The Running Man is one of those perfect little action films of the 80's, about a not so distant future in which TV is king, and the top show of all-time is a game where convicts are forced to do battle with murderous "stalkers" to win their freedom. Arnold Schwarzenegger starred as a resistance fighter forced to take part, who vows to destroy the corrupt system that controls the game.
Well, take that idea to the next level and you've got Gamer. Set in the future, Gamer takes place in a world where mind control technology has allowed players to take control of death row inmates and pit them against each other in wide scale death matches. If an inmate survives 30 matches, they win their freedom. Gerard Butler stars as the top "slayer" on the verge of securing his release, but his true goal is find and destroy the game's creator, played by Dexter's Michael C. Hall.
Gamer is written and directed by Mark Neveldine, and if his name sounds familiar it's because he was the man behind two of the three Crank films, so expect tons of over-the-top violence. Always a good thing. Judging by the cast alone this one is worth waiting for. Besides Butler and Hall the film also features Alison Lohman, Milo Ventimiglia, Aaron Yoo, Ludacris, Terry Crews, Kyra Sedgwick, Zoe Bell, and John Leguizamo.
Gamer goes live on September 4, 2009. Check out the trailer and let me know what you think.
