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Gamer

  • 2009
  • R
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
137K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,461
229
Gamer (2009)
A TV spot for the movie Gamer.
Play trailer0:17
14 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionSci-FiThriller

In a future mind-controlling game, death row convicts are forced to battle in a 'Doom'-type environment. Convict Kable, controlled by Simon, a skilled teenage gamer, must survive thirty sess... Read allIn a future mind-controlling game, death row convicts are forced to battle in a 'Doom'-type environment. Convict Kable, controlled by Simon, a skilled teenage gamer, must survive thirty sessions in order to be set free.In a future mind-controlling game, death row convicts are forced to battle in a 'Doom'-type environment. Convict Kable, controlled by Simon, a skilled teenage gamer, must survive thirty sessions in order to be set free.

  • Directors
    • Mark Neveldine
    • Brian Taylor
  • Writers
    • Mark Neveldine
    • Brian Taylor
  • Stars
    • Gerard Butler
    • Michael C. Hall
    • Ludacris
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.7/10
    137K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,461
    229
    • Directors
      • Mark Neveldine
      • Brian Taylor
    • Writers
      • Mark Neveldine
      • Brian Taylor
    • Stars
      • Gerard Butler
      • Michael C. Hall
      • Ludacris
    • 286User reviews
    • 182Critic reviews
    • 27Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos14

    Gamer: “Let’s Rock” TV Spot
    Trailer 0:17
    Watch Gamer: “Let’s Rock” TV Spot
    Gamer -- Remix Trailer
    Trailer 2:01
    Watch Gamer -- Remix Trailer
    Gamer
    Trailer 2:32
    Watch Gamer
    Gamer: "Play to Live” TV Spot
    Clip 1:02
    Watch Gamer: "Play to Live” TV Spot
    Gamer -- "It's Cool, Yeah"
    Clip 0:40
    Watch Gamer -- "It's Cool, Yeah"
    Gamer: Play To Live (Tv Spot)
    Clip 1:02
    Watch Gamer: Play To Live (Tv Spot)
    Gamer: Hitchhiker
    Clip 0:39
    Watch Gamer: Hitchhiker
    Gamer: Brother
    Clip 1:00
    Watch Gamer: Brother
    Gamer: It's Cool, Yeah?
    Clip 0:40
    Watch Gamer: It's Cool, Yeah?
    Gamer: Van Rescue
    Clip 0:39
    Watch Gamer: Van Rescue
    Gamer
    Interview 0:30
    Watch Gamer
    Gamer
    Interview 0:33
    Watch Gamer

    Photos174

    Gerard Butler and Logan Lerman in Gamer (2009)
    Gerard Butler and Ludacris in Gamer (2009)
    Kyra Sedgwick, Alison Lohman, Ludacris, and Aaron Yoo in Gamer (2009)
    Amber Valletta and Milo Ventimiglia in Gamer (2009)
    Gerard Butler and Terry Crews in Gamer (2009)
    Gerard Butler in Gamer (2009)
    Michael C. Hall in Gamer (2009)
    Gamer (2009)
    Gerard Butler in Gamer (2009)
    Gamer (2009)
    Gerard Butler and Keith Jardine in Gamer (2009)
    Gamer (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gerard Butler
    Gerard Butler
    • Kable
    Michael C. Hall
    Michael C. Hall
    • Ken Castle
    Ludacris
    Ludacris
    • Humanz Brother
    • (as Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges)
    Amber Valletta
    Amber Valletta
    • Angie
    Kyra Sedgwick
    Kyra Sedgwick
    • Gina Parker Smith
    Logan Lerman
    Logan Lerman
    • Simon
    Alison Lohman
    Alison Lohman
    • Trace
    Terry Crews
    Terry Crews
    • Hackman
    Ramsey Moore
    • Gorge
    Aaron Yoo
    Aaron Yoo
    • Humanz Dude
    Jonathan Chase
    Jonathan Chase
    • Geek Leader
    Dan Callahan
    Dan Callahan
    • Backup Geek
    Brighid Fleming
    Brighid Fleming
    • Delia
    Johnny Whitworth
    Johnny Whitworth
    • Scotch
    Keith Jardine
    Keith Jardine
    • Mean Slayer
    Michael Weston
    Michael Weston
    • Producer
    Joseph D. Reitman
    Joseph D. Reitman
    • Board Op
    • (as Joe Reitman)
    John de Lancie
    John de Lancie
    • Chief of Staff
    • Directors
      • Mark Neveldine
      • Brian Taylor
    • Writers
      • Mark Neveldine
      • Brian Taylor
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Timeline

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film takes place in 2034.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1 min) 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

      [For the first time, Kable is speaking with Simon, his controller in the game]

      Kable: What are you, twelve?

      Simon: I'm seventeen, thank you.

