Review of Gamer (2009) by Sinclair C — 17 May 2011

Gamer is another one of those films that received poor reviews and a general panning that I disagree with. Personally, if a sci-fi film can offer up a reasonably watertight explanation for it's premise then I am onside and can forgive a lot of flaws. In this case, nanobots designed by Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) and injected into willing human participants enable those with enough ready cash to control these human avatars. In one use of the technology the game is to control convicts, of whom Kable (Gerard Butler) is one, and fight them to their freedom by surviving for 30 turns in live, ultra violent Call of Duty type pitch battles. In another iteration, Society, the "game" descends into a sexual orgy where actors desperate for money and under nanobot control play out the depraved fantasies of socially inept subscribers plugged into the network in the comfort of their darkened rooms. It's an unsubtle commentary on the way the internet is used now, or it's ultimate destination when we grow tired of virtual excitement.

I think the cast do a great job. Logan Lerman plays spoiled teen Simon Silverton who has control of Kable, but is quite unaware that the carnage he is participating in is real. Normally, I loathe Gerard Butler but in this particular vehicle for the first three quarters he barely speaks which I believe is a massive plus and something he should try more often. Obviously fresh from 300 he is a muscular physical presence and you have no trouble he is a man capable of tremendous violence. Terry Crews as Hackman puts in a great over the top performance as the other top dog con vying for pole position in the killing league and Michael C. Hall is slick as charismatic entreprenuer Ken Castle. The only major irritation is Ludacris - can't rappers just stick to their music and not pollute films with their one dimensional acting skills?

Gamer is just about the most violent film I've ever seen, just pipped to the post by Rambo 4, with body parts and blood flying about uncensored but it does ram home the point about the horrific and hopeless end that awaits most of the participants in the convict game and without this level of screen violence the impact would have been lost. The film is let down by a bit of so-so ending but I look forward to when this is on TV. I saw it twice at the cinema!