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21 (2008) 6.8
Ratings:
6.8/10 from 181,837 users
Metascore: 48/100
Reviews: 277 user | 143 critic | 29 from Metacritic.com "21" is the fact-based story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. Director:Robert Luketic |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jim Sturgess | ... | ||
| Kevin Spacey | ... | ||
| Kate Bosworth | ... | ||
| Aaron Yoo | ... | ||
| Liza Lapira | ... | ||
| Jacob Pitts | ... | ||
| Laurence Fishburne | ... | ||
| Jack McGee | ... | ||
| Josh Gad | ... | ||
| Sam Golzari | ... | ||
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Helen Carey | ... | |
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Jack Gilpin | ... | |
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Donna Lows | ... |
Planet Hollywood Dealer
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Butch Williams | ... |
Planet Hollywood Dealer
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Ben Campbell | ... |
Planet Hollywood Dealer Jeff
(as Jeffrey Ma)
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Ben Campbell is a young, highly intelligent, student at M.I.T. in Boston who strives to succeed. Wanting a scholarship to transfer to Harvard School of Medicine with the desire to become a doctor, Ben learns that he cannot afford the $300,000 for the four to five years of schooling as he comes from a poor, working-class background. But one evening, Ben is introduced by his unorthodox math professor Micky Rosa into a small but secretive club of five. Students Jill, Choi, Kianna, and Fisher, who are being trained by Professor Rosa of the skill of card counting at blackjack. Intrigued by the desire to make money, Ben joins his new friends on secret weekend trips to Las Vegas where, using their skills of code talk and hand signals, they have Ben make hundreds of thousands of dollars in winning blackjack at casino after casino. Ben only wants to make enough money for the tuition to Harvard and then back out. But as fellow card counter, Jill Taylor, predicts, Ben becomes corrupted by greed ... Written by matt-282
Taglines:
Inspired by the true story of five students who changed the game forever. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for some violence, and sexual content including partial nudity | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
28 March 2008 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
21 - The Movie See more »Box Office
Budget:
$35,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
$24,105,943 (USA) (28 March 2008)Gross:
£5,430,673 (UK) (16 May 2008)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Choi: Like I'm not going anyway.
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Written by Doyle Bramhall and Stevie Ray Vaughan
Performed by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Although set in the then-present day, i.e. 2007/8, the film is based on teams active between 1979 and 1994. And at one point, more than 80 players were on the original MIT team. See more »Goofs
When Ben's mom is serving birthday cake to Ben and his friends, she serves Cam twice. See more »Quotes
Micky Rosa: [while Choi is stealing everything that isn't nailed down in the hotel room] *Hey!* You steal The Bible, you go to Hell. Those are the rules.Choi: Like I'm not going anyway.
See more »
Soundtracks
The House Is Rockin'Written by Doyle Bramhall and Stevie Ray Vaughan
Performed by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
See more »
I personally think that Jim Sturgess is a very promising actor. His stage presence was believable and he has a lot in store for him. Being a film with Sturgess, Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishbourne, I was pretty stoked for this film. However, 21 turns out to be quite drawn out and the trailer for the film seemed more exciting.
The story is inspired by a very popular book called "Bringing Down the House". The main character, Ben Campbell, goes to MIT and need 300,000 dollars to go to med school. To suffice this requirement, he is invited by a group of students to a Blackjack group. He learns the technique of counting cards and goes to Las Vegas every weekend to make money and enjoy the high roller life at the same time.
The premise of the story sounds very interesting. However the story seems to stray to many Hollywood clichés. Despite interesting characters, it can be pretty obvious how the characters affect the plot. The film also incorporate multiple strands of storyline together into one film. The film is built of Ben's experiences in Las Vegas, his relationship with his older friends/his mom, and the security professional who is trying to put an end to the Blackjack Team. Although the transitions between storyline are effective, the side stories aren't very exciting to watch and again it is pretty predictable.
The dialogue is very slick and fluid although I was not completely assured by Sturgess's ability to act and speak in American English. Also, the film doesn't throughly explain the concept of counting cards. I was confused to what he was doing at many points during the film. Also I think it was possible to cut out some of the scenes in the film. It got a little drawn out and wasn't adding much to the overall story plot.
When the ending was nearing, I felt like this was going to end very poorly. It had caused me to temporarily not like any of the characters. However, the film went a little further in the ending than I thought it was going to be and it turned to be a fulfilling ending. Overall, 21 was a bit of a disappointment. Despite the slick dialogue and promising story, it became too predictable and drawn out.