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21 (2008)
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Reviews Counted:160
Fresh:56
Rotten:104
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: 21 could have been a fascinating study had it not supplanted the true story on which it is based with mundane melodrama.
Theatrical Release:Mar 28, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $81,159,365
Synopsis: Inspired by a true story, 21 mixes Las Vegas casino wheeling and dealing with college-kid angst: think OCEAN'S ELEVEN via THE PAPER CHASE. Kevin Spacey is crafty MIT professor Micky Rosa, who... [More]
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Robert Luketic
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Reviews for 21
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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Luketic's dunderheaded, would-be caper is a morality tale where the only moral at stake is the dullard-hero's thoughtless entitlement Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
It's a slick enough movie, with an intriguing enough concept. It would be a much more enjoyable movie, however, if the wheels didn't come off script-wise. Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
One can't help but think there was a smarter film to be made from this premise. Full Review |
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1.5/5 |
When the movie 21 was announced with Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne, it sounded like a winner. When everybody else involved in 21 was mentioned, it was doomed to be a loser. Full Review |
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2/5 |
As ever with gambling films, it's difficult to convey the thrill of winning at second hand; the human-interest complications are unconvincing and Spacey himself, I'm afraid, is a lugubrious and deadening presence. Full Review |
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C |
If only director Robert Luketic and screenwriters Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb had not opted for glitz. As filmmakers, they're playing for very low stakes. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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Spacey makes a nicely chilly villain and Bosworth a warm and glamorous leading lady, if an implausible maths genius. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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2/5 |
Disappointing thriller that's let down by a tedious script, a frankly ridiculous final act and some dodgy overacting by Kevin Spacey. Full Review |
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C+ |
This is a prime example of a movie that isn't bad, per se, just unnecessary, a competently made but wholly unremarkable trifle. Full Review |
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See this for the sheer fascination of it. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Regardless whether there are a number of clichés and plot incongruities, this entertaining and fast-paced flick will find an audience hoping to learn how to beat the dealer. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Even though you can predict what happens, 21 is still fairly compelling for a movie about counting cards at a blackjack table. Full Review |
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5/10 |
It has some decent eye candy, but overall this film is bluffing if they think it's a great, intelligent blackjack film. I know I just used a poker term, but I doubt 21 would have noticed. Full Review |
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C- |
Everyone involved should have known when to fold 'em. The movie is about as interesting as counting cards. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Empty calories, yes, but tasty enough. Full Review |
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Treating card playing as an exciting spectator sport rather than, say, about as thrilling as watching fishing for two hours, this offbeat cautionary tale warns all those impulsive casino-bound eggheads out there, that losers come in all IQ's. Full Review |
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Much like in Vegas, whatever happened in the book and made it so marvelous stayed in the book. Full Review |
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C+ |
It may take a rocket scientist to successfully count cards, but not to wite a smarter script than what 21 delivers. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for 21
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July 23, 2008:
Treating card playing as an exciting spectator sport rather than, say, about as thrilling as watching fishing for two hours, this offbeat cautionary tale warns all those impulsive casino-bound eggheads out there, that losers come in all IQ's. 
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July 21, 2008:
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May 07, 2008:
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