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Reindeer Games

Reindeer Games

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: If only a little enthusiasm were put into this film....
Review: Is it just me or is it as if everybody in "Reindeer Games" appears with a look on their face that screams "I'm just here for the paycheck!". This thriller by John Frakenheimer has an incoherent plot (like most action thrillers of late) and no energy whatsoever. The usually great Affleck, Theron, and Sinise all look so bored and depressed while onscreen. The stupid plot twists which make absolutely no sense could have been easily forgiven had the actors put a little energy and enthusiasm into their roles. Affleck was just plain cheesy. Theron was annoying as was Sinise. I'm not even going to start on the supporting characters played by James Frain and Dennis Farina. I strongly suggest that if you're in the mood for an action thriller that's actually fun that you need to keep on moving. "Reindeer Games" is definitely not fun....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 'Games' DVD Worth Playing
Review: It might suprise you to know but one of the year's most mullioned films is also one of it's best, though that's not saying much considering what a slow year it has been. Ben Affleck, proving he's a capable leading man, plays Rudy Duncan, a reformed car theif awaiting his release after a six year sentence. But after a friend is stabbed he decides to assumed his identity (and his girlfriend). Things start to get tangled up as Gary Sinise enters the picture, playing the role to grungy perfection. He's a con himself and wants Rudy to help him and his cohorts knock off a casino they think he worked at. If you sit around expecting a blow-'em-up action movie you're going to be sadly disappointed, it's a thriller an edge of your seat suspense yarn that has enough twists and turns to keep your head spinning into the next evening. It's an element that not all viewers with appreicate but I loved it and enjoy this movie more & more upon repeat watchings. The DVD offers an unimpressive commentary track by Frankenheimer and is sadly without the over-the-top action sequences that have been deleted from the film but not the trailer.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Please don't waste your time............
Review: Sorry Ben and you hotty Ms. Theron - but this movie sucks....bad.

Don't buy it, don't rent it, don't lose a couple hours of your life that you will NEVER get back, ever ever ever.

I have seen some bad movie's in my time (Howard the Duck, Prospero's Book), but this is just about the worst. I can't blame the actors, I think it was the script and/or directing. I have seem them both in other things and really liked them, so I can't see how they could have all of a sudden become as bad of actors as Kathy Ireland (pretty, but should keep her mouth shut), I just don't see it.

Just my humble opinion

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: They never let poor Rudolph...
Review: Boy. There are very few times when I leave a theatre dissatisfied, but Reindeer Games was definitely one of them. With three castmembers I typically enjoy (Affleck, Theron and Sinise), I don't know how this film could have disappointed more. The convoluted plotline only gets worse as the film goes home...and only God knows what Bruckheimer was thinking when he shot that ending. Best watch this film in the company of friends a la Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Reindeer Games - Please don't let me see this again
Review: This movie was just terrible. The acting is the worst that I have seen out of all of the actors. It's not because they are bad actors, it is because they were given such terrible dialogue to work with. Ben Affleck's character didn't know whether to be tough or scared. It was just so up and down, that it seemed like he was playing two characters. A wimp and a tough guy. It didn't make sense. The only reason that I gave the movie 2 instead of one stars is because it had a little surprise at the end that I didn't expect. Other than that, it was a complete waste of time. I wouldn't even advise renting it, let alone buying it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A Lump Of Coal
Review: First i am going to start out by saying that John Frankinheimer is a great director and great at creating plot twists a la The Manchurian Candidate and Last years Ronin. Now with the movie Ben Affleck stars in the title role as a con who is soon to get out of prison in a couple of days and on the outside is lovely Charlize theron waiting for him after Rudy's(Affleck) cell mate wrote letters to her from prison when he was killed Rudy goes as his dead cell mate. But on the out side he gets invloved is Ashley's(Theron) brothers casino heist plan. Gabriel played by Gary Sinise who is cooking this plan for this floundering michigan casino. So Rudy gets invloved.

Coming from Screenwriter Ethren Kruger and John Frakinheimer you would expect something more thrilling. But this movie was sh shallow mainly because of the weak script and thin plotting and wasting good talent. The more you watch of this movie you begin to scoff in disbelief and the twists are so predictibable. Another problem is with the casting of Ben Affleck who is generally a good actor but as an action he has to mature because he has a goofy charm to him that is not ment for action roles. To sum it all up Reindeer Games is a BIG LUMP OF COAL

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: rediculous from start to finish.
Review: A guy in prison decides he wants to rob the casino he once worked in. Since this is likely to be dangerous he dupes his cellmate into comitting the crime. But poor Ben (who, in some scenes can hardly keep from laughing) doesn't know anything about the casino. Oops.

Now I understand this is not a documentary but this is so utterly unbelieveable that it spoils everything. The problem is, there isn't any reason for the bad guys to keep Ben around--except that he's the star.

Big comedy potential, especially with the Santa suits.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Could this movie be anymore obvious?
Review: This movie should be in the comedy section, because I found myself laughing at it more than being thrilled at it. The characters are just plain stupid, mostly Gary Sinese (whenever I see him with long hair I always think of him without legs...not a very threatening villian I must say). The plot twists are obvious, and stupid. Bad acting, bad script, BAD MOVIE!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One hell of a good movie!
Review: This is probably one of my favorite movies. The main story in 'Reindeer Games' is that an excon, Rudy Duncan (affleck) poses as his jailmate in order to meet his pen pal Ashley (theron). Then her brother, thinking that affleck is really the jailmate, forces him at gunpoint to help him rob a casino. This movie was more than what I had expected in all the right categories. Nonstop action meets tingling suspense and even some humor. Rent this movie... I garantee that you will love it just as I did. I will definately be buying this one when it comes out on VHS. I LOVE IT!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Terrific acting and directing wasted on dubious plot
Review: I realize that when you watch a film there is a need to suspend disbelief, but this film is ridiculous. This story has more holes than a colander and it gets more ludicrous as it progresses.

It starts out well plausibly enough. Upon release from prison, Rudy Duncan (Ben Affleck) impersonates his cellmate Nick (James Frain) in order to get with Ashley (Chalene Theron), his lovely pen-pal girlfriend. After a short frolic, Ashley's evil brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) and his thugs kidnap Rudy, thinking he is Nick. It seems Nick once worked as a security guard in a casino that the thugs want to rob. The film is intriguing to here, but a succession of dubious situations and plot twists mar what started out as a good setup.

Ehren Kruger has given us some good scripts (Scream 3, Arlington Road), but in this story he tried to be a little too clever and it bombed. There was a lot of exceptionally bad dialogue. There were so many holes in the plot, Kruger felt compelled to try to patch it up with explanatory dialogue near the end. The ending was so far beyond inconceivable that it bordered on moronic.

Director John Frankenheimer did a very nice job with the camera, giving us a great variety of innovative perspective shots, and pacing the film well. The action scenes and stunts were also well done.

The acting was terrific by the entire cast. It is a pity that they didn't have better material. Gary Sinise was nefarious and slimy as Ashley's evil brother. Chalize Theron was wonderfully duplicitous as Ashley, all dewy eyed with Rudy at first, then playing the helpless victim, and later as the cold-hearted woman with the pistol in her hand. That was quite a range and she was fabulous in just about every scene. Ben Affleck might have been a little too nice to be Rudy. Though he was only a car thief, he just didn't seem much like a convict. Still, he has good screen presence, and he carried the role off pretty well.

I rated this film a 6/10. I subtracted three points for the dubious plot and another point for the absurd ending. The acting and directing were marvelous, but the story was so flawed that it couldn't be redeemed.


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