The blurb: “A drawn out adaptation of the book, Bringing Down the House about six MIT students cheating the Vegas blackjack system.”

This movie proves one thing; blackjack is not as exciting to watch as Texas Hold ‘Em poker.  The movie realizes that and does not make the viewer watch hand after hand of blackjack.  Unfortunately, the characters are not interesting enough to be interested the entire time.

Laurence Fishburne and Kevin Spacey show just how average they can be as actors.  They are the known faces, yet provide no substance that an actor of their experience should have provided. Jim Sturgess, fresh off Across the Universe does a good job as the lead character while all other MIT students stay in the background and never make a name for themselves.  The writers could have provided some interesting sidebars with the competing MIT team, but chose to create conflict and end it in about two seconds.

The movie makes attempts at creating a revenge plot and doing an about face with something the viewer was not supposed to suspect, but for me, the ending was obvious from the beginning.  The movie tries to keep you guessing toward the end, it should have  that this is a story about a math whiz getting caught up in money, this is not a thriller trying to figure out whodunit or who is bad, who is good.  This movie forgot who it was.

There is nothing extra to really talk about in this movie.  21 is 21.  21 is blackjack. Wouldn’t it have been more interesting to truly feel what Sturgess’ character was going through when he wins it all and loses it all, as he deals with old friends and new friends, instead of some double cross situation that is all too obvious?  The writers made a huge mistake as Sturgess seems to be the next up and comer in actors.  He could have shined, but instead was dim, but brighter than Spacey and Fishburne.  Kate Bosworth proves she is just a pretty face.  Seriously, can you even think of a memorable Bosworth role?  She reminds me of the football player Brian Bosworth, all a face with nothing else to show for it.  She proves as long as you are pretty, you can get roles in Hollywood.

Note how I spent the last half of that paragraph not even talking about the movie.  That is pretty much how memorable it is.  I was in a movie mood; I should have waited for DVD, saved my money and checked out something at Hollywood Video.  If only this movie were as fun as being 21.

Similar recommended titles: Rounders and Oceans 11