GAMER - Blu-ray review

For this review, Tim Raynor and I provide our thoughts on the movie, while I have also evaluated the technical features on the disc along with my parting thoughts on the movie.

The Film According to Ranjan:
The team of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who directed flicks such as "Crank" (2006) and "Crank 2: High Voltage" (2009), are back again, in a rip-roaring, mindless action flick, "Gamer" (2009). All three movies have a common attribute in their storytelling in that the main protagonist is fighting to stay alive through a series of macabre, violent events. Nothing has changed since their last effort, "Crank 2," and this time it is bigger and more badass than ever before.

In one possible alternate future, Ken Castle (Michael C Hall) has a spawned a world of real-life gamers where a team of condemned criminals called "Slayers" are trying to survive thirty deadly levels, at the end of which only one player will survive. Any player surviving the thirty rounds will receive a full pardon for his crimes. One such super-soldier, Kable (Gerard Butler), has survived twenty-seven rounds and is almost at the last leg to his freedom. However, he decides to go against the system.

Meanwhile, in the technology created by Castle, gamers pay a subscription fee to control the minds of these players in a community called "Society." Simon (Logan Lerman) has controlled Kable's brain through twenty-seven rounds, more than any other "Society" gamer. Because of the popularity of "Slayers" and "Society," Castle has become a millionaire and a sensation in the media world. Along the way, it is revealed that Kable's wife, Angie (Amber Valletta) is also controlled by "Society" gamers. With the help of the rebel leader Humanz (Ludacris), Kable searches for his missing wife and daughter and that ultimately leads him to the final encounter with Castle.

The opening scene takes you right to the middle of the action and is clearly motivated by modern first-person action games such as "Gears of War," "Call of Duty," and "Killzone." It is one of the best scenes in the movie--pulsating, nerve-racking, and beautifully choreographed. In fact, after watching the opening segment, I could not help think that I was playing a video game. The concept of "Slayers" is stylistically realized on the screen, although it resembles the model of the online gaming community where a team is rampaging through a number of levels to complete a mission. Indeed, the main motive is to stay alive and survive these deadly levels.

However, "Gamer" succeeds in presenting only a half-baked commentary on the video-game culture prominent in our society. It also highlights the obsession of media giants and their audience with reality TV shows. Mix this with the virtual gaming world where real-time actions are controlled by corporations and its players, and you have an end product called "Gamer." Nonetheless, the movie never takes itself too seriously with this concept.

In spite of incorporating a unique concept in its storyline, "Gamer" gets bogged down by over-the-top violence that seems not to end until the final credits roll. The characters are underdeveloped, with the story hardly finding its footing during the entire duration. Michael C. Hall ("Six Feet Under," "Dexter") definitely deserved more screen time and is wasted in the movie. Considering that he plays one of the best characters on TV in recent years in the "Dexter" series, the underwhelming script does not utilize his acting acumen to its full potential. His poorly conceived character is rather reduced to that of a stereotypical villainous goon.

In addition, the script lacks details on how he became a millionaire and how he so rapidly ascended to power in the media world. Consequently, his character is nowhere as wicked as you would normally expect from a person who plays a versatile serial killer in "Dexter." The only bright aspect in the acting department is the character of Angie, played by Amber Valletta. The character is dark and depressing, which is well represented by Valletta. The movie might have benefited had the screenwriters provided enough detail on the world of technical corporations, its programmers, and federal agencies. As it turns out, the interplay between the "Slayers" and the evil corporations is rather mismatched.

After having watched "Death Race" and "Gamer" in the same week, I could not help draw similarities between the two movies. Both movies had convicts, corporations, federal prisons, and real-time action where characters were trying to stay alive. However, "Death Race" succeeds to some extent in its execution of characters, the aspect in which "Gamer" fails miserably. The investment of an extra ten or fifteen minutes by the writers in setting up the characters would have provided the necessary balance between story and action.

