As most of everyone knows, Gamer is about a world in the future (2034, to be exact) where technology has far surpassed what we have today. In that world, mind-control games are the new Facebook.
The movie starts of with a rather happy view of a bunch of people all gathered in a park of some sort, all doing all sorts of things. The awesome (or maybe, not really) part is that they're all dressed in really bright, eye catching funky costumes and wigs. It looks like a really bad versions of the Sims. I don't know why, but I kept sniggering when they show scenes during Society game play with weird people doing funny things. Unfortunately, I was the only one laughing when a priest happily ran across the screen, holding on to a bunch of colorful balloons. What's up with everyone, lost their sense of humor or something?
But yeah, the movie also shows how people exploit this to make their avatars to whatever they want. In short, they live their lives through them, doing things that they usually wouldn't do. Sometimes it's sadistic, sometimes it's just plain sick and creepy.
Well, along to Society, the company who introduced all these mind games also have another more brutal, very much more violent counterpart called Slayers. With a name like that, you pretty much know what to expect. Gamers who are rich enough can control a death-row inmate from prison in some sort of modern day death match. It's like back in Rome, the last man standing gets to go free. But in this case, it's only after an inmate manages to survive all 30 rounds, they would win their freedom.
We get introduced to Kable (Gerard Butler) who we learn has survived 27 rounds so far, so he only needs to not die for three more sessions and he walks a free man. Of course, on the way to winning his freedom back, Kable partakes in a lot of very graphic violence, with bodies being blown up and limbs flying every which way and blood splattering everywhere.
The mastermind behind all these? Billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall).
While doing an interview on the Gina Parker Smith (Kyra Sedgewick) show on the controversies of his Slayer and Society games, a virus hacks into the broadcasting system and plays a warning message from an elusive rebel group, Humanz. The leader of the Humanz groups is simply known as Humanz Brother (Ludacris).
Humanz Brother also contacts Simon (Logan Lerman), the 17 year old rich kid who controls Kable and informs him of the conspiracy behind Castle and helps him modify the controls he has over Kable. Once unable to communicate with Kable, Simon could talk to him now when he is in the battlefield. Which actually pissed Kable off a little. Plus, it was against the rules.
After the battle, as Kable rests in his solitary cell, he gets a visit from a mysterious woman who warns him that Castle is out to get him. A soldier with his own free will still intact is being sanctioned to hunt Kable down and terminate him. The reason for all this bloodshed? Kable knows something Castle is trying to hide. So to get rid of the threat, Castle is literally going to get rid of Kable. Yeah yeah, so predictable. So she tells him that he needs to escape, in which Kable replies that he wants her to help him get drunk.
In the supposed final round of the game, an intoxicated Kable realizes that he's no longer under the control of Simon. The Humanz got Simon to relinquish his control over Kable so that he can act on his own, and not be handicapped by the "ping", a delay in the transmission of signals from the player to the prisoner in the game. It would be the only way he can survive the round, what with the crazed killer trying to take him out.
So Kable finds his way to a restricted area and finds a shiny truck. Making do with the lack of fuel, Kable uses his own alcohol-laced puke and pee as fuel for the truck. Gross, but apparently effective. After a lot of blazing guns and flying limbs, Kable manages to break out of the game zone.
He runs into Trace (Alison Lohman), who brings him to Humanz headquarters, where the techie boy, Humanz Dude (Aaron Yoo) explains the whole hoo-hah on how they managed to override Castle's programming chip that was installed in Kable's head. Humanz Brother also gives Kable instructions on where to find his wife, Angie.
Kable finds Angie (Amber Valetta) in her controlled state. It's very gross, because the person who controls her is this big fat obese (yes I know they're the same) sweaty pervert who lives his life vivaciously through Angie. He makes her do disgusting stuff like hit on Rick Rape (Milo Ventimiglia in a very body hugging latex outfit). This is a classic example of a LOSER.
So anyway, Kable finds her about to do the nasty-nasty (doggy style some more) with Rick and proceeds to pound on him before killing a whole bunch of other people and escaping with Amber. He brings her back to the Humanz headquarters where Humanz Dude works his magic to bring her back to the land of thinking.
The Humanz then explores Kable's mind, and we find out why he was sentenced for first degree murder. Kable was once a soldier who was working on a future cellular control project. Along with his friend, Kable was one of the first ones to receive the cell transplant. However, in an experiment on free will, Castle made Kable kill his friend. Ta-da! That's how he ended up in prison.
So after all that, Kable and Angie decide that they want to get their daughter back. Unfortunately, their daughter is now with a "very reliable foster family", who turns out to be none other than Castle. So Kable infiltrates Castle's home in a bid to get his daughter back and complete his family once and for all.
At the mansion, Kable is greeted by a singing and dancing Castle, who gets several prisoners do partake in a jazzy song and dance number. Now we're talking about big burly men, hardened criminals doing the jazz fingers. Highly unlikely if it's voluntary. I guess Castle was demonstrating how much control he has over the minds of the prisoners. It also sets up for the next revelation.
Of course, after the inevitable villain pep talk, Castle orders his men to kill Kable. But being the champ of the super violent Slayer, Kable takes them all out in no time at all. Castle, being the cocky asshole he is, reveals to Kable that he too has the transplant, only that unlike Kable's, his transmits signals instead of receives them. Just to proof that he is the Alpha dog, Castle dares Kable to hurt him. However, Kable kind of just freezes there, inches away from Castle. Castle then proceeds to beat the hell out of Kable. It's pretty pathetic how he has to reduce Kable into an android before being able to beat on him.
Then, he brings Kable's daughter and Angie out and orders him to kill the girl. Unbeknown to Castle, the Humanz have infiltrated their firewall and the entire confrontation was being broadcast all over the world. Just as Kable was losing the battle of wills, Simon got back online and managed to regain some control over Kable's actions again. With Simon helping him, Kable managed to trick Castle into imagining being stabbed in the stomach. Of course, once Castle thought of it, the cells automatically transmitted the signal to Kable's mind, letting him plunge the knife into Castle.
Then, Kable gets Castle's techie guys to release them all from the cell's control. They relent, and the movie ends. BAM!
A very abrupt ending, plus the movie was only an hour and a half. A little on the short side, but just as well, because although the movie pumps in a lot of juice, what with the sci-fi and the action, it ends up as merely trying too hard. So much so that, the attempt comes off as pathetic. The whole "prisoners being forced to kill each other in a game" angle had already been played out in the Jason Statham movie Death Race, so it's nothing new there. And the humans controlling other humans part, I'm also pretty sure has been worked out in so many other movies as well. Therefore, a not very original movie.
Gamer gets a 1.5/5. Not worth watching in the cinemas, I think. The DVD would suffice.
No comments:
Post a Comment