This film is so interesting, the trama, characters, story, is wow, a bigger sorprise the performance of Kevin Spacey is amazing, I think that this film is like the others. 21 is a classic.

Interesting enough to watch but it didnt do well to hold interest through out and it got really boring. Acting was ok but I expected better from the experianced cast. Just wasnt that good.

If you think the plot of "21" sounds as if it was slyly brushed out of screenplay purgatory, just wait until you see how bland the movie actually plays out. For being a group of renegade college students, the characters really aren't very interesting at all and the actors constantly allow Kevin Spacey to steal the scenes, even when he's in the next room getting coffee. Props to Jim Sturgess for giving some especially bad narrating, too. If anything, though, the movie's effective editing does do a good job of capturing the excitement and tension of counting cards as a team.… Expand

This movie is simply average. The acting isn't really mind blowing even though Kevin Spacey does do a very good job. A lot of the scenes are also very well shot but when it comes down to it the story was actually very predictable and the romance between Ben and Jill seemed very forced. The movie is worth checking out if you catch it on TV or can borrow it from a friend but don't spend a lot of money buying the DVD.… Expand

A well story based on true events (although changed for obvious reasons). The MITs students do a good job and Kevin Spacey is showing his acting skills again in this film. Overall a suspensful film!

This true story is not only an intelligent movie, it also has a great cast, especially Jim Sturgess, playing the main character. It has a great twist ending, and deserves better critical recognition. It proves that a bunch of nobodies (and Kevin Spacey) can make a great movie. However, it's nothing like the book, which was a little disappointing.

Someone should remake this film. The book was amazing, but the movie didn't seem real, too Hollywood. Was the end slow walk shot with all the characters really necessary. It also seemed to ignore the whole part that he was still a student while this was going on.

21: Jim Sturgess stars in a stacked tight cast in this delightful, thoroughly entertaining, mysterious dramatic film experience alongside Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Spacey and Aaron Yoo. A math professor, Mickey Rosa, takes 5 M.I.T students under his wing to count cards to make some money in Las Vegas. Remember, it is not illegal, it is only frowned upon. When a brilliant student has to earn cash to find his way to Harvard Med, he takes a chance on the elite mathematician team. Lucky enough for him, a spot has just opened up. With ruthless casino bosses, ignorant teammates and romantic flares, all make for a great story of luck, romance, betrayal, impulse and of course genius capabilities. What would you do to get into Harvard Medical School?… Expand

Not like the book, which was excellent. Fun to watch if you just let your mind go for a while and take what comes. The comments about racism? Give me a break. I lived in Asia for over 9 years, a place where you can see some real racism. The producers can be accused of selecting poor actors, but I do not see racism in Hollywood (After all is that not where the ever so enlightened ones live and work?....and tell us how to live and think?) Anyway it is a fun movie if you are willing to open your mind and use your imagination....and yes I read the book as well… Expand

I liked this movie because it wasn't some stupid thing like other movies, it was different, and i truly never expected the ending, it was a curve ball

Strays pretty far from the book, but gives you enough twists to serve it's purpose.

A vanilla movie. For starters, the MIT campus looks just like Boston University (since the campus scenes were shot there) and many of the Asian kids from the original MIT crew have been replaced by normal white kids. So much for realism. But the movie just throws too much Vegas "glitz" at the viewer as the movie teeters down this predictable path as if it's saying, "Did you think that scene was predictable? Well, here is a casino with a beautiful blonde woman. And look: money--lots of it. Oooh" Someone should have aimed higher here. It will be a decent DVD rental some day.… Expand

This movie is fresh, witty, and has good acting from kevin spacey. it may be a cliche vegas scene, but the fact that it overdoes the glitz is to show the chaos of their situation. not to mention its not predictable. its worth 9 bucks, but is it amazing? no

Good flick, it required a little suspension of disbelief but it was twisted enough to be enjoyable. Kevin Spacey was excellent, but the rest of the cast could have used some improvement.

I see all the user reviews giving this movie high ratings--saying things like the movie is steady and the critics are simply wrong. These comments, in fact, are fairly inaccurate. The movie is the absolutely predictable, it can't decide who is good or bad, and there are simple, though ultimately trivial, plot wholes. If you think the movie is great, you need to watch real film. It can have it's moments, but this movie which started out as having cheap thrills, ended with having nothing but the typical, everyone is happy ending.… Collapse

Overall I definitely enjoyed the movie. I have never played blackjack in my life, but I found myself interested in the game while watching the film. Ive head complaints about character development and complaints about how the students are supposed to be smart and not make stupid decision. BUT--this is a game theyve never played before until they got swept up in the money--they may have brians but that doesnt mean they're not gonna be naive--they dont have the life experience. i wasnt concerned about the lack of character deveopment because i thought they set a good enough stage for Ben (sturgess). I thought it was kind of obvious what each character's personality was like--to have to spell it out would have been tedious. Sorry critics! I liked it!… Expand

Escapist fun, but not much else. I didn't expect better because the book it's based on didn't impress either. Great story, just poorly executed. Also, many of the original team from MIT were NOT asian, so cool your jets before you play the racism card.

