Review of Gamer (2009) by Brandan W — 02 Jan 2011

Gamer takes place in the near future where video games and virtual chat rooms are, quite literally, a reality. Any human can control another in gaming environments. Kable seeks to regain his independence and freedom from the game, whilst hunting down the creator of the game.

Before I sat down to watch Gamer I knew I'd be torn on my ultimate decision. I genuinely don't know if I liked this movie or not. I can't say that it wasn't extremely entertaining, but I can't say that it's a thoroughly enjoyable film to watch.

Gamer features non-stop action from start to finish. Gerard Butler is fantastic as Kable, the star of one of the games and pulls off the action hero stereotype yet again. But Gamer, as a whole isn't completely satisfying. Many of the less action-filled scenes seem to either further confuse you or bore you. I wouldn't say this movie is as awful as it's made out to be in any way. The action is there and that's all the audience really wants. It's also all the movie offers. The sheer pace seems to be rushed, only to slow down close to the end to a fitting and entertaining ending.

Would I recommend it? Well that I'm not sure about. If you want the action, watch it. But if you want an interesting and multi-layered story, avoid at all costs.