The Film According to Tim:

Imagine if you will a plot that takes a male convict, places him in a violent shooter game, and if he survives he will receive freedom from incarceration. Sounds kind of familiar, doesn´t it? Well, any sci-fi, action enthusiast should be familiar with the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film "The Running Man," and in Mark Neveldine´s and Brian Taylor's 2009 film "Gamer" we get the same basic plot. However, this fresh monster is equipped with new twists, turns, technology, and all the shallow substance and style we are all too familiar with in new-millennium action films. Yes, I´m sure you know what that means: Get ready for a good-old, handheld, shaky camera, high-speed film, and gritty dark contrasts. As if we have not seen enough of this particular style, "Gamer" goes so completely over the edge with it that you tend to forget there is a story in there somewhere.

What story line we do get unfolds in a unique mess of style over substance, yet it can never make up its mind what that substance is. There are times the film is outright corny and times it is trying to be something genuine and meaningful. Not to mention, the action is quick, brutal, intense, and downright disgusting (which ought to please the heart of any action lover). Nonetheless, I couldn´t help but notice how this film is geared at a younger, male-adult audience. There´s plenty there for the video gamer to enjoy, along with tangible connections to cyber porn just in case the action sequences are not enough. Therefore, what you have is a film that looks genuine enough to satisfy and entertain, yet is a mess poorly constructed and delivered.

"Gamer," of course, is set in the near future where gaming itself has taken a new leap in technology. Instead of playing a game where you control a computer animation, as we are all used to, one human gets to control another human. You can choose to be the human inside the game being controlled or be the player controlling another real, live person. We learn quickly how it was created by its inventor, Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall), through the use of nanotechnology. As you can imagine, Ken Castle turns out to be the villain in the plot, much like Damon Killian (Richard Dawson) from "The Running Man." Sure, one is a game-show host while the other is a mad scientist bent on mind control over the human race. What doesn´t work in comparison is that Ken Castle is horribly written and talks like white trailer trash, which I wasn´t buying for a second.

Our hero, Kabel (Gerard Butler of "300"), is a convicted murderer who is forced to play a game created by Ken Castle called "Slayer." The game is a violent shooter that takes place in a rundown city grid that is overshadowed by a dark future. If Kabel can survive the allotted number of game sessions, he will be set free for life. However, Kabel is not alone in his survival as he is controlled by a seventeen year-old boy named Simon (Logan Lerman). Simon has all the virtual reality luxuries of any spoiled geek, and the mystery is how did he get them? I mean, you never see his parents, nor do you know if he has any. The problem is, if you think too much about it, you´ll probably want to walk out of the theater. And did I mention the action takes place in a city grid in a clichéd dark future? For some reason I kept thinking of a similar movie from 1987...could it be?...nah, forget I mentioned it.

Along the way, we run into other characters that add subtle interest to the shaky plot. Kabel does have a love interest, Angie (Amber Valletta), who works as a game character in a sim-type game known as "Society." This is where the film plays into erotic, sexual fantasies, as sex is the only thing game players seem interested in doing. Well, I must admit, it does give a whole new meaning to cyber sex. We also get Kyra Sedgwick as a media whore named Gina Parker Smith. Her job is no more than window dressing to the storyline since she never seems to add much, other than to be somewhat annoying. She´s the star of her own popular talk show, but her acting chops are as predictable as they are hackneyed. It´s unfortunate because I do like Kyra, and I just can´t figure why she would commit to such a lowball movie.

Of course, there is an underground team of people known as the "Humanz" organization. These people are trying to tap into Ken Castle´s uplinks and destroy whatever plot he has up his sleeve. Which got me to thinking: Was there not a secret organization in "The Running Man" trying to tap into a television uplink? This couldn´t possibly be a coincidence, you think? Nah, I think our writer and director, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, was looking to be as original as possible. I mean, I hate to compare movies, but if our creators didn´t make it so obvious, I wouldn´t have to.

As much as I´m very tired of films that seem to be stuck in the new-millennium style tumbling down the abyss, "Gamer" is not a complete disaster. It does have its few moments that try to be as meaningful as possible, and the play on nanotechnology is kind of fun and interesting. To be honest, there really are game developers out there creating game systems that can be controlled from a person´s mind, totally hands free. Whether this film was trying to play on some of those real technologies or just give us a 2009 version of "The Running Man," I have no clue. Nevertheless, it is a film that´s intended to be full of mindless, exciting action, and that´s exactly what it delivers. In that sense, it doesn´t fail and it is sure to make some good "stand by" material for several cable networks in the near future.

