Puppet On A String

Rating: Null/10 (1 September 2007)

Michael Douglas plays Nicholas Van Orton, a wealthy, and very unlikeable, businessman who has every material comfort and pleasure money can buy. So, his younger brother, Conrad (Sean Penn), gives Nicholas an unusual gift for his 48th birthday: an invitation to play an elaborate and mysterious "game", from a mysterious corporation called Consumer Recreation Services (CRS).
It's an intriguing film concept; a cold-blooded corporate exec submits to a proposition that forces him to function as a puppet on a string. We can imagine all sorts of humiliating challenges that this reptilian man must confront, what great payback.
Unfortunately, although it's a great concept, the story is awful. Nicholas' challenges are too physical to be believable. Most of the middle Act consists of repetitive encounters that cause Nicholas physical pain and/or major financial and logistical trouble. Over and over we see him confront ludicrous obstacles that are so contrived and improbable as to be silly. The problem here is that the script is written as a souped-up action movie, evidently to appeal to kids. The film presents all of this revved-up action well. But, given that Nicholas does not invoke the supernatural or super human skills, the film's plot is totally inconsistent with reality. Plot holes are everywhere.
The film would have been far better with challenges that are more cerebral, more realistic. But, of course, that would have bored the intended audience. As is, "The Game" comes across as an animated cartoon, aimed at youngsters.
The film's cinematography, acting, and production design are fine. I am disappointed that Michael Douglas would agree to play the lead role in a film wherein the story is so implausible, so "cartoonish".