      Kable: This is unbelievable! Why am I not dead yet?

      Simon: Because I am a bad-ass motherfucker.

    • Alternate versions
      German theatrical version was cut by ca. 1 minute to secure a "Not under 18" rating. This was done by distributor Universum before submitting the film to the FSK. The cut version was also released on Blu-ray/DVD. Another DVD version was created for retail chains, this version lacks ca. 11 minutes and is rated "Not under 16". A few weeks after the release of these versions, the uncut version was submitted to the FSK which rated it "Not under 18", too. Since the rating scale for home video is higher than for theatrical releases, the uncut version would have gotten that rating for theatrical release as well, thus it was completely unnecessary to create a cut version in the first place.
    • Connections
      Edited into 5 Second Movies: Gamer (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
      Written by Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (as David Allan Stewart)

      Performed by Marilyn Manson

      Courtesy of Interscope Records

      Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

    User reviews286

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    So-so at best, more notable for missed potential rather than what it does
    At one point during this film my girlfriend commented that it "looked just like Modern Warfare 2" – a game she has seen me play all too much and all too frequently. Indeed it does look very much like a FPS at times and this is the point of what is essentially the concept of The Running Man updated for the modern world of online gaming and living other lives out via the internet. Although the idea is far-fetched in terms of controlling people and indeed killing them, it is not a huge step for a fantasy film and it stays close to the world of Second Life, The Sims and the Call of Duty online shooter franchise. So, to my mind, this film had potential to be relevant, interesting, insightful or at least have loads of good action.

    The problem is that, while it does a very small amount of all those things, it doesn't really do anything particularly well. The makers/writers clearly know the world they are entering here (witness a fat man "playing" a hot woman online, or a soldier tea-bagging a fallen enemy in the middle of all the action) but they don't seem to have an opinion on it all or, if they do, then it doesn't come across very well in the writing. I say this because the social commentary here is minimal. OK there are certain things shown that are exaggerated versions of where we now are but that in itself is not enough to count – there is no opinion behind it, nothing for the viewer to think about either then or later on that evening. This leaves the action to carry the film.

    On this front the film is "OK" as it has noise and a sort of plot for us to follow. Problem is that the way both are delivered actually detracts rather than enhances. I get the idea – the rapid editing and regular "static" touches to the footage meant to suggest the world of broadcast and online media. Problem is that it is all too frantic and too excessive to really engage. The "Second Life" sections are just too OTT to not seem daft and it doesn't feel like an established online game but rather everyone enjoying the novelty of it (which is not where this part of the film is). Again the hot pants, regular nudity and general female sexuality is all part of the gaming world but done to excess like it is here it spoils things a bit rather than being a fair observation – it feels the film is overdoing it on purpose to play to these viewers. Similarly the action is hampered by two things. Firstly the same frantic editing makes it all too chaotic and too hard to get into in terms of being an action movie. The second thing to note is that by being so close to a FPS in terms of look it forgets that generally video games are best when played and actually make for pretty dull viewing when you're waiting for your turn. The action scenes are mostly "so-so" where really these should have been the place where the viewer is "gotten into the film". Perhaps the style worked with Crank because the whole film was nonsense but here the concept doesn't suit it.

    The cast were maybe attracted by the concept hoping for more intelligence but nobody has much to do. Butler remains to be nothing more than a solid presence to me – not sure why he is seen as a big star lead all of a sudden but here we are. He is OK I guess but his performance cannot find the humanity or comment that is lacking from the script. More irritating is the way Hall is wasted. So great in Six Feet Under and Dexter, he has very little to work with here – although he still works with it well. Sedgwick is equally wasted while Ludicrous appears to have done all his stuff in about two days and has no character to speak of. Crews is a physical presence but again his part in the film is so poorly thought out that he might as well not be there. Nobody really excels here and it is all about the delivery – which sadly isn't great either.

    Overall Gamer is a distraction that works on that level but never gets close to the potential it has. At moments it seems like it will be excessive craziness like Crank was – but it doesn't ever follow through on that (even if it does produce a great moment for Pysch fans). It has a concept that suggests social commentary but doesn't have anything to say. Finally it sells itself as an action movie but is put together in such a way that the action doesn't have a flow to it that draws the viewer in. For all it offers Gamer is sadly average at best – distracting and short but that's about the height of the praise I can offer it.
    helpful•24
    17
    • bob the moo
    • Sep 18, 2010

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    FAQ9

    • Is "Gamers" based on a book?
    • Does Kable have a real name?
    • How do the Nanites work?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 4, 2009 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site (France)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Citizen Game
    • Filming locations
      • Albuquerque Studios - 5650 University Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • Lionsgate
      • Lakeshore Entertainment
      • Lakeshore Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $50,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $20,534,907
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $9,156,057
      • Sep 6, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $40,828,540
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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