A really good movie. There is all the things that I like: -Nice girl -Cool guy -Action -Blackjack -And it's a true story Better than those Jumper or Golden compass creapy things...

Movie is too shallow to be taken for anything more the 2 hours of escapism. It could have been so much more if it didn't get diverted from it's main story. I can't recommend it for more than a rental.

Really sad that they felt they had to change the story to make it marketable. And yes, most of the original MIT blackjack team on which these characters were based was indeed Asian American, save for like two people. Leave it to Hollywood to turn that ratio inside-out. It's not playing the race card to say that. It's just fact.

Jim Sturgess is terrific, but getting tired of Kevin Spacey in the same cold and heartless character. It's getting old. Good story, not great, but good. It held my interest at least. Well made, good score.

A very entertaining movie. The ending was extremely clever and presented in a great way. 21 entertained throughout with its multiple twists and turns, great acting, and interesting plot. Highly recommended!

Despite what the critics say, this film is actually really good, at least imo. It may be somewhat predictable, but it still is interesting to see how the plot twists turn out. It definitely has a great deal of character, and the cast gave remarkable performances, esp. Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, and the always-engaging, Kevin Spacey. Definitely check this out, you won't be disappointed!… Expand

Great movie... Entertaining and captivating the whole way through. The critics are simply wrong.

The biggest travesty is people will see this and think they know the story of the MIT blackjack team. Everything after the training was completely fabricated. Imagine the movie without the beating, Lawrence Fishburne character, and surprise ending because none of it ever happened. I think people are responding so well to the movie because they are assuming it is a true story. Had I not read the book I probably would feel the same however I did read the book and remember thinking how amazed I was they could ruin such an amazing story. The casinos fought back but in LEGAL ways. No one got beat up or had their money stolen. Jeffrey Ma made and kept over a million dollars but he gets audited routinely thanks to the casinos. Amazing true story, too bad the producers decided to be more inspired by Oceans 11 than the book Bringing Down The House. Read the book.… Expand

21 is not exactly racist. The re-working of the details to appeal to a broader audience was NOT racist. These were simlpy business decisios. All else being equal, 21 is probably a decent movie. However, the presuppositions upon which the casting decisions were made were indeed RACIST: These business decisions were based upon the presupposition that box-office success of a film is achieved when you have white leads with Asian supporting characters, rather than Asian leads with white supporting characters. Have you thought for a minute about why that is, and what that means in a broader, social sense? Have you thought about what that could mean for your children? Is that something you're willing to accept? Pause here, and think about that for a minute...… Expand

Terrible, terrible film. I saw this at a screening in the UK before it came out, and what a waste of time. If you are an intelligent person who likes to watch films for interesting characters, stimulating logical plots and unforeseen twists then DON'T go see this film. It was basically oceans eleven remade for easy to please teenagers who wouldn't know a good film if they sat through an all night alfred hitchcock festival. Morpheus and Keyzer Soze felt completely out place amongst all the bland young actors, and didn't really seem to give a shit about anything except their check for the movie. And the bland young actors? Well they were bland, especially the lead boy, who was a wimpy little brown noser. Also, the real card counters, who this movie is based on were actually of Asian descent, and the ONLY Asian guy in this film had about 2 lines. It is obvious that the people behind the film didn't think it would sell if they hired Asian actors, and that should tell all you need to know about this film. A manufactured piece of crap, and a fine example of racism in Hollywood. All the people on this forum who gave this movie above 5 are obviously taste-impaired/13 years old. That is all.… Expand

I saw 21 when a friend told me it was awesome and to go see it. I'm questioning whether or not to stay friends with him. This movie was predictable, shallow, glitzy and everything else people hate about these stupid popcorn movies. It took serious willpower to sit through this factually inaccurate, and ethnically stereotypical movie. I'm offended that people say this movie is for 13 year old, because even I, who am thirteen, don't deserve a movie as bad as this.… Expand

21, whilst appearing to target the more intellectual and academic amongst us, fails in that respect. However, this a film that differs from your usual mediocre films that have hit the Box Office in recent weeks. 21 is different in the respect that this film is simply fun to watch, and at times enthralling. Spacey, on first impressions, appears to become a decent actor in future productions and despite being effectively cast in a lead role with relative expertise, at times he single-handedly pulls this film to a more bearable level. The acting, in short, is solid enough and the plot twists is effective with well-captured cinematography. The sad thing is, despite the morals that inevitable accompanies any sort of wrong-doing film aimed towards a 12A audience, is that you want to be as good as Maths as our on screen counterparts and take Vegas by storm.… Expand

This was the first time I've ever walked out of a movie. I'm all for easy-going fun films, but this bludgeoned you with every stupid idea the writers and director had. When I wasn't annoyed at how heavy-handed and obvious they were with things like signaling other members of the team (something that ought to be subtle), I was annoyed with how heavy-handed they were with the rest of the meager plot.… Expand

Pretty good movie, the end drags on for a bit tho.

