21 DVD Review

While I’ve always been intrigued by math, never before has it seemed so glamorous as in the film 21, which is based on true events. The film, based on the book Bringing Down The House by reporter Ben Mezrich, is about Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess), a college kid who needs cold hard cash in the amount of $300,000 for medical school.

Campbell is smart. Very smart. And a whiz at math. Professor Micky Rosa (Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey) realizes Campbell’s potential and invites him to a private club of sorts where students learn to count cards for profit. They take their show on the road to Las Vegas and start raking in the dough playing Blackjack. While Campbell swears he’s only in it for the med school tuition, the lure of easy money gets to him, and he’s eventually faced with a dilemma—continue on the path of least resistance, or give up the game and earn his money the old fashioned way—work.

The rest of the MIT card counters include likeable actors such as Aaron Yoo (the scene stealer in Suburbia), Kate Bosworth (Beyond The Sea, Blue Crush), Liza Lapira (“NCIS”, “Dexter”, Cloverfield), and Jacob Pitts (Across The Universe). The film also stars Laurence Fishburne (“CSI”, The Matrix franchise), who plays a loss protection expert and arch nemesis of the counting crew. Sturgess (The Other Boleyn Girl, Across The Universe) does well with his role, carrying the film on his young shoulders aptly. 21 is directed by Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!, Monster In Law).

The DVD is presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio, with audio available in English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. Extras include the standard commentary with director Luketic, as well as Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca, both of whom produced the film. Featurettes include “The Advantage Player”, detailing the history of Blackjack and how to count cards, as if you could pick it up in the brief five minute tutorial; “Basic Strategy: A Complete Film Journal”, a 25-minute behind-the-scenes featuring on-screen interviews with cast and crew, as well as one of the original MIT students; and “Money Plays: A Tour of the Good Life”, which essentially compares and contrasts the two setting in the film, Boston and Vegas, and makes Vegas look pretty darn good.

In the end, 21 is a classic rise and fall morality tale, and while the ending may be slightly predictable and pat, the fact that it’s based on a true story makes the lesson easier to swallow. It’s also entertaining and interesting enough that it made me want to read the book, which I just started.

21 is rated PG13, and although there is some violence and partial nudity, it’s pretty mild. However, as it seems that gambling is a problem for many people, and the film does make it look pretty fun (for a while, anyway), 21 is not suitable for impressionable youth.

I rate the film 3 stars out of 5, as it was interesting and entertaining, as well true–if it hadn’t been, I would give it 2 stars.