The duo of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor make movies that pummel, pound, and race with a freewheeling liveliness and attention-deficit style that is simply and utterly FUN. I find myself throwing out my usual stingy, nit-picking criticisms when it comes to the creators of the unapologetically sexist and blood-soaked "Crank" films. And their latest, "Gamer," is like a cocktail of pure cane sugar and Red Bull injected right into the viewer's nervous system. In the not-so-distant future, video games have been taken the next level: instead of controlling characters on a screen, gamers command flesh-and-blood human beings whose brain cells have been spiked with the latest in nanotechnology. On one end of the spectrum, there is the candy-rave-colored "Society" (think "The Sims" with a ramped-up sleaze factor); and on the other, "Slayers," an ultraviolent shooter where death row inmates are set loose in an enclosed area to annihilate anything that gets in their way. What makes this old concept seem fresh and vital (in addition to Neveldine/Taylor's starbursts of visual ingenuity) is how the phenomenon has consumed a society that gets off on the vicarious thrill of voyeuristic sex and sadistic violence, and the ironic relationships between the players and those who control them: Gerard Butler (seemingly standing in for the similarly inexpressive Jason Statham) plays Kable, the top "Slayer" who has seen his way through 27 of 30 deadly levels; his controller is a jaded, spoiled brat who is almost the equivalent of his celebrity (his game room is a panorama where video messages from eager groupies overlap with the gameplay); Amber Valletta plays Angie (Kable's estranged wife), who is decked out in skimpy attire on the "Society" set, and controlled by an obese, mouth-breathing slob. Elsewhere, billionaire game designer Ken Castle (a wonderfully over-the-top--if slightly underused--Michael C. Hall) is reaping the benefits of his creations while setting in motion his own shadowy agenda, and the anarchic underground group Humanz (headed by rapper Ludicrous) attempts to expose the slaughterhouse secret of the gaming industry to the oblivious, indulgent masses. While Neveldine/Taylor lay the groundwork for a social commentary about mankind's lust for thrills in the face of boredom, apathy, and the sloth of modern technology, they never get carried away to the point where it's a preachy downer (indeed, the exposition never goes on for too long); and while the ultraviolence directly contradicts a condemnation of such, "Gamer" delivers in spades on its multiplex promise: a fast, frantic, and fun flick with some food for thought thrown in. Plug in and power up.
7.5 out of 10
7.5 out of 10