Common Sense Media Review
By James Rocchi
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Ultra-violent sci-fi action film aims to shock and offend.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Gamer
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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
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?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 4, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : January 19, 2010
- Cast : Gerard Butler , Kyra Sedgwick , Michael C. Hall
- Directors : Brian Taylor , Mark Neveldine
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : frenetic sequences of strong brutal violence throughout, sexual content, nudity and language
- Last updated : December 14, 2022
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