Last year’s high-adrenaline Jason Statham action flick “Crank” wasn’t exactly “Citizen Kane” (hell, it wasn’t even “Citizen Ruth”), but even the haters have to give debut writer/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor credit for trying really, really hard. If that enthusiasm could eventually translate into expertise, the stylish duo will be worth watching – and their currently-filming, high-concept thriller boasts another promising gimmick.
“It’s a sci-fi thriller set in the future,” “Matchstick Men” star Allison Lohman explained of “Game”, a new flick that features the actress alongside Gerard Butler, John Leguizamo and Kyra Sedgwick. “It’s similar to ‘SimCity’; I think we’ve all played that.”
The thought-provoking script mixes the popular human simulation game with a heaping helping of “The Running Man,” imagining a soulless future where humans can manipulate other humans, all in the name of reaching a high score. “It’s a world where videogames control the world,” explained the 28-year-old Lohman. “I play this revolutionary girl, like a vigilante. She takes matters into her own hands, and tries to save the planet form just becoming disastrous.”
As you’d expect from “Crank” yankers Neveldine and Taylor, the flick is aiming to be another hard-R thrill ride overflowing with bullets, blood, and bad language. It’ll also serve as one of the first post-”300″ follow-ups starring the white-hot Butler, who just might assert himself as this generation’s Ah-Nuld.
“He’s a convict,” she explained of her leading man. “He’s playing a great warrior, who has to win 30 games and then he’s freed. Then he’s not a convict anymore. That’s the premise.”
“Gerard Butler plays the gamer,” she added. “But then there’s a player playing him.”
Does the idea of seeing “The Running Man” reinterpreted for the gaming generation make you wanna play along, or do you feel like it’s played out?