Sunday 17 January 2010

Gamer-ing

When I started watching Gamer, I thought it was like Avalon. Then I realised it was like Death Race 2000! Plus Surrogates!

The basic idea is that death row/lifer prisoners are put into battles for the entertainment of others. The big difference is that they are controlled by other people. We are expected to care for one of these killers because he has a wife and child and has been Wronged By The System(tm).

The deeper story is about what it means to be human. I think. Or maybe about how we treat others. Or about giving up yourself for an easy life. Certainly that making others do what you want them to is bad. Like you're some kind of writer and can make characters do whatever you write for them... or maybe not. But I'm sure, whatever the message is, the movie makes it, so good for it.

Names to look out for include Gerald Butler, Michael C. Hall, John Leguizamo, John de Lancie, Ludacris, Michael Weston and cameos by Maggie Lawson and James Roday.

Not a brilliant movie, sits in the "if you've got nothing better to do", although it would be easier to have something better to do than watch this.

[END]

2 comments:

fantomas said...

I've been meaning to watch this. Missed it at the cinema unfortunately. Interested to see how it handles the social commentary on the evolving influences of gaming on real life (if it handles it at all). Also a fan of Mr Hall from his Dexter work, so wanted to see what he's like playing a different char (haven't been tempted to watch "6 feet under").

Jamas Enright said...

There's the Humanz, who try to make a statement about how the technology will make everyone robots, but they end up a non-starter.