So, Gerry Butler is back doing an action flick. Gone are the rippling muscles and spears ala 300 and in are the rough look with a few guns for good measure. Gamer opened this weekend and its a picture that's set in the future where social networking has evolved into reality. Essentially, people pay to control others who are implanted with some mind control cells. So from cyber sex to LOL'ing its all fair game. And speaking of games, gaming has also evolved. Players pay to play again and control real life humans who are on death row. If they survive 30 rounds or something they get a full pardon. In between all this, Cable (played by Butler) escapes and tries to get his life back.
And of course, Ger Butler is one of the inmates. Controlled by a young guy, what else. The hardcore gamers out there will like the little homage to games like Gears of War, where the movie uses similar angles of a third person shooter. While all this is going on, the connection to the player gets fuzzy at times and jumps and glitches all over the place, thus adding to the hindrance of watching this movie. Butler doesn't get much room to act and come to think of it, I'd swear Arnie had more lines in the original Terminator. Butler barely speaks at all through out.
The rest of the cast are no better. That said Ludacris must be thrilled to be able to clear the mortgage this month as must Butler.
Gamer is over stylized and the one or 2 homages cant rescue a movie that is flat and incredibly difficult to watch. That said, the ending though is great. Not the ending with the inevitable final boss battle, but the actual ending where the credits roll up the screen, signifying you've got your life back.
