For the past month, online gaming blogs were all abuzz with the news of Runner Runner, a new movie based on the world of online poker.
The crime thriller was expected to be a huge hit at the box office, but it was a big flop. What went wrong?
The Hype
Runner Runner has a lot of Star Power. Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake are the lead characters in the film, and they have both been in some cinematic gems recently.
Timberlake was lauded for her performance in ‘The Social Network’, and Ben Affleck’s ‘Argo’ was a big winner during awards season this year. Leonardo DiCaprio’s name was also attached to the film as a producer, and anything he is involved in tends to draw a huge crowd.
Did Runner Runner Live Up To Expectations?
Sadly, no. As one of the first films to venture into the world of online gambling, we hoped it would have lived up to the hype. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single thrill in this crime thriller. It was actually quite boring, as it was very typical and predictable.
We couldn’t have said it better than film critic Kevin Jagernauth, who wrote: “Runner Runner feels like a movie you've seen a hundred times on cable, and hearkens back to numerous, thoroughly average, mid-budgeted dramatic thrillers of the mid-'90s that will fill programming slots on late night forever”.
The only impressive aspect of the film is its cinematography. The film is beautifully shot, and the cinematographer has done a great job of depicting the atmosphere of an offshore tropical paradise.
Bad News For the AGA
In the weeks leading up to Runner Runner’s release, the American Gaming Association announced that it would use the film as a vehicle for its campaign to legalize online poker in the United States. It was meant to increase awareness of the issue, using the film’s star power to show that online poker is a relevant and important issue.
However, after bombing at the box office and receiving a score of less than 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, Runner Runner is unlikely to attract a substantial audience. The AGA will have to find some other way to raise awareness of the campaign to legalize online poker in America.
