Reindeer Games Movie Review 2000

Too much talking and not nearly enough gun-toting action bog down this already inane crime thriller that tries way too hard to impress with loopy plot twists that come at a dizzying pace. A miscast Affleck is Rudy Duncan, a just released convict who takes on the identity of his recently deceased cellmate in order to get cozy with Ashley (Theron), who had established a correspondence with the dead inmate. The couple spends blissful days together via aerobic sex until Ashley's sadistic "brother" Gabriel (Sinise) forces Rudy to help him and his skanky gang rob an Indian casino on Christmas Eve. Pic is surprisingly flat, deadening the impact of the surprise endings that come in rapid succession, which unintentionally transform the film into a parody of itself.

Distribution

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-1120, Toll-free: 800-723-4763, URL: http://www.bvhe.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 98 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Crime Drama, One Last Job, Mistaken Identity, Heists, Christmas, Cold Spots, Pen Pals

Screenplay

Ehren Kruger

Cast

Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Gary Sinise, Clarence Williams, Dennis Farina, Donal Logue, James Frain, Isaac Hayes, Danny Trejo

Cinematography

Alan Caso

Director

John Frankenheimer

Music

Alan Silvestri

Producer

Dimension Films