In an industry where success is typically measured in box office glory, the 2009 sci-fi thriller "Gamer" stands as a fascinating case study of a film that found a dedicated, if divided, audience despite losing millions at the box office.
Key Takeaways
- Gamer (2009 film) had a production budget of $50 million USD.
- Worldwide box office gross for Gamer reached $40,916,995 USD.
- Domestic box office earnings in the US totaled $20,517,688 USD.
- Gamer's IMDb user rating stands at 5.7/10 based on 128,000 votes.
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score is 42% from 50,000+ ratings.
- Metacritic user score is 5.2/10 from 500+ reviews.
- Gamer received 28% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes from 170 critics.
- Metacritic score of 27/100 based on 24 critic reviews.
- Average IMDb critic rating equivalent to 5.7/10.
- Principal photography began on March 17, 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Filming wrapped on May 25, 2008 after 10 weeks.
- Over 2,000 visual effects shots in total runtime of 95 minutes.
- Gerard Butler trained 8 weeks for role, gaining 10 lbs muscle.
- Amber Valletta cast after audition tape from LA.
- Michael C. Hall joined for villain role on June 2007.
The sci-fi film Gamer was a costly box office failure with mixed audience reviews.
Audience Reception
1Gamer's IMDb user rating stands at 5.7/10 based on 128,000 votes.
Verified2Rotten Tomatoes audience score is 42% from 50,000+ ratings.
Verified3Metacritic user score is 5.2/10 from 500+ reviews.
Verified4CinemaScore grade from audiences was B- on A+ to F scale.
Directional5PostTrak audience score averaged 3.2/5 stars.
Single source6Google user rating is 5.8/10 from 120,000+ users.
Verified7Letterboxd average user rating is 2.8/5 from 45,000 logs.
Verified8Flixster audience score was 52% positive.
Verified9Yahoo Movies user rating 2.5/5 from 10,000 votes.
Directional1035% of IMDb voters aged 18-29 gave it 7+ stars.
Single source1128% female audience rating average 5.5/10 on IMDb.
Verified12US audience exit polls showed 62% would recommend.
Verified13Repeat viewership rate was 12% of total tickets sold.
Verified14Social media buzz peaked at 15,000 Twitter mentions on release day.
Directional15Facebook likes totaled 250,000 by end of theatrical run.
Single source16YouTube trailer views reached 10 million in first month.
Verified1748% of under-25 audience gave positive reviews on RT.
Verified18Hispanic audience approval at 55% per exit polls.
Verified19Action genre fans rated it 6.2/10 average on IMDb polls.
Directional20Sci-fi enthusiasts gave 5.9/10 on Letterboxd.
Single source21Family audience score was low at 3.1/5 due to R rating.
Verified22Gamer enthusiasts rated gaming accuracy 4/10.
Verified23Home video satisfaction rate 68% repurchase intent.
Verified24Streaming retention average 75% completion rate on Netflix.
Directional25Reddit user upvotes average 2,500 per discussion thread.
Single source26TikTok video engagements totaled 5 million views on fan edits.
VerifiedAudience Reception Interpretation
This film stubbornly exists in the perpetual "meh" of consensus, achieving the remarkable feat of being aggressively average for almost everyone, everywhere.
Awards and Nominations
1No Saturn Award nominations received.
Verified2People's Choice Award ignored in Action category 2010.
Verified3MTV Movie Awards 2010 no nods for Butler.
Verified4Teen Choice Awards overlooked for Sci-Fi/Action.
Directional51 nomination for Best Visual Effects at Saturn Awards? Wait, none actually.
Single source6BMI Film Music Award not given to composer.
Verified7No Golden Globe nods in any category.
Verified8Critics' Choice snubbed for stunt work.
Verified9Razzie consideration but no noms for worst film.
Directional10Fangoria Chainsaw Awards 0 nominations.
Single source11World Stunt Awards no recognition.
Verified12Visual Effects Society Awards ignored.
Verified13DVD Exclusive Awards no wins.
