21

Last night's movie was 21, a film I was primed to enjoy. I'm a big Kevin Spacey fan, and I'll give a look at anything with Laurence Fishburne. (Yes, I've seen both XXX movies.) I thought Jim Sturgess did a good job in Across the Universe and was looking forward to seeing him in a different role. I love to play blackjack and have done so a fair amount in Las Vegas. I'm always up for a caper film. 21 was number one in the box office for a few weeks.

So why didn't I like 21 more?

I believe the answer is that both the plot and the writing were always a step short of full speed. While in the theater, I enjoyed the movie well enough, I suppose; it was a pleasant couple of hours. No scene, however, ever quite reached the level of tension, pacing, drama, or comedy that it might have achieved. I felt at times like I was watching the first draft of something that needed a serious editing pass.

I'd like to believe that somewhere there's a (possibly longer) director's cut that makes it all better. I frankly doubt it, but I'll keep an eye out for just that when the DVD hits.