I walked out after an hour. The beginning was ok, but then the story evolved into some rubbish, it was very clear what was going to happen. And Kevin Spacey, who plays "mr. I-know-everything" really irritated me all the movie.

A very special story combined with great actors make this title a blockbuster nobody did talk about. Absolute secret recommendation!

I loved this movie. it was funny and exciting.

Excellent, excellent movie. A good showing from the young cast. Sure, it didn't stay to the book, although I really don't care because I don't sit and endlessly nit pick at stuff no one really cares about. And why am I not surprised that the race card was thrown in? I'm going to assume that there were more high caliber Caucasian actors than Asian actors. You would be a terrible director if you decided to take mediocrity over continuity. People grow up and learn to enjoy films for what they are. And this, was a good flick.… Expand

It wasn't a complete waste of time or a waste of my red box dollar.

Utter crap. Supposedly intelligent characters are ruined by the army of hacks that wrote or directed this. Imagine watching a documentary about Einstein, no picture the director making him struggle to open a milk carton. That is how simple the movie makers made this movie.

This movie certainly had some potential, and I didn't think it was a complete waste of time. But really, there is little substance here, and I cannot shake the anti-gender / race thing going on in terms of being the BIG player. The 'romance' in the film is lukewarm at best. Also, I wish I knew more about counting before going in, since you feel like an outsider desperately trying to figure out how they are doing it during the film.… Expand

I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Pretty good adaptation from the book. I'm not sure what there is not to like about it. It's enjoyable and steady. It could be a tad bit more humorous and light. Overall, great and refreshing!

Though the acting was far from stellar, the movie moved me along with enough speed to keep me interested. However, I could not help but wonder if viewers unfamiliar with blackjack would have a clue what some of the content meant. A movie should not be for blackjack players only. I asked, "If I had never played blackjack would I find the movie interesting." Since I have played it makes the question a hypothetical. Each viewer would have to answer for themselves. I also found the end very predictable. For those of us who have played in the casinos, you have great need to give us a gripping storyline and please, an unpredictable ending! The storyline was decent, the ending a big yawn. Still, in light of some of other fare theaters have served lately, I'll take it.… Expand

If Cole Williams(Lawrence Fishburne) is so smart, why doesn't he notice that it's the same petite, Asian woman sitting next to Ben(Jim Sturgess) at the blackjack table? Kianna(Liza Lapira) flags down Ben with a signal conspicuous enough to catch the attention of a commercial airlines pilot. Micky(Kevin Spacey) instructs his charges to never be seen together(especially with him, you would think), but there they are, time and time again, congregated in the same hotel room. The manner in which "21" translates the particulars of this card-counting operation, from Ben Mezrich's best-selling book "Bringing Down the House", makes you wonder why these M.I.T. students weren't caught sooner. Worst of all, "21" seems to forget that these kids are the best and the brightest. They don't sound like M.I.T. students. They don't sound smart. Since the film insists on return trips to Boston, how about establishing the rigors of academia to better illustrate their double lives as card sharks?… Expand

In regards to A singles comment...The actual MIT website quotes, "though most of the actual blackjack team was composed of Asian males, a studio executive involved in the casting process said that most of the film

A bit of a yawnfest . uninteresting, unengaging characters ... dysfunctional editing - arty blackjack table shots that just went on FOREVER ... but some nice cinematography also .

Terrible acting, terrible script, plot hole after plot hole after plot hole: not a good formula for a movie, is it? Kevin Spacey should be ashamed of himself for this one. Can you say "career killer". The scene where he is being chased while in his urban cowboy costume is beyond silly. And the producers want us to think these kids are smart? They do NOTHING correctly to keep from getting caught. I am a mathematics instructor and I was particularly offended by Spacey's math "lectures". His topics meandered aimlessly with no connections to each other. And the math he was discussing is covered in high school...not in an upper level MIT course. And for supposedly being an MIT professor, he certainly seemed pretty clueless in avoiding being caught, too. Pathetic film.… Expand

A poor movie. The camera work was...questionable at best. They tried to make something boring exciting, and it ended up giving me a headache. (I loved the Bourne movies camera work because the style suited that genre) The acting was bland, they should have gotten someone better to play Campbell. I think Jake Gyllenhaal would have been great as Ben. Spacey's performance was one of his worst, perhaps because his character was boring. He just felt censored, as if he was holding back. Kate did fine. Overall a movie I'm disappointed I paid money to see. Watch only if you have nothing better to do.… Expand