21 rarely flags in its ability to entertain, but is never particularly convincing.
21 (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for some violence, and sexual content including partial nudity.
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:11-04-2008
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... 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 trains brainiac students to count cards and then flies them out to Vegas to raid the blackjack tables between classes. At first they rake in a bundle, but then catch the unwanted attention of tough-guy security chief, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) who wants to prove himself before he's replaced by face recognition software. Super math genius Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) originally joins the ring in order to come up with the $300,000 he needs for tuition money, but he's also gaga over the ring's resident babe, Jill (Kate Bosworth). When he finds out Professor Rosa hasn't been dealing entirely from a straight deck, Ben's high-end shopping spree dreams turn sour (though card counting is not illegal) and the battle of wits is on, no second chances given. Spacey is in his preternaturally calm, morally compromised element, stealing scenes left and right; Fishburne brings the hangdog depth; and everything bubbles over the 24-karat rocks, courtesy of director Robert Luketic (LEGALLY BLONDE). 21 is based on the bestseller BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE by Ben Mezrich. [More]
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Robert Luketic
Director: Robert Luketic
Screenwriter: Peter Steinfeld, Allan Loeb
Producer: Dana Brunetti, Kevin Spacey, Michael De Luca
Composer: David Sardy
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Reviews for 21
21 is a fast-paced tale that makes winning look not only easy, but a lot of fun.
(The book) raises a number of interesting arguments, most of which (the movie) ignores.
The only element in 21 that saves the film from being a dreary coming-of-age story grafted onto a two-hour commercial for the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Bureau is Spacey.
O implaus?l terceiro ato praticamente arru? o que o filme vinha mostrando de interessante at?nt?
Too bad most of the performers can't seem to pull off the insane IQs they clearly do not have.
For a movie about high-stakes gambling, 21 settles for penny-ante dramatics.
This is a really stupid movie about such smart people... When they make references to Ferris Bueller and Swingers, it just feels desperate.
In real life gambling is exciting; on movie screens it generally is not.
For most of its length, 21 seems like a cautionary tale ... at least, until the whole point is negated by a tacked-on happy ending.
A film that makes Rounders seem like a work of great seriousness and import.
A lot of attractive people standing in for real-life nerds, and a plot that knows all the clichés and isn't afraid to use them.
It's a gamble whether or not "21" will provide enough excitement to make you shout, "Winner, winner, chicken dinner."
Across the Universe star Jim Sturgess reaffirms himself as a sympathetic, highly likable screen presence.
... it seems they used Film Adaptations for Dummies and thus missed an opportunity to make a great movie with style and atmosphere.
A light-weight teen romantic comedy [dressed up as a gambling movie and] filled with nothing but one-dimensional characters.
Like the Strip itself, it's all lights and music throbbing so hard you confuse yourself into thinking you're having fun.
The students are so blandly written this never builds any suspense, though it probably has some value as an empowerment fantasy for debt-ridden collegians.
Although it's definitely a fictionalization of a true story, they get the essence of this insanely crazy double life that these kids led as they were breaking the bank in Vegas.
Latest News for 21
January 07, 2009:
People's Choice Awards Winners Announced
The 35th annual People's Choice Awards were handed out on January 7, 2009. A complete list of film nominees, with winners in bold, follows below. More...
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. ![]()
More...
July 21, 2008:
RT on DVD: Geek Alert! Spaced Exclusive, Robot Chicken Star Wars
This week we're going in-depth with a look at this week's highly anticipated cult television series, Spaced. If you like Brit comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, then... More...
May 07, 2008:
UK Box Office Breakdown: Summer Season Begins With a Bang
Summer box office season began with a bang last Friday, with Iron Man the first of the pumped up, big-budget teen-friendly blockbusters to emerge from the bowels of the... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.





