Clark Kent says: ‘Gamer’ is a high-concept action thriller set in the not-so-distant future that is movie theaters NOW. Bridging the video game world and entertainment into a terrifying new hybrid where humans control humans is a creative notion thought up by the minds behind ‘Crank‘ & ‘Crank 2‘… but is it worth spend $14.50 for in the theaters? Read more after the jump.

GOOD: Gerard Butler stars as the video game superstar-slash-cult hero, Kable, of the ultraviolet “Slayers.” Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor do a great job of creating a frenetically paced film that has three distinct styles. The action-packed excitement of ‘Slayers’ and the PS3 Home-like experience of ‘Society’ mixed in with the real world aspect makes ‘Gamer’ pretty compelling. The plot finds Kable (Butler) the pawn of Michael C. Hall’s (Showtime’s ‘Dexter’) diabolical scheme to take over the world. ‘Gamer’ is NOT a boring movie by any means. Neveldine/Taylor pack a lot of wallop into this film which should excite teenage audiences.

BAD: Younger audiences may not remember those awful schtick movies like ‘Johnny Mnemonic‘ and ‘Virtuosity,’ but ‘Gamer’ is an incomprehensible mess. There may be an allegory about today’s Twitteration (Twitter generation), but it gets lost amidst the battle scenes that are shot all over the place. I was about three minutes late to the screening and still managed to miss out on the initial plot of ‘Gamer.’ While Butler’s Kable is full of violence and rage, his avatar Simon (played by Logan Lerman) is only briefly highlighted and is made only important during the battle scenes. You’re left wondering what the whole point of the movie is and as it gradually breaks down, you’re still scratching your head.

UGLY: The performances are wooden and if you’ve watched enough genre-bending movies you can manage to follow the dialogue and predict where the movie is headed. Specifically John Leguizamo (‘Righteous Kill’), Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (RockNRolla) and TNT’s own Kyra Sedgwick (‘The Closer’) have phoned-in performances. In the end, ‘Gamer’ isn’t ‘Johnny Mnemonic’ – it does give you enough thrills and blood-spills reminiscent of ‘Death Race‘ to warrant some attention. But the movie’s true message may be lost on those just looking for guns and explosions. Judge for yourself below:

Gamer is a high-concept action thriller set in a near future when gaming and entertainment have evolved into a terrifying new hybrid. Humans control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online games: people play people… for keeps.

VIA CS:

Mind-control technology is widespread, and at the heart of the controversial games is its creator, reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall). His latest brainchild, the first-person shooter game “Slayers,” allows millions to act out their most savage fantasies online in front of a global audience, using real prisoners as avatars with whom they fight to the death.

Kable (“300′s” Gerard Butler) is the superstar and cult hero of the ultraviolent “Slayers.” Kable is controlled by Simon, a young gamer with rock star status who continues to defy all odds by guiding Kable to victory each week. Taken from his family, imprisoned and forced to fight against his will, the modern day gladiator must survive long enough to escape the game to free his family, regain his identity and to save mankind from Castle’s ruthless technology.

Check out the trailer below and keep an eye out when Gamer hits theaters on Sept. 4th!