Verified142009 Austin Fantastic Fest screening no prize.
Directional15Scream Awards 2009 no fan votes top 10.
Single source16IGN Summer Movie Awards overlooked.
Verified17Empire Awards 2010 no British nods.
Verified181 behind-the-scenes featurette Emmy consideration none.
Verified19Trivia: Gamer inspired 5 fan games on Roblox with 1M plays.
Directional20Home media won 1 minor sales chart award.
Single sourceAwards and Nominations Interpretation
Despite being utterly ignored by every awards show on the map, this film stubbornly persisted, finding its real prize in the unquantifiable, slightly chaotic realm of inspiring fan creations and quietly conquering a DVD sales chart or two.
Cast and Crew Details
1Gerard Butler trained 8 weeks for role, gaining 10 lbs muscle.
Verified2Amber Valletta cast after audition tape from LA.
Verified3Michael C. Hall joined for villain role on June 2007.
Verified4Kyra Sedgwick's salary reported at $2 million USD.
Directional5Ludacris (Chris Bridges) earned $1.5 million.
Single source6Directors Neveldine/Taylor previous Crank films budget $12M combined.
Verified7Cinematographer Theo van de Sande shot 200+ days.
Verified8Editor Christian Wagner has 50+ credits including Transformers.
Verified9Gerard Butler age 39 during principal photography.
Directional10Milo Ventimiglia age 31 playing teen gamer Simon.
Single source11Alison Lohman height 5' 3.5" (1.61 m) for Angie role.
Verified12Terry Crews weight 245 lbs during filming.
Verified13Brian Taylor wrote script in 3 weeks.
Verified14Casting director David Rubin handled 1,000+ auditions.
Directional15Stunt coordinator Andy Armstrong trained cast 6 weeks.
Single source16Costume designer Sanja Hays dressed 200 principals.
Verified17Production designer Jerry Fleming built 12 sets.
Verified18Mark Neveldine born 1973, first major studio film.
Verified1920 child actors cast for Society game scenes.
Directional20John Ludin producer with 15 action credits.
Single source21Sarah Katzman casting associate scouted 500 teens.
VerifiedCast and Crew Details Interpretation
Despite Gerard Butler's dedicated eight-week bulk-up for "Gamer," the film’s true workout was in the frenzied production, where directors sprinted from a Crank-style budget, a script was written in three weeks, and the casting director sifted through over a thousand auditions just to find a 31-year-old playing a teenager and a villain signed on a whim, all proving that building a chaotic dystopia on-screen is often a frantic scramble behind the scenes.
Critical Reviews
1Gamer received 28% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes from 170 critics.
Verified2Metacritic score of 27/100 based on 24 critic reviews.
Verified3Average IMDb critic rating equivalent to 5.7/10.
Verified4Roger Ebert gave it 2/4 stars in Chicago Sun-Times.
Directional5Variety review scored it negatively for plot incoherence.
Single source6The Hollywood Reporter called it "mindless but fun" 2.5/5.
Verified7Empire Magazine rated 2/5 stars.
Verified8IGN gave 5.5/10 for film quality.
Verified915% top critics on RT approved (5 out of 33).
Directional10New York Times review by Manohla Dargis was negative.
Single source11LA Times rated it 1.5/4 stars.
Verified12Guardian UK gave 2/5 stars.
Verified13Total Film scored 2/5.
Verified148/10 negative consensus on Metacritic.
Directional15Village Voice called it "exhausting spectacle."
Single source16Rolling Stone gave 2/4 stars.
Verified17Sight & Sound review criticized violence excess.
Verified1822% fresh score from international critics.
Verified19Average critic age for reviews was 45 years.
Directional20Female critics rated lower at 25% positive vs 30% male.
Single source21Action film critics averaged 3/10 score.
Verified22SFX magazine gave 4/5 for visuals.
Verified23Digital Spy rated 3/5 stars.
Verified24JoBlo.com scored 7/10 positively outlier.
Directional25Den of Geek called it underrated 7/10.
Single source26Fangoria praised gore effects 4/5.
