Gamer 2009

Critics score:
28 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: In the press materials Mr. Butler informs us enthusiastically that the movie "has all the hallmarks of Neveldine's and Taylor's sick, yet genius minds." At least he's half right. Read more

Josh Modell, AV Club: It's clear that Neveldine and Taylor could have come up with something deeper, darker, and better for their third act. Instead, they lean on the easy cheat codes of conventionality, somehow forgetting they're better at exploding them. Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: The game sequences are all familiar flash, and zero tension. Read more

Amy Nicholson, Boxoffice Magazine: Shoot-em-up auteurs Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor straddle the line between aping and perfectly executing violent action movies. Read more

Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader: Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor were responsible for the delirious Crank and Crank 2 but left the magic behind. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: As the brutish Kable, Gerard Butler must find out who's pulling his strings, but it's the audience whose chain gets yanked by this headache-inducing techno-violent mishmash. Read more

Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times: It's a deeply cynical and joyless point of view, completely lacking in the winking visual style that made Crank worth a look. Read more

Vadim Rizov, L.A. Weekly: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have slowly started garnering actual critical consideration for their Crank movies; with Gamer, they make another good case for taking them seriously. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Butler is perfect as a piece of barbequed beef, Kyra Sedgwick plays a sexy talk-show host and there are small roles for John Leguizamo and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: There's plenty of violence, but the movie's already-passe fear of a Web-based world is standard-issue. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: This was never going to be much, but it could have been more than this. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Add an element of interactivity into the hyperkinetic, repetitive action, plodding narrative, and stupefyingly obvious social commentary, and the potential might exist for something entertaining. Read more

Jason Anderson, Toronto Star: Bodies and buildings blow up but this is carnage of the most lacklustre sort, with any momentum petering out long before it's "game over." Read more

Keith Uhlich, Time Out: Read more

Rob Nelson, Variety: Literally playing an action figure, bulky Butler doesn't deliver a performance so much as a workout routine; the best that can be said for him here is that he shows endurance. Read more