Review: 'Reindeer Games' a loser

Robbery film suffers from too many twists, turns

February 24, 2000
Web posted at: 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT)

By Reviewer Paul Clinton

"Reindeer Games," starring Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron and Gary Sinise, originally was set for a Christmas release. That may explain the name of this just-released film.

But nothing else in this Dimension Films production makes much sense, and it has traveled a well-deserved rocky road on its way to a cineplex near you.

The film's original title was "Reindeer Games," then it was changed to "Deception," then switched back to "Reindeer Games. The film's first and final title was apt for this caper flick whose time frame is set around the yuletide holidays. It comes complete with songs such as "Joy To The World" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."

However, Dimension Film's parent company, Miramax Films, knows a turkey when it sees one. It held the film for a late February release, hoping for some quickie bucks based on the movie's star power before word-of-mouth sends this incomprehensible mess into a box-office nose dive.

Affleck brings his sloppy grin and everyman charm to his role as Rudy Duncan, a hapless car thief doing time in prison. His cell mate has a beautiful pen pal named Ashley, played mechanically by Theron.

Through a series of convenient plot twists, Rudy ends up with the girl after his release from the big house. But Ashley comes equipped with a sociopathic brother, Gabriel, played by Gary Sinise. A talented actor, he should have known better than to have signed on for this drivel.

It seems Gabriel and his thug buddies are low-life gun runners looking to move up into the lofty and lucrative field of casino robbery. Through another series of transparent and convenient plot twists -- they're everywhere, folks -- this gang of losers mistakenly thinks Rudy has the inside dope on a Michigan casino run by Native Americans. They force him at gunpoint to take part in their harebrained scheme to rob the place, disguised as Santa Clauses, on Christmas Eve.

Then, in quick succession, double-cross follows double-cross follows double-cross until this plot is so twisted it would make a pretzel envious.

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In an apparent effort to be too clever for his own good, screenwriter Ehren Kruger ("Arlington Road" and "Scream 3") has fashioned a script that tries to surprise the viewer at every conceivable turn. The result is a pileup of impossible-to-believe situations that just keep getting worse with every line uttered by anyone who happens to be on screen. With the possible exception of Affleck and Theron, who at least get to jump out of their clothes and jump on each other within the first 20 minutes of the film, no actor had any reason to participate in this sorry mess.

Director John Frankenheimer has had a long and distinguished career. "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962), "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) and "Black Sunday" (1977) are a few of his better efforts.

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But he's also responsible for "Prophecy," (1979) a ridiculous horror movie. His all-time lowest point has to have been "The Island of Dr. Moreau," (1996) arguably the worst film of the last decade -- a movie so bad it's even been taken off his resume in the production notes for this film. So "Reindeer Games" isn't at the bottom of his creative barrel, but it's close.

Too close. This movie could give reindeers a bad name. Somewhere, Rudolph must be grumbling.

Miramax
Dimension Films

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