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21

  • 20082008
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 3m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
246K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,230
300
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Kate Bosworth, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Jim Sturgess, and Aaron Yoo in 21 (2008)
Trailer for 21
Play trailer2:34
15 Videos
99+ Photos
CrimeDramaHistory

"21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings."21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings."21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.

IMDb RATING
6.8/10
246K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,230
300
  • Director
    • Robert Luketic
  • Writers
    • Peter Steinfeld
    • Allan Loeb
    • Ben Mezrich
  • Stars
    • Jim Sturgess
    • Kate Bosworth
    • Kevin Spacey
Top credits
  • Director
    • Robert Luketic
  • Writers
    • Peter Steinfeld
    • Allan Loeb
    • Ben Mezrich
  • Stars
    • Jim Sturgess
    • Kate Bosworth
    • Kevin Spacey
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 334User reviews
    • 152Critic reviews
    • 48Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 5 nominations

    Videos15

    Trailer for 21
    Trailer 2:34
    Trailer for 21
    21
    Trailer 2:33
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    21
    Clip 0:54
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    Clip 1:06
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    Clip 0:48
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    Clip 0:51
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    Clip 1:18
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    Clip 0:38
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    Clip 1:18
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    Clip 0:56
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    Clip 0:35
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    Interview 0:44
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    Photos128

    Liza Lapira in 21 (2008)
    Liza Lapira and Jacob Pitts in 21 (2008)
    Jim Sturgess in 21 (2008)
    Jim Sturgess in 21 (2008)
    Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess in 21 (2008)
    Kate Bosworth in 21 (2008)
    Kate Bosworth in 21 (2008)
    Kate Bosworth in 21 (2008)
    Kevin Spacey in 21 (2008)
    Kevin Spacey in 21 (2008)
    Kevin Spacey in 21 (2008)
    Laurence Fishburne in 21 (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jim Sturgess
    Jim Sturgess
    • Benas Ben
    Kate Bosworth
    Kate Bosworth
    • Jillas Jill
    Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey
    • Micky Rosaas Micky Rosa
    Aaron Yoo
    Aaron Yoo
    • Choias Choi
    Liza Lapira
    Liza Lapira
    • Kiannaas Kianna
    Jacob Pitts
    Jacob Pitts
    • Fisheras Fisher
    Laurence Fishburne
    Laurence Fishburne
    • Cole Williamsas Cole Williams
    Jack McGee
    Jack McGee
    • Terryas Terry
    Josh Gad
    Josh Gad
    • Milesas Miles
    Sam Golzari
    Sam Golzari
    • Camas Cam
    Helen Carey
    Helen Carey
    • Ellen Campbellas Ellen Campbell
    Jack Gilpin
    Jack Gilpin
    • Bob Phillipsas Bob Phillips
    Donna Lows
    • Planet Hollywood Dealeras Planet Hollywood Dealer
    Butch Williams
    • Planet Hollywood Dealeras Planet Hollywood Dealer
    Jeff Ma
    • Planet Hollywood Dealer Jeffas Planet Hollywood Dealer Jeff
    • (as Jeffrey Ma)
    Frank Patton III
    Frank Patton III
    • Planet Hollywood Floor Manageras Planet Hollywood Floor Manager
    • (as Frank Patton)
    Steven Richard Vezina
    • Red Rock Dealeras Red Rock Dealer
    Chaska T. Werner
    • Red Rock Dealeras Red Rock Dealer
    • Director
      • Robert Luketic
    • Writers
      • Peter Steinfeld(screenplay)
      • Allan Loeb(screenplay)
      • Ben Mezrich(book "Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions")
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit
    Ben Campbell is a young, highly intelligent, student at M.I.T. in Boston who strives to succeed. Wanting a scholarship to transfer to Harvard School of Medicine with the desire to become a doctor, Ben learns that he cannot afford the $300,000 for the four to five years of schooling as he comes from a poor, working-class background. But one evening, Ben is introduced by his unorthodox math professor Micky Rosa into a small but secretive club of five. Students Jill, Choi, Kianna, and Fisher, who are being trained by Professor Rosa of the skill of card counting at blackjack. Intrigued by the desire to make money, Ben joins his new friends on secret weekend trips to Las Vegas where, using their skills of code talk and hand signals, they have Ben make hundreds of thousands of dollars in winning blackjack at casino after casino. Ben only wants to make enough money for the tuition to Harvard and then back out. But as fellow card counter, Jill Taylor, predicts, Ben becomes corrupted by greed and his arrogance at winning which lets his feelings get in the way, and it also puts Professor Rosa, as well as the group, on the radar of a brutal casino security enforcer, named Cole Williams, who holds a personal grudge of some kind against Rosa which threatens to undo everything the students have learned and earned. —matt-282
    blackjackbased on true storycard countingmassachusetts institute of technologygambling118 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Inspired by the true story of five students who changed the game forever.
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • History
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for some violence, and sexual content including partial nudity
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Kevin Spacey, as part of their research for the film, they took some of the real players who were on the original team to Vegas. Although they weren't allowed to play, every time they wanted Spacey to up his bet, they would push up against his chair. He said, "I would win every time!"
    • Goofs
      The notion you require an exceptional mind to count cards is faulty. Any person of average intelligence can gain proficiency in even the very sophisticated systems with sufficient practice however the method used in the film, "Hi-Lo" counting is the most basic system that can be learned very quickly by anyone.
    • Quotes

      [Cole Williams confronts Micky for the first time again]

      Ben Campbell: [narrating, when we see Micky tied up in the basement of the casino] I had a 1590 on my SAT. I got a 44 on my MCATs. And I have a 4.0 GPA from MIT. I thought I had my life mapped out. But then I remembered what my Nonlinear Equations professor once told me, always account for variable change.

      Cole Williams: [Cole Williams walks out of the shadows] Hello, Micky.

      Micky Rosa: Look, I got money in Boston. A hundred grand. I'll give it to you. If you just let me walk away. I'll walk away.

      Cole Williams: I don't want your money, Micky. I don't need it. But I know someone who might be interested. He's good with numbers, too. He works for the IRS.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: 21/Chapter 27/Flawless/Stop-Loss/Run Fatboy Run (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Time to Pretend
      Written by Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser

      Performed by MGMT

      Courtesy of Columbia Records

      By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

    User reviews334

    Review
    Top review
    Adequate to kill time
    This film is about a group of mathematical geniuses trying to make lots of money from Las Vegas by playing Black Jack.

    The start of "21" is too slow, and I think they could have cut out a lot of scenes to make the pace quicker. Black Jack is a fast pace game, but the film does not give that pressing pressure during the game. I would also have liked to know why everyone in the team is in this business venture, but the film only explains why Ben is in. This would give the other members of the team more development and depth. In the film, Kianna and Choi are nothing more than mannequins that give signals one in a while. It's a pity that their characters are not explored.

    Though they explain the communication codes well, they have not explained the points system that is central to the whole plot. I was so lost about those +15 and +16's that it killed my enjoyment.

    It's also annoying that they keep going to the same casino, which causes their downfall. If they were so smart, why did they not think about this?
    helpful•3
    1
    • Gordon-11
    • Jul 12, 2008

    FAQ21

    • Is '21' based on a book?
    • How accurate is the movie?
    • Okay, this is based on a true story. So when did the real story take place?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 28, 2008 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Sony Pictures (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • 21 - The Movie
    • Filming locations
      • Caesars Palace - 3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Relativity Media
      • Trigger Street Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $35,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $81,159,365
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $24,105,943
      • Mar 30, 2008
    • Gross worldwide
      • $159,808,370
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 3 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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