Gamer

This film, this film, this film… Like with many other films, I’ve had tons of friends tell me that it is the second coming, or if not that, at least a really good film that they highly recommended that I see. SO I finally watched it and I was disappointed indeed. For what it was it was an ok film, but it’s definitely not something that I enjoyed watching. I know, I’m wired oddly. The film follows Gerald Butler’s character as he fights for his freedom in this nano-chip involved world where “gamers” control these men who fight in a live action game called “SLAYERS”.

Gamer Trailer

This film is a composite hybrid of the video games Halo, Gears of War, and Call of Duty, mixed with the films THE MATRIX, SURROGATES, CHILDREN OF MEN, and WALL-E. Don’t get me wrong, I DO like each of the pieces of entertainment that I listed, but when they are hybrided together – it didn’t work for me. Something that did work for me was the incredible pacing and tone this film set for itself. 75% of all the sequences make you feel like you’re on cocaine shooting up speed at the same time. It’s a bit distracting and I’m sure a lot of people cannot handle the intensity. For example, my wife couldn’t even watch me play Halo, so I doubt she could handle this film at all. Tons of handheld shaky cam and fast paced edits and action sequences.

The back sleeve says “off the wall, jacked up action” and I would 100% agree with that endorsement. Now the question is two-fold. 1. Was the film enjoyable and did it succeed in what it was made to be? 2. Did it change me any? Pretty much two questions that you can ask yourself after any film to gauge the viewing experience. Throw away all the technical details like sound design, cinematography, editing, etc. and ask yourself these two questions. If you can answer them both with a yes, than the film in my opinion is a success.

Watch out for the awkward dance sequence in the middle of the third act. It’s so random and unwarranted. We all knew where it was going to end up, but I have no idea why they did it that way. So strange.

Rating: 5/10
RT: 29%