Review of Gamer (2009) by Thomas W — 13 Nov 2011

An original idea is squandered here as a respectable cast tries its darnedest to help this mess of a film succeed. Try as they might (and some did try very hard), Gamer quickly becames a misguided failure and grand-scale disaster (luckily NOT an epic one).

The story and/or plot of Gamer is supposed to take place in a near-future world in which humans control other humans (!) in a massive, multi-player online gaming system. It is much like today's World of Warcraft; but instead of a player controlling fake avatars they control real, fellow human beings hellbent on destroying others and taking anything and everything they could possibly want.

It is an interesting idea (I will give the writer/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor that much credit); but it is too lofty and heavy and our directing duo loses hold of the film's reins and don't seem to ever get them back.

As I watched Gamer, I couldn't help but think of 1987's Arnold Schwarzenegger human being-chasing-fellow-human movie, The Running Man. Both were original enough; but both also deserved to be better.

The best thing of Gamer is its cast -- which deserved a better movie. The protaginist/star player is Gerard Butler (300, Phantom of the Opera) who makes it a point to find and take down the movie's baddie -- and the game's master-manipulator -- Michael C.

Hall (Showtime's Dexter). Kyra Sedgwick, Alison Lohman, Amber Valletta, Logan Lerman (TV's Jack & Bobby), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Aaron Yoo and Terry Crews (the president of the United States of America in Idiocracy) lend their considerable talents (some wasted) to the proceedings.

The cast isn't Gamer's problem -- I actually had no problem with any of the cast. Gamer could have been a much different and better movie if it had been given a better final cut. I wonder what story is still lying on the floor of the editing room.