Fireside Chats with Steveskin: 21 (2008) Blu-ray Review

steveskin

Studio Name: Columbia Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Disc Information: BD 50
Video Codec: MPEG-4 AVC 1080p 2.40:1
Tested Audio Track: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Director: Robert Luketic
Starring Cast: Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo

SYNOPSIS: Movie 7/10

"21" is loosely based off of a true story about a group of MIT students that set up a system to cheat at the game of Blackjack (21) in Vegas (which inspired the book "Bringing Down the House" by Ben Mezrich). These incredibly smart students were able to successfully count cards and developed a system to communicate with each other (in order to determine if a table was 'hot' or not).

The story centers around Ben Campell (Jim Sturgess) and his struggle to pay for his education at the prestigious Harvard Medical School (to which he recently received admittance). Ben, who just turned 21 (surprise, surprise). After impressing one of his teachers, Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) he is invited to join a team of students that are working on a system to count cards and win loads of cash in Vegas.

Ben, who is at first hesitant to join, and after some gentle persuasion from the love interest, decides to participate just long enough to win enough money to pay for his education (the fact that a girl he likes is on the team doesn't hurt either). Professor Rosa trains his team and then sets them loose in Vegas (he makes the students earn money while he watches from a distance). As you can guess, after Ben makes enough money to pay for school, he has a hard time letting it go. The allure of being able to have a completely separate personality is hard to give up. The high-roller lifestyle starts to consume him and he starts to change (at the expense of his school and friends). A predictable power struggle between Ben and Rosa ensues and Ben is forced to choose what is most important to him. Meanwhile the team is being monitored by Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne), a consultant (whose job security is uncertain due to new high-tech software programs being currently being employed by other casinos) hired by the casino to keep an eye out for cheaters. Counting cards, which is technically not illegal, becomes much more dangerous than Ben could have ever imagined.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I never knew MIT had so many beautiful people Kevin Spacey's performance is superb as usual. He plays the perfect skeezy, manipulative person. Sturgess and Bosworth's performances are also sharp. It was fun to watch Ben's confidence at the table grow as he became more experienced at Black Jack. I was also equally impressed by the supporting cast. The two guys that play Ben's friends at college do a great job, and their concern for Ben's welfare is endearing.

VIDEO QUALITY: 9/10

Picture quality is topnotch! I was pleasantly surprised by the PQ in this film. I went in to it not really expecting anything spectacular. The opening scene that pans over the lake, campus, and city is nothing short of breathtakingly clear and crisp! This is definitely a film that makes you glory in your expensive TV and blu-ray player. Flesh tones are accurate and you can see an incredible amount of detail (from skin blemishes and individual strands of hair. Black levels are sharp and consistent, and there is very little noticeable grain. The scene when they first fly into Vegas is stunning! Black levels are absolutely solid and the vibrant neon lights of the Strip look beautiful. The cards and minute details of the gaming tables are always sharp and true-to-life.

The picture is so sharp that I think I saw details the director didn't mean to be seen. The scene in which Ben confronts his friends about his lack of work on their robot they are building was actually in the rain (at least in some shots). You could barely see drain droplets and drops of water on the characters' jackets. Other shots in the same scene lacked rain and moisture (I thought something was strange when I noticed the rain because the kids were outside with a laptop and an exposed electronic panel connected to the robot which would not be advisable to use expensive electronics in). In other words, the PQ is amazing!


AUDIO QUALITY: 8/10

The AQ of "21" wasn't nearly as impressive as the PQ, but it isn't a disappointment either. Dialogue is crisp, which comes through pretty strong through all channels, and is easy to hear over background noise and music. There are a few instances in which I remember the dialogue being a bit flat which counts for the loss of points in the AQ score. This isn't an action film, and so don't expect anything that will put your home theater system to the test. The use of surrounds is primarily for background chatter and noise at parties and the casino, and it never overpowers the dialogue.


EXTRA FEATURES:

The supplemental features are sparse, yet entertaining. There features are as follows:

- an included audio commentary track
- three featurettes (Basic Strategy, Money Plays, and Advantage Player)
- Virtual Blackjack
- trailers
- Bluray 2.0 extras (trivia and other various extras)

I didn't get a chance to watch the movie with the commentary track so I can't comment on that.

The Virtual Blackjack is an interactive Blackjack game in which you can play offline or compete with others online. Meh.

Out of the three featurettes (all of which are presented in 1080p), "Basic Strategy" was my favorite. It is an excellent behind the scenes look at the making of a film, and the challenges of shooting in an actual, operating casino. "Money Plays" compares the different lifestyles of Boston and Vegas. "Advantage Player" explains the basics of Blackjack and card counting.

FAMILY CONTENT:

There are a few scenes at a "gentlemen's" club with plenty of partial nudity and an onscreen sex scene (no nudity though). There's also some swearing sprinkled throughout the film. Being Vegas, there's also a lot of heavy use of alcohol. Vegas isn't exactly the most family-friendly environment, and this movie doesn't pretend to be. It isn't an incredible offensive movie by any means, but some parents might not want their kids watching this kind of stuff.

SUMMARY:

An overall great film with topnotch PQ and an impressive AQ as well. Details and colors are vibrant and sharp, and dialogue is usually crisp and easily discernable. The performances are all great, and the cinematography is equally impressive.

RECOMMENDATIONS:


This is a pretty entertaining movie, but I'm not too sure it warrants too many extra viewings. Extra features are sparse, and don't give much incentive for ownership. I would definitely recommend this as a rental though. Check it out!

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