 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Gamer
- Review Date: September 3, 2009
- R
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2009
Common Sense Media says
Ultra-violent sci-fi action film aims to shock and offend.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this mediocre action movie is full of frenetic violence, quick-cut nudity and sexual material, strong language (including lots of uses of "f--k"), and plenty of gore (shootings, stabbings, and more). There's also a general feeling that, just as in their prior Crank and Crank: High Voltage, the filmmakers seem to get great pleasure from trying to offend audiences with this kind of nonstop sexual material, nudity, and violence.
What's the story?
In a near-future world, advances in technology have made it possible to link the central nervous system of one human with another -- so that one person can control the other's actions and acts remotely. A high-tech entrepreneur (Michael C. Hall) has built two lucrative programs from this technology -- one a Second Life-styled social game called Society, and the other a more dangerous, direct form of entertainment called Slayers, in which controlled death row inmates fight and battle -- and anyone who survives 30 "games" earns a pardon. Kable (Gerard Butler) is three games away from his pardon, and his operator, Simon (Logan Lerman), is eager for the glory that achievement will bring him. But as the game grows more deadly, a secret set of facts comes to light, and Kable and Simon both have to fight to survive.
Is it any good?
Glossy and gory, GAMER doesn't offer much to moviegoers aside from hyper-realistic violence and slam-bang slivers of sexual material; Kable's need to liberate himself from the system to save his family is an incredibly familiar plot arc, and the amoral cast of characters occasionally doing the right thing as the plot progresses doesn't do much to hold our interest. The villain is a fairly thin character as well -- his motives are muddled at best, and we're simply supposed to accept his actions without being given much reason as to why.
There's no denying that writer/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have a flair for rapid-fire shooting and cutting; what's more in doubt is whether they can use that hyper-swift style to create anything like coherent storytelling. There are a few smart moments in Gamer (including an inventive way of refueling an abandoned car), but they're by and large adrift in a sea of gore, nudity, and under-written character moments. Gamer is all fizz and sugar, with no real substance or skill behind the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am plot stolen in bits and pieces from other films.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about some of the tricky questions that often surround video gaming: Is the high-tech simulation of violence a way to blow off steam or a dangerously desensitizing process?
Why do so many people respond so strongly to the idea of living a second, different life through computer technology?
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Parent of 13 and 15 year old
September 11, 2009
AGE
just plain bad- waste of money;
both my 13 yr old and I were greatly disappointed and didn't like the movie. whole premise is violence and living through real life episodes of war gains release from death row. the concept of the simulated world game running side/side with the simulated war game was confusing and gratuitously sexual - with lots of brief scenes of sexual circumstances uncalled for.
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Teen, 13 years old
September 12, 2009
AGE
Although I'm 13 and I sorta liked this movie, this movie is totally for ADULTS ONLY.
The movie wasn't all that bad,but it wasn't good either. The movie just left me a headache from all that violence and all the camera shaking. Personally,I liked the story plot. I give it a 3.5/5
The movie had nudity here and there. I wasn't expecting any of it, but I was wrong. You see women's bare breasts and buttocks in some scenes. And there is a nickname mentioned named "Rick Rape". Personally,I thought the violence were not that bad, but it too brutal for kids younger than my age to see (I'm 13).
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Parent of 14 and 19 year old
October 8, 2009
AGE
Simply Awful
No one should have to sit through this...
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Adult
September 16, 2009
AGE
very violent and reeking with nudity
this was a well done film. my husband and i really enjoyed it. but a world where technology is that incredible i would not like. nudity is always a turn off for me in a movie. obviously the internet is full of sex and sinful pleasure, but it is unnecessary to show it unexpectedly. WE GET IT! the graphics are done well and the script makes sense. death is abundant and bloody but essential to make the viewer feel like its real and understand how serious survival is to the main character.
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AGE
Yipie kai yay he ha!!!
yipie kai yay!!!this movie is viloent and awsome but don't do this stuff in real life you will die!
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AGE
Yipie kai yay he ha!!!
yipie kai yay!!!this movie is viloent and awsome but don't do this stuff in real life you will die!
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Parent
May 17, 2010
AGE
Gamer
This is truely a high explosive movie with a lot of gore and sexual content. Surely not for kids, but mature teens with a good taste in action movies will absolutly love it. Most parents would find this movie dreadful and a waste of time, but not to offend, they probably arnt used to watching movies this explosive or fast moving. I grew up on Clint Eastwood, George A Romero and Guy Hamilton movies, so movies like this are what I enjoy the most.
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Teen, 14 years old
March 28, 2010
AGE
When my parents let me see this, I thought personally that Quentin Tarantino made it. It's full of violence, sexual content and situations, language, and just about anything else. i\If you were thinking of letting your child see this, i'd seriously reconsider.
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Parent of 8 and 10 year old
January 30, 2010
AGE
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Adult
January 25, 2010
AGE
horrible, stupid, movie..waste of money and time
hated it, my husband and I were tempted to not watch it all, we just didn't watch some of it, but we managed to sit through it, had too much sexual images, really violent graphic images, not what we thought at all - wouldn't recommend it to anyone at any age. I think, sadly, it is aimed towards loser teen males who are antisocial and do nothing but watch violent porn and play games that kill people, although no decent teen male should watch it either.
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| Studio: | Lionsgate |
| Directors: | Brian Taylor, Mark Neveldine |
| Cast: | Gerard Butler, Kyra Sedgwick, Michael C. Hall |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 95 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 4, 2009 |
| DVD release date: | January 19, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | frenetic sequences of strong brutal violence throughout, sexual content, nudity and language |
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