Gamer

Plot

The film stars Gerard Butler as an unwilling participant in an online game in which participants can control human beings as players, and Logan Lerman as the player who controls him.

Cast

• Gerard Butler as John "Kable" Tillman, the highest-ranked warrior in the game Slayers
• Amber Valletta as Angie "Nika" Tillman, Kable's wife, a controlled avatar in Society
• Michael C. Hall as Ken Castle, creator of the games Society and Slayers
• Logan Lerman as Simon Silverton, the 17-year-old gamer playing Kable
• Kyra Sedgwick as Gina Parker Smith, famous talk show host
• Ludacris as Humanz Brother, spokesperson and leader of the Humanz
• Aaron Yoo as Humanz Dude, a member of the Humanz
• Alison Lohman as Trace, a member of the Humanz
• Jonathan Chase as Geek Leader, leader of Castle's technical team
• John Leguizamo as Freek, an inmate who befriends Kable
• Terry Crews as Hackman, an inmate sent to kill Kable
• Zoe Bell as Sandra, an inmate
• Ramsey Moore as Gorge, the gamer playing Nika
• Keith David as Agent Keith, a CIA-agent
• Johnny Whitworth as Scotch, the first person to receive a Nanex-implant
• Milo Ventimiglia as Rick Rape, described as "Moonraker, silver grill, with a latex outfit making him look like a bumblebee."^[3]
• Sam Witwer as the Caseworker on Angie's custody case

Review

I don't really have anything bad to say about this movie, or anything overly positive for that matter, but the movie does bring up a very interesting point I would like to comment on. This movie revolves around the idea that if a prison inmate agrees to be implanted with technology that allows him/her to be controlled remotely by another player and then survives 30 violent games - they are freed from prison. These games involve war scenarios where it is kill or be killed (but again, not by the inmate but by the player).

This brings up a very important moral question - is killing another human being through a remotely controlled inmate actually murder. If someone where to kill another person using a kitchen knife, we don't arrest and sentence the knife. The movie supports a world where the general public can in effect take the live of another free of charge (minus the cost of the game). In reality they are executing (no pun intended) capital punishment. Now agree that in the context of the movie, these are all criminals who have hopefully had a fair trial and were proven guilty - but its doesn't make it right. Furthermore, the movie also sets up the situation that a violent offender could in fact be released back into the world with no rehabilitation simply because their player was good enough or lucky enough to win 30 games. This person could then offend again and more innocent lives will be lost.

Despite these two glaring problems with the idea of the movie, all in all it was very enjoyable. I highly suggest watching for any and all Gerard Butler fans and all sci-fi fans. The effects are good and the plot well paced. P.S. Michael C. Hall is creepy (and not Dexter creepy/lovable but seriously creepy)!!!

Rating

3.75 Reels out of 5