21
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Metascore
48 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 29 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 121 Ratings

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  • Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey
  • Summary: Ben Campbell is a shy, brilliant MIT student who, needing to pay school tuition, finds the answers in the cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school's most gifted students that heads to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. With unorthodox math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa leading the way, they crack the code. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big-time. Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn't illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos' menacing enforcer, Cole Williams. (Columbia Pictures)… Collapse

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 29
  3. Negative: 2 out of 29
  1. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    75
    21 drags itself to a climax that puts credulity in splints. So what? In a multiplex of dumb-luck hits, it's a kick to watch Spacey and a gifted young cast use smarts to deal audiences a winning hand.
  2. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    60
    Spacey's engaging for a while in one of his patented double-edged, sharky roles.
  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Olly Richards
    60
    The Ocean’s Eleven: The College Years mood makes for a breezy good time, even if there is, like Vegas, precious little substance beneath the glitz.
  4. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    38
    The movie's chief audience, consequently, will probably be gullible and young, responding to the cliches only because they haven't seen them before. They have a word in Vegas for these people: Suckers.

See all 29 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 47
  3. Negative: 12 out of 47
  1. MegWhiteley
    10
    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.… Expand
  2. danielprinn
    8
    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
  3. LiamH.
    7
    Pretty good movie, the end drags on for a bit tho.
  4. ryancarroll88
    4
    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

See all 47 User Reviews

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