Gamer

Gamer ~ An interesting new role for “Dexter” lead actor Michael C. Hall and an old idea for a movie with 21st century gaming trappings make this flick much better than it should be. New spins all around are a good thing it would seem. The problem is it gets old rather quickly even with its shiny new skin.

The story itself, evil computer entrepreneur builds the ultimate virtual game with real people and then takes it a step further – a first person shooter where the player controls a real death row prisoner in a real firefight. This is accomplished through the magic of nanotechnology. Add some good music, some hip stars, and mix, you have Gamer.

There’s not nearly enough of Ludakris, or Kyra Sedgewick who is deliciously diabolical here. Gerard Butler is functional at best as a stereotype Kurt Russell tough guy from a dozen different movies. Michael C. Hall however steals the show as a decidedly un-Dexter-like psychopath. The dance number at the end (no, I’m not kidding) however, is decidedly effed up.

Question – and it’s the flaw that kinda ruins the flick for me, and throws the whole plot into chaos – if you have nanites injected into your brain, wouldn’t it be a simple matter to have a nanite GPS or tracking system? It’s only logical in my mind, but of course it wrecks the most of the story here.

Neat concepts, interesting acting and great soundtrack make this a worthwhile watch, but don’t pay too much for it. Must see for the genre folks.

Crash (2004)

Crash ~ This 2004 offering from writer/director Paul Haggis (who would later go on to revitalize the James Bond franchise – not that it needed revitalization, in my opinion at least) won several Oscars that may have been more worthy for the individual performances of the actors than for the entire film or screenplay. Several vignettes intersect in post-9-11 Los Angeles with a slant toward exposing many different kinds of prejudice and stereotypes. It never truly comes together in my opinion. And several scenes seem to have either been ghost-written by Quentin Tarantino trying to ape his own style from Pulp Fiction - or by someone doing a bad parody of the Q-man. Sandra Bullock shows her rarely seen acting chops in an unpleasant role, and Larenz Tate and Ludacris absolutely steal the movie from the much more experienced actors involved. Worth watching for the acting, but don’t expect an ending, happy or otherwise.