brain child. Should he manage to go the full 30 rounds, he'll win a pardon and his freedom. So far, Kable has survived thru 27 rounds, the only prisoner to live that long. Both he and the teenage boy controlling the human avatar, have become international cult icons. Of course, that is not something Castle can allow to continue...
Well, shame we don't care!
The characters are unsympathetic and stereotypical (all gamers are amoral, geniuses are evil), the dialog is cut short beyond bare bones to allow for maximum saturation with the endless "run-point-shoot" sequences. So, unless you have read reviews prior to viewing, you spend the first hour uncertain which one of the characters is actually deserving of your empathy. Further eschewing the plot and character development, the directors devote long stretches of time to naked female body parts: the butt of Amber Valetta (the hero's wife) gets more screen time then the model's face. You begin to believe the Butt is written as a separate character, with its own make up, trailer, and a stunt double (you'll be relieved to know the part is non-speaking...). Furthermore, the assortment of mangled body parts freshly separated from their owners and flying thru the air every few seconds fails to tantalize. The unfolding blood bath, adequate for a computer game, is too monotonous for an action flick. "Boring" and "repetitive" are words that quickly sneak into one's mind when pondering "Gamer"'s action scenes. Yawn...
For me, the most shocking part of the film is its reported budget. At a paltry $12 million, it does not seem nearly enough to have afforded the producers the too many to mention appearances by rather well known entertainers. Shame this is not an actor's film. The imposing Terry Crews is reduced to cracking his neck menacingly while staring down the hero. Ludacris has more dialogue, but still not enough to create a memorable character. Kyra Sedwick benefits from a push up bra while delivering her lines with breathless urgency and no hopes of making a serious contribution to the plot.
On a weekend night, in an otherwise busy, large city multiplex, I was THE ONLY person seeing "Gamer". Still, based on the low budget, "Gamer" is bound to make its studio a healthy profit, especially with Gerard Butler's name attached to the project. However, this is a film that wants to be a game and sadly, that just does not work on a screen...
