A Cross Between Crash Bandicoot and Call Of Duty!

Gamer - Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor

This out-of-control, explosion riddled action film comes as a fresh new idea to the genre and to the cinema at the moment, with a film like this not seen recently. Taking chunks out of past action films like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, classic 80’s and 90’s action films, Gamer appears as a new version, featuring huge explosions, immense gun fights, an interesting universe the story is set and a group of scary looking characters thrown in to create a hour and a half of mental fucking action. Just great popcorn stuff. It’s simple, and it knows it. It just wants you to enjoy the ride. And I admire it. It’s never going to win any awards, it’s not hoping to “change” you, sure it has a message of what will happen if we become technological dependant and the future of the world in this state, but it also makes fun of the fact of people who play video games and what would happen if the barriers are removed and the length people go to to have more of a interactive experience. Just take the recent release of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. Holy shit, that game is crazy awesome. The amount of people you can kill and do extraordinary things to would of shocked people 50 years ago. Even the online experience, bouts of extreme racism, sexism and just general horridness is heard on a daily bases, some of these people who play are just downright thugs, who I would imagine would love to actually kill someone.

The film’s plot revolves around the world becoming revolutionised in the form of the gaming industry. Dexter, sorry Michael C. Hall’s character Ken Castle has created video games that use nanocells in the brain to function, creating a real life world, where the player controls real people. One of these games, Slayers, has Kable (Gerald Butler) as one of the playable characters; all of the characters are death row inmates who, if they survive their 30th match, they get freedom. Kable is controlled by a teenager in his house, who is on his 27th win and Ken Castle begins to change the game where it would be impossible for a normal person to win, but with Kable becoming aware of his player, and the teenager and the character working together, they can win the game. The film also involved a family angle, where Kable’s wife is also in the gaming world, but in a different game. Almost like a real life Sims game. It’s horrible to watch and horrible to think about. Look out for a strange cameo from the one and only Peter Petrelli. Yes, it’s really him! You also have Ludacris play a mercenary who is against the gaming and the use of real people and helps with Kable escape. Check it out really to get the whole thing. It’s simple to watch, on paper to describe, bit wordy.

Overall, a decent ride for what it’s worth. I would recommend seeing it with a group of friends, having a few drinks, getting silly and rocking it out. Similar to the directors past work of Crank and Crank 2, hilariously great action films. Jason Statham I love you.

6/10

Simon Childs