Nothing more than a game

Calvin Alagot/ The Roundup

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, directors of “Crank” and “Crank: High Voltage,” bring us yet another fast paced action-thriller with a body count well in the hundreds. 

“Gamer” is set in the near future in which the line between online gaming and real life is no longer existent. The birth of neural mind-control technology leads to the creation of Ken Castle’s (Michael C. Hall) online multiplayer shooter game “Slayers.” 

The game is just like any other shooter except the little guy on the screen isn’t comprised of mere pixels, but actual flesh and bone. 

Death row inmates are given a second chance at life as they volunteer their bodies to puppeteers, the catch is that they must survive 30 rounds in order to achieve freedom. Kable (Gerard Butler) is a puppet that belongs to international gaming superstar Simon, (Logan Lerman) but it’s not just a game it’s a matter of life and death. 

This movie definitely caters to the audience that enjoyed such films as “Wanted,” “Shoot ’em Up,” and “Smokin’ Aces”. “Gamer” is not a film that was made to educate you or enlighten you. There is no deep underlying meaning that needs to be contemplated. 

The only thing, if anything, that one should take from this movie is that if anyone gets within  Gerard Butler’s reach he will kill them. 

The cinematography in the film was good, really gritty and realistic during the intense battle scenes. The soundtrack is great and fits with the movies atmosphere quite well. I will say that I  got a little tired of hearing the chorus of Marilyn Manson’s “Sweet Dreams” as it played throughout the movie.

 Overall the film’s 95 minute runtime went by pretty quick and I was very entertained, especially with Ludacris in the film.

 There were some scenes in the film that attempted to trick the audience into thinking there was a plot to be found in all this. There is even a scene involving Kable’s wife and child.  

 Well, there isn’t a plot, but the greatness about this film lies in its ridiculousness, and if you can’t appreciate that then I would suggest waiting until it comes out on DVD.