I must admit somewhat red-facedly that for the first forty minutes or so of Gamer, I was having a pretty good time. It was the end of a long and stressful day, and I sat near the front of the theatre, close enough for the screen to completely envelop my field of vision, and gamely attempted to do this “turning off your brain” thing that people keep doing when they see movies.

And let me tell you, for about 40 minutes I was actually pulling it off. Set in the future, the film posits that, after a breakdown of the economy (I think), computer mogul Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) creates an ambitious virtual reality simulator called “society,” in which... well, it’s like The Sims, except players can control other people. Except some of them aren’t real people. I dunno… there were a lot of bright colours and naked breasts.

Castle’s game/social network/masturbatory aid helps save the economy (maybe, I think), and so he creates a sequel: a first-person shooter in which players can control the bodies of volunteer death-row inmates. If the inmates can survive a certain number of games, they will be set free. It’s like Death Race, except not as linear.

One of these inmates is Kable (Gerard Butler). He is controlled by 17-year-old Simon (Logan Lerman). At some point, Simon figures out how to communicate with Kable. Then, at Kable’s request, he figures out how to cut ties with Kable. The film raises many questions: to what extent does the player control the inmate? If the player is completely in control, why can the inmate still talk? If the inmate falls down, why does the player not fall down as well, and what would it take to get their motions in sync?

The film is written and director by the duo of Neveldine/Taylor (as they are listed in the credits), who brought you the Crank films. They continue their fascination with hyperkinetic editing, misogyny, silicone-enhanced breasts, and homophobia. (Lots of homophobia — if Neveldine and Taylor read this, I would just like to gently suggest that the makers of a film in which Terry Crews sings a song from  Pinocchio while shirtless and oiled should not be throwing the first stone.) With its social commentary about a corrupt corporation, the low value it places on human life, and society’s increasing dependence on social networking, Gamer will come across as deep thinking to those who don’t think very deeply.