Any movie where the first line apart from the roars and screams is “Ha I tea bagged him.” You would pretty know what to expect and such is the case with Gamer. Or is it? Set in the near future where online gaming has pretty much escalated beyond the next level of gaming to where the human gamer takes control of another human “icon” and their movements are mapped onto them, think project natal on crack and you pretty much get the idea. In this future there are two main games, both brought to the public by Ken Kastle (Michael C. Hall), “Society” which is much like Sims but with more sex and insect cocktails and “Slayers” a call of duty shooter in which death row inmates are given the chance to play for their freedom if they Survive 30 rounds. Such is the case of Kable (Gerard Butler) whom at the beginning of the move is 27 rounds down and with 3 to go is looking like being the first ever person to do so allowing him to be reunited with his wife and daughter but of course there is always more going on behind the scenes.
The movie itself borrows from other movies, Running man, the Matrix, Johnny Mnemonic and Blade Runner to name but a few but never really feels like a mix mash of them all and is generally well done. The plot is hardly groundbreaking and I'm pretty sure there is some social commentary going on but I'm afraid its overshadowed by the action however with some truly brilliant and stylised visuals from the all out visceral war scenes to the uv splattered nightclubs I’m sure you will forgive it if your after an action movie
Cast wise, Butler plays it pretty straight as Kable, a convict with a secret and Hall hams it up brilliantly as the villain ken Kastle, a whacked out Bill Gates and the puppet master who is pulling all the strings. Both are fairly well supported by a decent but forgettable cast and there is also a cameo by Ufc fighter Keith Jardine (hey, it made me smile)
All in all it’s a movie that does exactly what it says on the tin, place brain in neutral and enjoy
I generally rate movies by 2 things, would I go and see it again and would I buy it on DVD. Gamer get a yes on both counts.
Gamer is out on general release now.
http://gamerthemovie.com/ 
