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Gamer is a high-concept action thriller set in a near future when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a terrifying new hybrid. Humans control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online games: people play people... for keeps. Mind-control technology is widespread, and at the heart of the controversial games is its creator, reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). His latest brainchild, the first-person shooter game "Slayers," allows millions to act out their most savage fantasies online in front of a global audience, using real prisoners as avatars with whom they fight to the death.
Kable (300's Gerard Butler) is the superstar and cult hero of the ultraviolent "Slayers." Kable is controlled by Simon, a young gamer with rock star status who continues to defy all odds by guiding Kable to victory each week. Taken from his family, imprisoned and forced to fight against his will, the modern day gladiator must survive long enough to escape the game to free his family, regain his identity and to save mankind from Castle's ruthless technology.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
I went into this expecting to see... well, basically what's been described so many people here. Mindless, extreme action. Sometimes, that's what you want to watch, sometimes it isn't. Today, I was curious.
One of the first things that struck me (besides the use of 'teabagging' as seen in various FPSes) was how video game violence translates to "real film". Gamer is the most effective translation of video gaming to film, and it made me realise just how horrific some of the things we find hilarious and awesome in our games would be in a more realistic medium. Body parts go flying, heads are blown off, and every step of the way, the game/film connection felt very deliberate and fairly powerful at times.
The social commentary is not very deep or subtle, but it's interesting and probably not as far from the truth as one would want to think. The film goes to extremes because it tries to portray the extremes of humanity in a world where Second Life and Modern Warfare are real. It's not, as one reviewer here calls it, a misogynistic and homophobic film.
Visually, it's as over-the-top as everything else in the film. The jittery, jolted imagery is meant to convey the game world and succeeds some of the time and fails miserably some of the time. Most of the time, it works just about enough for me to roll with it without making too much of a fuss. The Kingdom was much worse in my opinion.
Perhaps I just had really low expectations. Perhaps I'm a braindead dimwith. Whatever the case, I quite enjoyed Gamer.
Tarkovsky, Kubrick or Kaurismaki this ain't. Don't expect it to be a ponderous, slow-moving meditation on the devaluation of human life like Moon. Expect it to be a crazy, extreme belly-roar about how human life is worth flick-all these days. Take it for what it is.
One of the first things that struck me (besides the use of 'teabagging' as seen in various FPSes) was how video game violence translates to "real film". Gamer is the most effective translation of video gaming to film, and it made me realise just how horrific some of the things we find hilarious and awesome in our games would be in a more realistic medium. Body parts go flying, heads are blown off, and every step of the way, the game/film connection felt very deliberate and fairly powerful at times.
The social commentary is not very deep or subtle, but it's interesting and probably not as far from the truth as one would want to think. The film goes to extremes because it tries to portray the extremes of humanity in a world where Second Life and Modern Warfare are real. It's not, as one reviewer here calls it, a misogynistic and homophobic film.
Visually, it's as over-the-top as everything else in the film. The jittery, jolted imagery is meant to convey the game world and succeeds some of the time and fails miserably some of the time. Most of the time, it works just about enough for me to roll with it without making too much of a fuss. The Kingdom was much worse in my opinion.
Perhaps I just had really low expectations. Perhaps I'm a braindead dimwith. Whatever the case, I quite enjoyed Gamer.
Tarkovsky, Kubrick or Kaurismaki this ain't. Don't expect it to be a ponderous, slow-moving meditation on the devaluation of human life like Moon. Expect it to be a crazy, extreme belly-roar about how human life is worth flick-all these days. Take it for what it is.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
**** spoilers ****
Basically, Gamer is a reworking of The Running Man - death-row inmates are given the option to participate in an ultra-violent combat game, with the chance (ha-ha - as if!) of winning their freedom. The twist here is that boo-hiss villain Ken Castle (played with relish by Michael C Hall) is into a little nanotechnology mind-control. It's loud, it's trashy, with lots of shaky-cam effects and seriously (I mean nausea-inducingly) strobing, quick-changing images. There's plenty of OTT action - some impressive and some downright silly - can you really run a car on alcohol-tinged vomit and urine?. Butler, although somewhat hamstrung by the whimsical script, does a decent enough job, but he was put to far better use in 300 and Beowulf and Grendal.
