Gamer (Movie Review)

Gerard Butler stars in this movie about a death row criminal who attempts to reduce his sentence by allowing himself to be controlled by an online video game player in a series of death matches with other prisoners and their controlling players.

With a 95 minute run-time, the movie starts with action and keeps the pace moving pretty well throughout. The combat is gritty and violent and I felt moderately invested in the safety of the main character. Effects are used well and the world feels well developed, visually.

Performances are pretty standard, but the script doesn't give much to work with, dramatically. It gives lip service to dramatic moments (Butler is trying to be reunited with his family) but it's not that kind of movie and this part of the story is not as compelling as it could be.

What the movie does do well is action. Plenty of explosions, cool weapons, technology and danger. Imaginative while grounded in reality.

It also delivers a concept-driven plot with philosophical statements that the average moviegoer probably wouldn't expect. It paints an unforgiving picture of America's entertainment-driven culture. Humans are depicted as creatures that live for pleasure and self-fulfillment. And the quest for satisfaction leads people to increasingly strange and twisted appetites that are obviously considered acceptable. There are references to sensationalized news media, and continuing themes of detachment from real human relationships and lack of value for human life. The premise itself is a devaluing of the concept of justice: Mass murderers can receive full pardons if they and their players are good enough at killing people.

The plot has a few holes in it. It's never made crystal clear whether or not Butler's character deserved to be on death row. And a few other aspects of the world being presented may leave you scratching your head. Not a big deal, as some movies are more interesting when they don't explain everything.

The movie offers plenty to talk about, and it's continual statements about humanity and modern culture could provide plenty of material for a running philosophical/anthropological commentary. However, this movie will not find a place in my DVD collection due to the frequent use of nudity. Some movies have a "sex scene" that, while inappropriate, can at least be skipped easily on the DVD, or turned away from in the theater until the "sexy music" stops. This flick contains semi-frequent brief moments of nudity that are usually not long enough to fixate on, but are repetitious enough to be frustrating for someone aiming to avoid this kind of content. The film could have easily made its point about a sexually driven culture without contributing to one.

For those with tastes similar to mine, it's a good flick in several ways, but you won't miss a thing if you wait a couple years for this to come to edited television.

Rated R for frenetic sequences of strong brutal violence throughout, sexual content, nudity and language

Quality: 7.5/10

Relevance: 9.0/10