An interesting concept but not a wholesome meal. In Gamer it is somewhere in the future and people no longer play games but are played in the games. Sort of like Second Life but at both ends there is a real physical person involved. Those with money will control and play the game and those without the money will be played and controlled in the game by the gamers. This is achieved by planting a chip inside a person’s head who then becomes an IP address and can be made to do just about anything by a person with a computer and an internet connection.
Gerard Butler (Kable) is a convict with a chip inside his head and he is being played in a game by Logan Lerman (Simon) who is the reigning champion being undefeated in 27 matches. A similar premise as in The Condemned where convicts are thrown on an island and left to kill or be killed with the last man standing getting his freedom. The rest of sane humanity logs into the internet to watch while the gamers battle it out in Gamer (Who's Playing You?). This technology is invented by Michael C. Hall (Ken Castle) who has ulterior motives of controlling every human being in the world. Kyra Sedgwick (Gina Parker Smith) is the reporter who wants to break this story and Ludacris (Humanz Brother) the hacker who wants to stop Michael C. Hall (Ken Castle) and Amber Valletta (Angie) is the wife of Gerard Butler (Kable). The story deals with how Gerard Butler (Kable), Logan Lerman (Simon), and Ludacris (Humanz Brother) all get together to bring down Michael C. Hall (Ken Castle) and his evil corporation Nanex.
The movie is short and to the point, has lots of high-octane action and a high death count with decapitated heads and limbs strewn about everywhere. All of this however only combines to deliver a fast-paced action movie that fails to hold your attention or deliver edge of the seat action. There are glimpses of what might have been in the Second Life kind of virtual life that Amber Valletta (Angie) works in but that is short-lived and instead makes way for the big explosions. It also amazes me that Hollywood for all their movie making skills and abilities always have a wrong idea about computers, hacking, etc. but of course that might be intentional because movies are watched by millions of laymen with limited computer knowledge and not computer professionals and real life hackers. Gamer is an okay movie, definitely could have been great with its premise and fast paced cam shots just like in an FPS (First Person Shooter), but instead ends up losing steam and losing its way too.
Gerard Butler needs to make better movies and Amber Valletta was better in Hitch.
