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Reindeer Games
A review by: Blake Kunisch
Directed by: John Frankenheimer & John+Frankenheimer
Released: February 25, 2000 - US
Posted: 2000/02/25 | 4/10 stars

Why was this film made?  Most likely it was aimed at being a holiday blockbuster starring the high profile Ben Affleck.  It has all the makings of a holiday blockbuster - snowy fields, lakes iced over, Christmas songs, and oh yeah, dead Santas.   The opening shot we see dead Santas strewn about on the top of car hoods, on top of tables and miscellaneous other places - then we flash back six days to Rudy (Affleck) and Nick (James Frain) in jail, about to be released in three days.  All Rudy wants when he gets out is a cup of hot chocolate and a piece of pecan pie.  Nick on the other hand has loftier goals.  He plans on seeing the girl of his dreams (Charlize Theron) whom he met in jail via letter exchanges.  Back to the holiday blockbuster aspect - why wasn't it released then?  Fortunately someone at Dimension realized they had a dud on their hands and pushed it back until February where there wouldn't be much competition and hoped it could make just a little money (which, unfortunately, it probably will).

Now, back to the extremely confusing plot.  I know that I'm not the only person who couldn't figure out what the hell was going on in the trailer for this movie.  It makes about as much sense as a rabbit drinking soda (don't ask).  After every twist and turn, after every imaginable and conceivable plot bend and curve, we are always given a long explanation about how we got there (usually consisting of one person holding a gun to another person's head).  Now, the smart director or writer would realize that if a movie needs this much explaining after every scene, there's something wrong with the movie.  Which, indeed, there is.

Reindeer Games just doesn't make sense.  Plain and simple.  There's always something to keep you interested - a new turn here, a new clue there - but it just doesn't add up to a good, convincing movie.  Of course, there's going to be the all to standard ending which no one could see coming, and the all to standard bad guy loses, good guy wins, but apart from this, there's really no point to the movie.  Just a couple laughs here and there when the characters do something stupid (I still can't figure out if I was supposed to laugh at the points that I did), and some shoot-em-up scenes (and of course explosions).  Not much to it, not much of a movie, not worth much more than a buck.

Genres: Suspense
Rated: R
Runtime: 105 minutes
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