Synopsis: Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments, a star player (Gerard Butler) from a game called "Slayers" looks to regain his independence while taking down the game's mastermind.I figured a futuristic action movie starring Michael C. Hall (from one of my favorite shows, Dexter), Gerard Butler (from one of my favorite movies, 300) and the lovely Amber Valletta which also happens to be directed and written by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank, Crank: High Voltage and Pathology) couldn't miss. I was sort of wrong, but not really.
I think this movie's ultimate place in movie history will be about expectations. If you're expecting deep character development or some brilliant insight into humanity... well keep on going right past this. If you expect a violent video game style movie with lots of action, gore, nudity and cool camera work and quick cuts... well then you just might enjoy this.
It's not a great movie by any means, but it is what it is and it is what is supposed to be I think. Butler's characters either beats the crap out of or shoots the hell out of everybody in sight. Hall's characters is like an evil Bill Gates. There is some silliness (Dexter dancing and singing Broadway style? Yep) and the plot is just sort of dumb. It ends up a cross between Crank, The Running Man and Death Race. It's a Jason Statham movie without Jason Statham. It's a big, dumb, noisy, sci-fi adrenaline rush that isn't going to change the world but it might keep you shaking your head and pumping your fist for 90 minutes.
6/10
