"Gamer" Movie Shows Early Promise
See Full ImageThere's a long-running history of terrible movies based on video games, but perhaps things will turn out better if Hollywood simply focuses on the concept of the gamer itself.
The movie "Gamer" is a "high-concept action thriller set in the near future, a time when mind-control technology has taken society by storm." In this warped time, humans actually have the capability to control other humans in a "mass-scale, multiplayer online game." Basically, we no longer control animations, but living, breathing people. In the movie, billionaire Ken Castle, played by Michael C. Hall, has created a futuristic first-person shooter of sorts; a piece of controversial entertainment called "Slayers." It "allows millions to act out their innermost desires and fantasies - online - in front of a global audience." And yet, on the outside, there is still another human..."playing" a human, which is why the movie poster you see here asks, "Who's Playing You?"
Gerard Butler ("300") is the star of "Slayer," and is controlled by Simon, a "young gamer with rock star status who continues to defy all odds by guiding Kable to victory each week." Of course, Kable is a human after all and isn't too keen on the concept of someone else controlling his actions, and he's basically a prisoner. His goal is to escape the game, free his family, reclaim his identity, and "save mankind from Castle's ruthless technology." The film also includes the likes of Amber Valletta, Logan Lerman, John Leguizamo, and Kyra Sedgwick. You can watch the trailer and gain a bit more information on this Lionshead picture by visiting the official site. ...the gamer has suffered many long years of obscurity in the realm of "geekdom;" let's hope "Gamer" adds to the continued "normalizing" of the hobby and those who participate in it.
After watching the trailer, we have to admit: it shows promise. We say this about movies based on games occassionally, but that's just us being ever-optimistic. In this case, it might...actually...work... We anxiously await its release in theaters on September 4.
5/12/2009 Ben Dutka
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter
Comments (33 posts)
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 6:36:22 PM
0 up, 0 down
Ultimadream
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 3:31:16 PM
Reply
Last edited by Ultimadream on 5/12/2009 3:34:00 PM
2 up, 4 down
NiteKrawler
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 7:48:41 PM
4 up, 0 down
SarahPalinMILF
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 7:54:36 PM
2 up, 0 down
Wage SLAVES
Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 6:24:41 AM
LoL!! YESSSS!!!!
Well done, well done....
0 up, 0 down
Swavey
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 3:34:11 PM
Reply
3 up, 1 down
Arvis
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 3:40:13 PM
Reply
-Arvis
2 up, 0 down
Powershifter
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 @ 12:12:23 PM
0 up, 0 down
Powershifter
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 @ 12:13:17 PM
0 up, 0 down
Arvis
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 @ 1:17:31 PM
Incidentally, this is something I would watch too, even if it does sound ridiculous.
-Arvis
0 up, 0 down
CH1N00K
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 4:00:00 PM
Reply
If anyone has ever read Enders Game, this movie seems to be taken a bit from that concept I think.
Now the question is, will they make a video game based on a movie about a video game?
I just watched the trailer and saw the guy from Dexter in it..I love his show, so I'll give his movie a shot. Count me in!
Last edited by CH1N00K on 5/12/2009 4:03:51 PM
2 up, 0 down
Oyashiro
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 4:02:42 PM
1 up, 0 down
Byakko2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 4:06:32 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Deadman
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 4:11:20 PM
1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 4:09:55 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Douchebaguette
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 5:22:18 PM
Reply
A] Gerard Butler
B] The plot sounds so daring it HAS to be great.
------------------------------------------
I mean it's like one of those nutty movies that you'll never forget. I mean, we ALL remember how awesome Highlander was, no matter how cheesy it was. Same for 300, & Fifth Element.
For s**ts & giggles there has to be kill narrations & a teabagging scene.
0 up, 0 down
King James
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 5:48:19 PM
Reply
Movie's got potential. I'm not sold yet though.
0 up, 0 down
Zaben
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 6:01:57 PM
Reply
Hopefully they can pull it off.
0 up, 0 down
SPS3
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 7:44:42 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
NiteKrawler
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 7:46:35 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
KevinCairo
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 @ 7:02:07 PM
Reply
Honestly, from hearing that plot summary, this movie sounds so chocked up full of cheese that I'm actually upset by it. I just don't understand; how could anyone read the part about the dude in the game wanting to save his family and not give themselves a Spartan-force forehead slap? It sounds terrible, just absolutely terrible. There's no logical basis for this plot. Like the Matrix had its foundation in the fact that mankind was enslaved by the robots, not by itself (Well, I'm speaking solely from watching the first; if that turns out to be untrue, then I definitely understand why the sequels are considered so bad).
Here is how this plot could redeem itself to the level of barely passable mediocrity:
People play video games and control video game characters with true artificial intelligence. In other words, they aren't real, physics human being because that's retarded; instead, they are real personalities that exist in virtual reality, thus we sympathize with them as if they were real people, but it still has some logical basis for the whole situation.
I seriously can't believe this movie has actually come into existence AFTER the 1980's.
Last edited by KevinCairo on 5/13/2009 7:03:10 PM
0 up, 0 down
NiteKrawler
Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 11:12:50 AM
1 up, 0 down
KevinCairo
Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 12:33:07 AM
1 up, 0 down
NiteKrawler
Saturday, May 16, 2009 @ 11:02:22 PM
P.S. And logic is subjective anyway which completely, entirely, utterly, fully, detailedly, exhaustively, perfectly and wholly invalidates your point inside out, up and down, altogether, through and through.
Last edited by NiteKrawler on 5/16/2009 11:13:09 PM
0 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 5:56:05 PM
Reply
And maybe even more so if done horribly wrong too, LMAO
0 up, 0 down
coverton341
Reply
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 @ 3:29:45 PM