The narrative was all over the map in more ways than one. Even the style couldn´t seem to find its footing, yet it is a technique that is wearing out its welcome. With the handheld camera and high-speed film, the action is nearly impossible to watch, and it becomes more frustrating than entertaining. Although the film plays on a clever idea, the substance is overshadowed by a method that can never figure out what it wants to be. One minute it´s cornball, another minute it´s a truism nightmare, and the next minute it tries to be thoughtful. Not to mention, there are times the movie is just plain odd for no apparent reason other than to add more chaos. It is simply a film that taxes the audience to leave the brain intact, then put it aside and then put it back in the head – rinse, cycle, and repeat. Therefore, it becomes tedious in terms of action as well as storyline.

What´s ugly here is that this will be yet another film to influence inexperienced directors to continue a style that needs to end with a quick death. Sure, it worked great in the "Bourne" movies and many other films to follow; however, there is something valuable to be learned about style in terms of moderation and holding back. Nevertheless, the real problem is that when Hollywood finds a niche that works, they will milk that cow until there is nothing left but sand. I will say I am curious to see what video game will derive from this movie, and I´m sure it won´t be pretty.

Tim's Final Score = 5/10

Video:
Lionsgate has rendered a top-notch Blu-ray high-def transfer in the 1.85:1 widescreen format, encoded in an AVC format that averages about 20 -25 Mpbs. I noticed grain to be mildly evident in the dark and gloomy scenes, which is probably what the directors intended. The grain provides a more film-like experience, especially for "Gamer," where the gritty look is necessary for the overall film composition. The print is clear of any blemishes for its entire running time. There are not many bright colors in the movie, however, occassional bright colors such as red, yellow, and blue seem to pop out in the society monologues. Apart from this, the color palette mainly consists of greys and blacks.

Audio:
Lionsgate has included a 7.1 DTS-HD MA audio stream on this disc. Being an action movie, sound plays a vital role in experiencing "Gamer," and this DTS-HD MA audio stream delivers on all fronts. The gunshots are strong and vibrant. The midrange dialogue gets a boost. And there are a lot of scenes in which all the channels are utilized to their full extent. Overall, a perfect image is equally supported by this competent audio stream.

Extras:
First, we have an audio commentary by the filmmakers and cast members where the actors discuss specifically their parts in the film. The filmmakers provide set details and how the world of "Gamers" was created.

Next, we have "Inside the Game" (eighty minutes, 1080p), a making-of documentary that is a series of interviews with filmmakers, writers, producer, composers, and cast. Basically, this is a detailed, well-made, making-of documentary with interesting tidbits about the filming process, locations, and the concept of the movie. The documentary is divided into three segments.

Following the documentary is a featurette called "First Person Shooter: The Evolution of Red" (sixteen minutes, 1080p) in which directors explain how they shot movie using different cameras. They provide detailed insight on a special camera called "Red."

Lastly, exclusive to this blu-ray release, we get a terrific extra called "i-con Mode", which is a visual audio commentary showing the directors. This is not a regular commentary, but a visual experience interlaced with the "making-of" segments. The directors pause the movie at various points in the movie to provide their detailed thoughts on locations (the opening shot is taken at a train station), sets, special effects, story, and society segments. If I were given a choice between an audio commentary and this interactive extra, I will definitely pick the later option.

Finishing off the extras, we have a set of two theatrical trailers.

Parting thoughts:
The promise shown by the opening act quickly fizzles out under the weight of gratuitous violence and a poor screenplay. Directors Neveldine and Taylor seem to be fascinated by vital organs. So far, we have witnessed the protagonists of "Crank" and "Gamer" movies trying to save their heart and brain respectively. You can very well guess what is next to come from this team. I think Neveldine and Taylor may have lost so much of their cognitive abilities with this futile effort that I am willing to put them on the list of directors to avoid. I am impressed by Neveldine's honesty that their movies torture the audience. This movie truly exemplifies his point. In the end, "Gamer" is a fierce and senseless assault on your sensory organs.