«21»
This movie looks great in the Blu-Ray format. The Las Vegas scenery is gorgeous. The story is interesting and the characters are believable.
[Tuesday, November 25, 2008]
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«Slick &Entertaining, But Far From Reality»
I enjoyed the movie because it was entertaining all the way. It was slick and had interesting characters. The only problem was the last half of it where credibility when flying out the window. The movie is all about supposedly very intelligent people, led by the smartest of the all the group, the only veteran in this college age-dominated cast: "Professor Mickey Rosa," played by Kevin Spacey. Well, Rosa would not do what he did here, for starters, meaning trusting an untrustworthy and revenge-seeking kid. If you've seen the movie you know what I mean. The others in the group wouldn't go along with the renegade - "Ben Campbell" (Jim Sturgess) - either. There is no way this kid is going to totally outsmart the professor, but it makes for good Hollywood dramatics.
There are a bunch of other holes, too, such as wanting to be anonymous but going back to the same place; a ridiculous chase scene through the casino gambling area and kitchen; hand signals that a junior detective could see (and are never changed!) and - maybe the worst - winning tons of money in sessions. Nobody with half a brain would win much at any session, because it draws attention. You win a little here, a little there and go from place-to-place and remain anonymous. This movie is based on a true story, and I can guarantee you that's what the MIT students did in real life - not what you see here.
Still, facts aside, it's still a fun movie to watch and since entertainment is the name of the game with films, it succeeds and I still give it an "8" star rating for that. At no time was I bored and overly insulted at the dumbness that I would have stopped playing the DVD. It will hold your interest and you'll be thoroughly entertained, especially if you don't know a lot about blackjack and how casinos operate.
Oh, as a postscript: they don't beat up "card counters" in back rooms of casinos. If they think you are counting cards, which I don't believe is illegal, they still have the right to kick you out of their establishment.....but they ask you nicely and you are removed from the floor with no big scene or violence. They have your picture, there are security people everywhere, and you aren't allowed back.
So, enjoy the film but don't believe the screenplay.
[Monday, November 17, 2008]
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«3 Stars Good but not Great»
Many of the other reviews talk about the storyline but I am writing this just as one man's opinion. 21 was a fun movie to watch. There is nothing extremely captivating about the movie. I was honestly more enthusiastic to watch the movie than I should have been. Something about the story line of going to Vegas to beat the odds is fun and it gets the addreniline pumping even as you watch but in the end you know it will come crashing down.
The bottom line about this movie is that it has a decent story line and is entertaining. 3 stars is a perfect rating because although I would recommend it to most people, if you have something else you have been really wanting to buy then buy that movie instead of 21
[Tuesday, November 11, 2008]
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