Download Free 21

Lots of badly delivered voice-overs (a lazy storytelling mechanism by
the way), wooden acting, flashy cinematography, and unnecessary use of
slow motion coupled with the basic plot of every Tom Cruise movie from
the '80s is no substitute for a real movie. While this may be based on
a real-life story, its similarity to good film entertainment ends at
the point that they both use celluloid. Trite in every sense of the
word, I hope Spacey got paid well as this thing certainly didn't propel
his career anywhere. Nobody in the cast appeared to be trying, and the
creative forces behind the camera flipped the auto-pilot switch "on".
The Discovery Channel documentary reenactment had more dramatic punch..

very very nice movie. .

Odd never heard of it.

its so good cu its good .

this is a good movie..

awesome movie!soooooooo goooood.

i'm inlove with this movie.

great movie ever seen realy nice 1.

i like this movie.

says : it ispires me .

I liked very much the end of the movie...A quite interesting movie....

Considering the risky pleasure generally associated with gambling and
the seductive thrill of watching a heist or scam unfold, it should come
as no surprise that 21, a film which combines the two aforementioned
premises should excel at being enjoyable. And while the film may be
very familiar ground to anyone with in any experience with Ocean's
Eleven style crime capers, and the majority of the film's plot points
verge on being almost laughably predictable, it is executed with enough
exuberant flair to make it worthwhile in the midst of its formula.

A slow start gives the necessary exposition as to how a thoroughly
ethical young MIT student (Sturgess)'s desperate need for money to
attend Harvard medical school leads him to join a team of mathematical
geniuses trained in blackjack card counting who routinely rip off Las
Vegas casinos during weekends between class. However, this opening
proves overlong, overly predictable, and largely unnecessary, dragging
far too much before plunging into the film's real fun as Sturgess and
his team are engulfed by the seductive glamour of Vegas and the thrill
of the huge monetary takes. Some judicious editing, clearing away such
unnecessary subplots (such as a robotics competition with Sturgess'
tiresomely stereotypical nerdy friends) could have resulted in a far
more streamlined and faster paced film.

Some viewers may take offence to the "Hollywoodizing" of the MIT team,
with team members of different ethnicity largely shoved to the
background in favour of the typically gorgeous Caucasian leads, a
disconcertingly common practice in modern day cinema. However, the
flashy MTV style cinematography and editing ably capture the engrossing
spectacle of Vegas, and once the film gets going, it would be difficult
to deny the sheer enjoyment of being swept up in the heady rush of
quick wealth and all of its hedonistic trappings.

The film's quality cast add credulity to the frequently underwritten
characters they portray. Jim Sturgess once again impresses as the
ethical math prodigy slowly corrupted by a world of superficial
glamour, his endearing charm putting an intriguing enough take on the
"troubled but well meaning hero" archetype. As one might expect, Kevin
Spacey effortlessly steals the show as the charismatic but ruthless
professor managing the MIT card counting team, and Spacey's easygoing
yet commanding presence is a profound boost to the film. Kate Bosworth
contributes a typically flat performance, but given her token
'inevitable love interest' role, she fails to detract much from the
film's overall quality. Lawrence Fishburne adds class, much needed
dramatic weight and moments of grim humour to his antagonistic burly
head of casino security, gradually catching on to the MIT team's
scamming.

While the age old adage of 'style over substance' certainly holds true
here, 21 may essentially epitomize the modern Hollywood crime caper
film, but the formula hasn't quite run dry enough to overly detract
from the enjoyment factor. The film's snappy visuals and strong casting
are mostly enough to make up for a largely uninspired and frequently
weak script. However, fans of similar works will not be disappointed,
and for those willing to forgive the film's frequent delving into the
wells of convention and accept entertainment over profundity, 21 should
prove an ideal watch.

-7/10.