It's all a bit soulless though. We all know that the baddy will get his comeuppance - conveniently broadcast for the media-hungry public to see (once again a la Running Man) and loving family man Butler will earn his reward, but did I really care? Not much, to be honest.
It's not as clever as it thinks it is and certainly not as good as the films it seeks to emulate (as well as The Running Man, I detected some hat-tips to the original Rollerball and The Matrix). Leave your brain at home though and go with the flow and Gamer's crazy ride should just about keep you entertained for 90 minutes - special mention to the utterly off-the-wall song and dance routine just before the grand showdown!
Basically, Gamer is a reworking of The Running Man - death-row inmates are given the option to participate in an ultra-violent combat game, with the chance (ha-ha - as if!) of winning their freedom. The twist here is that boo-hiss villain Ken Castle (played with relish by Michael C Hall) is into a little nanotechnology mind-control. It's loud, it's trashy, with lots of shaky-cam effects and seriously (I mean nausea-inducingly) strobing, quick-changing images. There's plenty of OTT action - some impressive and some downright silly - can you really run a car on alcohol-tinged vomit and urine?. Butler, although somewhat hamstrung by the whimsical script, does a decent enough job, but he was put to far better use in 300 and Beowulf and Grendal.
It's all a bit soulless though. We all know that the baddy will get his comeuppance - conveniently broadcast for the media-hungry public to see (once again a la Running Man) and loving family man Butler will earn his reward, but did I really care? Not much, to be honest.
It's not as clever as it thinks it is and certainly not as good as the films it seeks to emulate (as well as The Running Man, I detected some hat-tips to the original Rollerball and The Matrix). Leave your brain at home though and go with the flow and Gamer's crazy ride should just about keep you entertained for 90 minutes - special mention to the utterly off-the-wall song and dance routine just before the grand showdown!
Format:Blu-ray
This was one of the most interesting action films of the year, great story, great cast and lots of original concepts! You can't have much more fun with a film. Loads of violence but all-round fun, you will be rooting for Gerard Butler, his character is pretty cool. Worth a look.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Loads of violence but all-round fun, you will be rooting for Gerard...
(THE FILM):
Gamer is a high-concept action thriller set in a near future when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a terrifying new hybrid. Read more
Gamer is a high-concept action thriller set in a near future when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a terrifying new hybrid. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. F. husseiny
exceptional quality bluray-
picture quality 5 out of 5
sound quality 5 out of 5
a must have in your bluray collection, don't mind the story or the ultra violent action bits, just enjoy the... Read more
sound quality 5 out of 5
a must have in your bluray collection, don't mind the story or the ultra violent action bits, just enjoy the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr_Ben
Style over substance
Gamer follows an interesting idea of giving criminals a chance to leave prison providing they survive being a 'character' in a shoot 'em up game, however, if they lose, they die. Read more
Published 3 months ago by BPR
Terrible
I am a Gerard Butler fan and bought this after missing it at the cinema. This has to be the worst film ever. Terrible. Everything is bad. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Peter Cavendish
GAMER
This is for lovers of video games ONLY. Poor acting and full on killing, not for people who want a story to a film.
Published 5 months ago by oscar my boy
A Fun Film
Good film, but a guys film really, at some parts its a bit weird, in fact in many parts. But most of all its just really cool. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Arrekkusu
Painful
I would usually enjoy the feeling of sitting through cheesily awful movies with my friends being made to share the suffering, but this pile of 5hite wasn't even good in a bad way -... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Zippy
Really Bad TV
This is a complete rip off of the excellent running man and total recall and not a very good one at that. Gerard Butler once again manages to mangle the American accent. Read more
Published 13 months ago by ekb
Gamer
This film was a pleasant surprise and twist of the normal action genre. The idea's behind the narrative of this film are creative, original and keep a viewer hooked to the screen. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Dan Plimmer
Bad doesn't sum it up..............
Wasn't quite sure what to expect for this movie but any fears that i had were confirmed. Another one of those truly awful Hollywood films where the budget is spent on special... Read more
Published 13 months ago by DonDraper
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