Gamer (2009)

Directors:

Mark Neveldine
Brian Taylor

Writers (WGA):

Mark Neveldine (written by) &
Brian Taylor (written by)

Release Date:

4 September 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

In the near future, you don't live to play... you'll play to live.

Plot:

Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments...

Plot Keywords:

Online Gaming | Butt Slap | Memory | Obese Man | Dripping Blood

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Gerard Butler	...	Kable
Amber Valletta	...	Angie
Michael C. Hall	...	Ken Castle
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Gina Parker Smith
Logan Lerman	...	Simon
Alison Lohman	...	Trace
Terry Crews	...	Hackman
Ramsey Moore	...	Gorge
Ludacris	...	Humanz Brother (as Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges)
Aaron Yoo	...	Humanz Dude
Jonathan Chase	...	Geek Leader
Dan Callahan	...	Backup Geek
Brighid Fleming	...	Delia
Johnny Whitworth	...	Scotch
Keith Jardine	...	Mean Slayer

Also Known As:

Citizen Game (USA) (fake working title)
Game (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for frenetic sequences of strong brutal violence throughout, sexual content, nudity and language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44947) | Norway:15 | UK:18 | Ireland:18 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Finland:K-15 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Hong Kong:III | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | Mexico:B15

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque Studios - 5650 University Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Lionsgate

Trivia:

The opening montage of time-lapse shots and other scenes of the world where we see ads for Kable and/or graffiti of Ken Castle overlaid on buildings or walls are mostly taken from Ron Fricke's wordless film Baraka (1992), for example, the shots of the Giza Pyramids, India, homeless man sleeping under a bridge among others.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Another mistake of writing "kable" using Arabic letters is that they are not connected. In languages where Arabic letters are used for writing, letters of a word should be connected otherwise it is not readable (or very difficult to read).

Quotes:

Ken Castle: I'm wired too. I replaced 98% of my own noodle with nano-tissue years ago. But mine's different. It's built to send, to transmit, whereas every other nano-cell that I've put out there, including the ones in your head Kable, are designed to receive. I think it, you do it. We're talking every Slayer, everyone in Society city. I believe your better half would fall under that category, provided they were within range of my transmitters.
Kable: Very nice, Castle. So you got an army of psychotics and deviants to dance around for you?
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Blade Runner (1982)

Soundtrack:

I've Got You Under My Skin

My Brain Has Been Splattered Into Next Tuesday

Leaving the theater after seeing Gamer, I truly felt as if my brain had been tossed into a meat grinder. Neveldine and Taylor, the directing team behind the Crank series is back again with an action movie that only further shows that this directing duo are the supreme rulers of the 21st century action genre. Dear god, this movie is just..........holy mother of.........indescribable. How can mere mortal words explain just how amazing this movie is? Gerard Butler plays Kable, a death row inmate wrapped up in a cruel game that has captivated the minds of the entire human race. Convicted death row inmates are given a choice in this depiction of a not-so-far-off earth future: rot in jail or take part in a game in which you must fight your way through thirty rounds of mayhem to be set free. But there's a catch.....when you are in a match, a gamer has complete control of your physical movements. It's an interesting plot that is thrown out the window in favor of massive gunfights and explosions. Seriously, watching this movie is an absolutely insane experience from start to finish; a fulfilling movie for the mind and soul.

Gamer is the movie that Michael Bay has tried for over a decade to make, and has failed miserably each and every time. Neveldine and Taylor just know exactly what action fans want to see and have succeeded in reviving the dead action genre three time out of their three directing attempts. The action scenes in this movie are simply stunning in every sense of the word. Cars do barrel rolls through the air while engulfed in flames, body parts are mangled, human corpses are thrown across the screen like rag-dolls.......it's truly a spectacle to behold. The constant action pulls viewers in thanks to being coupled with great effects and a hardcore musical score.

Another great aspect of the film is the cinematography, which is nothing short of genius. Normally, shaking the camera this violently only helps to hammer in the nails on a movie's coffin, but here, it is done so well and with such brilliant direction that it enhances the tense feelings given off throughout the movie. Sure, there is the occasional obvious green screen effect, but that's all part of the fun that Neveldine and Taylor are known for with their Crank series, which Gamer takes quite a few notes from.

Random cameos are in no short supply either in Gamer, but it's many lesser known stars such as James Roday and Maggie Lawson from Psych and Milo Ventimiglia from Heroes. Even John Leguizamo has an important role in the movie in which he performs very naturally. As far as the supporting cast is considered, Michael C. Hall and Kyra Sedgwick are both phenomenal, and despite them seeming to be odd choices for a movie such as this, the casting decisions were nothing short of excellent.

What can I possibly say that will assure that you go see Gamer in the theaters? Seriously, if you are looking for an action movie in a time when action movies tend to suck, look no further than Neveldine and Taylor's latest action masterpiece. It's an electrifying and explosive flick that is pervasively loud and violent, and that's all we action fans could ever ask for. One of the best action movies of the decade, and one of the greatest movie experiences I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. Two thumbs up and expect to have your mind splattered across the theater walls.