21

21

I liked it a little. Mike did not. Not even a little.

Perhaps it was because he read the book and told me that the only thing that the movie got right was that they played blackjack in Vegas.

Perhaps he thought that Kate Bosworth was only there to look pretty. Which she really... didn't. What a waste.

Perhaps he thought that Kevin Spacey was a fine actor and that he's either looking to start a business and needed additional startup funds or that he planned on donating his paycheck to victims of gambling addiction. Because this role wasn't good enough for him.

Perhaps I am the one to think those things, but whatever.

Anyway, the plot of 21 is pretty light: Poor kid is brilliant. Poor kid is accepted to Harvard Medical School but cannot afford it. MIT Professor recruits him to play blackjack and count cards and rip off "Vegas." Poor kid screws up and loses lots of professor's money, is returned in kind. Violence ensues.

But... does anyone get beat up in back rooms in Vegas anymore?

Anyway, it's worth a Netflix rental if you'd like to see Kevin Spacey chewing the scenery or Kate Bosworth pressed up against a Vegas hotel window. Otherwise, it's semi-entertaining, I suppose. But given the option, I'd rent something else.