No Chicken Dinner For You

Rating: 6/10 (30 March 2008)

Greetings again from the darkness. Fascinating real life story based on the book by Ben Mezrich gets slick, polished Hollywood treatment from well known fluff director Robert Luketic ("Legally Blonde", "Mother-In-Law").
For some reason the MIT students racial mix is much different than the real life stuff. Wait, I believe that reason would be Box Office appeal/money!! Kevin Spacey is a fine choice for the ego-maniacal professor who is the brains behind the brainy operation that takes Vegas for a ride. Jim Sturgess and Kate Bosworth are the eye candy inserted to make this tolerable for a wider audience.
The actual guy whose Sturgess' character is based on, Jeffrey Ma, has a quick role as a Planet Hollywood dealer. Throw in Laurence Fishbourne as an old school security muscle man, mix it with some slow-mo and fast edits and loud music and you have Hollywood's idea of high-tech Gen Y thriller. My advice ... read the book.