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Rating: 2/10 (5 April 2008)

There are three kinds of bad movies. The kind that you'll see for free on HBO or the like if you're bored enough, the kind that are so bad they're actually funny and worth the occasional viewing, and then the kind that you never want to see again. 21 is the latter. And the only reason it got a two instead of a one was Kevin Spacey since he was the only interesting part of the whole movie.
You know those movies that leave you with the feeling of "thank god that's over"? Well, 21 goes above and beyond in terms of bad moviedom and found a way to rob us of that nice, warm, and lovely feeling of accomplishment for managing to sit through the whole thing. Among the incredibly numerous cliché's in this film you find the hero of course getting everything he ever wanted in life at the end yet for some reason the director decided to play "You Can't Always Get What You Want" during the wrap up portion and credits of the movie. Now I am all for movies that make you think and have a big message at the end but playing "You Can't Always Get What You Want" while the main character is going over in detail how he did get everything he wanted is like saying violence is bad while shooting someone repeatedly in the head, it just doesn't work.
There was one thing I will give the movie. It's predictable. I love the comfortable feeling of knowing that I will be able to predict the course of each and every scene two seconds in to them. I can't stand it when the scene where the main character becomes estranged from his best friends due to varying reasons depending on the movie that are usually incredibly childish springs on me from left field, especially when its followed by the scene showing him losing his cool and doing something stupid, I hate seeing that coming! And I wouldn't have been so touched by his mom offering him $68,000.00 dollars to pay for college if it hadn't been painfully obvious she was about to do so. And of course who would want to not know without even having to think that he was going to refuse the money and make up a lie about why he was because he was ashamed of himself? Because of course no one likes original work, we need more clichés damn it! More story arcs and more recycled characters we all have seen god knows how many times!! I will cease this ragging after I bring up one more point. At the end, surprise surprise, there is a case scene of the main characters running away from the casino security. *SPOILERS* the main character Ben gives the bag of chips to Spacey's character and split up to ditch the guards. Later Spacey opens the bag and its all fake chips and they justify this by showing Ben and his girlfriend Jill switching bags but the problem with that is simple, there was no time. From the moment that Ben had the bag to the point he gave it to Kevin he was with Kevin every step of the way and the shot of the switch they're in a bathroom or some kind of hall, calm and taking their time. It again just doesn't work.
I'll admit I didn't have the highest hopes ever for the movie but I had expected it to be better then this. Just keep this in mind if you're thinking about seeing 21, you have seen this movie. You have seen it many times with many different names. But you have in fact seen it. I promise you.