I call it "Emotion's Eleven."

I don't get where all the hate for this film comes from. It's just as slick a casino movie as "Ocean's Eleven." Maybe not quite as entertaining or funny, but it's actually a film where the stakes are high, whereas O11 is about guys just wanting to get rich and getting to pretty much laugh their way through it. Jim Sturgess gave a surprisingly strong turn in the lead role, Spacey stole every scene he was in, that Aaron Yoo kid again made me laugh, Bosworth was fine, and Fishburne was, as expected, a tight bad-ass in his small part. I had a great time watching this, and since it's been released, my four friends who have seen this movie have used the word "great" in their description of it. I wouldn't go that far with it, but I see where they're coming from. I think it's this year's "Disturbia" in a box office/popularity regard.

B+

Not very slick, the direction is the definition of bland, the story is somehow portrayed in a way that I didn't care one bit for any character in the movie, and they managed to make a true story seem completely incomprehensible. There was nothing original here, and it totally seemed to miss the atmosphere of Vegas. Not to mention the actual aspect of the game of Blackjack is completely ignored. It didn't need to go to the extreme like Casino Royale, but hell, shouldn't the strategies and the game be explained a little more if that's the focal point of the movie's plot? I just couldn't buy what this movie was trying to sell me. The only saving grace is its acting, which is pretty good all around, especially Spacey (surprise!). Sturgess was serviceable, but he didn't really jump off the screen to be honest.

To best sum up my feelings, it's not a BAD movie. It just seems like it could have been so much better: more engaging, different, and fun. It's a shame this movie is even mentioned in the same sentence as Disturbia when discussing its box office, because even they have two totally different themes, it has nothing on Disturbia in terms of entertainment value or quality.

C

EDIT: And it's funny how that Asian kid is in both of these movies

Personally, I would rather watch this turd a hundred more times than sit through another moment of Disturbia.

Well, I think 21 is this year's Disturbia.. and not just in term of box office..

both films begin being some nice teen movies.. and then go to the thrilling part .. and end with the ok but somehow weak ending.. and both feature that Asian dude..

and as I did with Disturbia.. I had fun

B+

it's a good little film. Drags in places and Jim Sturgess is not a very good actor but still a solid film

B.

B/B+


It's a stylish fun flick that could have been better, but also could have turned out significantly worse. Jim Sturgess did a decent job in the lead, but there's just something about him that I don't like, even though I can't really put a finger on it. I think the omnly actor that stood out somewhat here was Kevin Spacey (yeah, I know, big surprise). He's just great as an asshole.

The story is just pretty interesting itself and the scenes in the casinos are fun. The whole thing with being beaten up for counting cards is way over-the-top and unrealistic, though (especially considering it's legal. They can throw you out of the casinoi, but beating the bloody hell outta you? I doubt that, not nowadays).

The cinematography was a bit weird in this one. While it worked very well in the blackjack scenes and pretty much inside of the casinos, in most other scenes it just seemed out of place. The characters here are pretty much all cardboards, but the film luckily never aspires to make them anymore than that. The main character's ark is as predictable as it gets (though I was surprised when Laurence Fishburne snatched the money afterall) and the very ending becomes obvious about two minutes into the film. The way there, however, albeit a tad too long at 120 minutes is stil a lot of fun. As for the comparisons to Disturbia, I'd rate this one just a tad higher, but I also migt be biased since I'm personally into poker and blackjack, so it was a very interesting watch for me from another viewpoint as well.

Damn. Didnt know that. But it did seem odd that they had two asians in the group rather than the token one - i guess thats an attempt to appease readers of the book. (I think Liza Lapira is extremely cute btw) and the scene in the asian underground casino also made me think that the real gang was probably all asian.

I liked the film. It was very enjoyable even if it was flawed. My main gripes were the start which was a little slow and the part where they get Spacey's character to rejoin them so easily which seemed a stretch.

B+

C+

Ridiculously stupid in every way. Sturgess is really hot, but the acting is nothing special here either. Bosworth even more so. Spacey is great and Fishburne had other places to be.

Having said all that, it was still rather entertaining.

Style over substance.

This movie has a nice soundtrack.

But...

The plot is unconvincing. I couldn't make sense out of why the gang kept patronizing the same casino where Fishburne's character worked. And why would the college kids trust a brutal casino security more than their own professor? How could they not forsee that the casino security is no better person to them than their professor? Also, I wasn't convinced by the unsophisticated card-counting scheme acted out in the movie.

And...

The movie has little character development. It relies too much on dialogues and social stereotypes to build their one-dimensional characters.

Grade: C-

I liked it. I thought it was slick and comprehensible from start to finish. Spacey, Sturgess, and Fishbourne were great.

B+

Cool movie. predictible but very entertaining flick nonetheless.

B+

Very solid film.

B+

21 - 8/10 (B+)

Very entertaining! Jim Sturgess is extremely charming (and sexy) and Kate Bosworth is still not very attractive.

Better than any of the "Ocean's" films for sure.

It's solid, but forgettable. Nothing stands out, but nothing is really bad. And it has a good enough reveal to make the viewer feel alright about spending the past two hours watching it.

- B-

To echo what everyone has said (in almost every review in this thread), it's solid, slick entertainment.

Really enjoyed it.

**½

Another film that's a seemingly fun watch (though not nearly as much as The Bank Job) that is so totally and completely bland in all aspects that it sucks any potential entertainment value right out. The screenplay seems like it was written with a book of clichés open beside it (I'm surprised there was no dying mother or younger sibling for our hero to save with his winnings), and the actors add little to the material, even Spacey, who clearly sleepwalked his way to a paycheck in this one. Somehow these filmmakers made a gambling movie without any style. Bravo to them.

I thought that this film actually had mostly style going for it and little else,