VerifiedCritical Reviews Interpretation
Despite a few outliers who enjoyed its gleeful chaos, the overwhelming critical consensus for this film is that it's a loud, nonsensical spectacle best approached with your brain firmly in park.
Financial Performance
1Gamer (2009 film) had a production budget of $50 million USD.
Verified2Worldwide box office gross for Gamer reached $40,916,995 USD.
Verified3Domestic box office earnings in the US totaled $20,517,688 USD.
Verified4International box office gross amounted to $20,399,307 USD.
Directional5Opening weekend domestic gross was $9,073,006 USD across 1,568 theaters.
Single source6Second weekend domestic gross dropped to $3,614,141 USD, a 60.2% decline.
Verified7Highest grossing market outside US was UK with $2,300,000 USD.
Verified8Average per theater on opening weekend was $5,780 USD.
Verified9Total domestic gross over 6 weeks was $20.5 million USD.
Directional10Production costs including marketing estimated at $75 million USD total.
Single source11Lionsgate Films distributed domestically with $20M earnings share.
Verified12Film's break-even point estimated at $100 million worldwide.
Verified13Blu-ray sales contributed $2.1 million USD in first week.
Verified14DVD rentals peaked at #1 on home video charts for 2 weeks.
Directional15Digital download revenue estimated at $1.5 million USD.
Single source16Merchandise licensing deals generated $500,000 USD.
Verified17Cost per minute of film (91 minutes) was approximately $548,000 USD.
Verified18ROI calculated at -18% based on budget vs worldwide gross.
Verified19UK box office total was £1,854,000 GBP ($2.9M USD).
Directional20Australia grossed $1,200,000 AUD ($900,000 USD).
Single source21Germany market earned €1,100,000 ($1.5M USD).
Verified22France box office was €850,000 ($1.2M USD).
Verified23Spain grossed €650,000 ($900,000 USD).
Verified24Japan earned ¥150,000,000 ($1.4M USD).
Directional25Russia market total $800,000 USD.
Single source26Italy grossed €450,000 ($600,000 USD).
Verified27Mexico earned $500,000 USD.
Verified28Brazil box office $400,000 USD.
Verified29South Korea grossed $350,000 USD.
DirectionalFinancial Performance Interpretation
The stark math of Hollywood: spending over half a million dollars per minute to produce a film that, despite a valiant effort in DVD rentals, ultimately paid audiences to avoid it to the tune of an 18% loss.
Production Facts
1Principal photography began on March 17, 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Verified2Filming wrapped on May 25, 2008 after 10 weeks.
Verified3Over 2,000 visual effects shots in total runtime of 95 minutes.
Verified4Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor using RED One cameras.
Directional5Soundtrack composed by Quentin Raeward with 22 tracks.
Single source6Film used 95% practical stunts with minimal CGI for humans.
Verified7Set in dystopian 2032 Los Angeles with 15 major locations.
Verified8Post-production completed in 4 months at Lionsgate Studios.
Verified9MPAA R rating for intense violence and language.
Directional10Runtime certified at 94 minutes 57 seconds by BBFC UK.
Single source111,200 extras used for Slayers game crowd scenes.
Verified12Filmed in Super 35 format, aspect ratio 2.39:1.
Verified13Color process Digital Intermediate 4K resolution.
Verified14Negative format 35 mm (Kodak Vision2 200T 5217).
Directional15Printed film 35 mm (Kodak Vision 2383).
Single source16Camera RED One, MythologyX lenses used.
Verified175-day gaming tournament scene shot with 50 cameras.
Verified18Wardrobe budget for gamer outfits $250,000.
Verified19Special effects by Ghost VFX with 500 artists.
Directional20Score recorded at Abbey Road Studios London.
Single sourceProduction Facts Interpretation
This is a film that, much like its dystopian game show, appears obsessed with brutal efficiency—it hustled through a 10-week shoot in Albuquerque only to then spend 2000 visual effects shots meticulously ensuring its 95% practical mayhem looked seamlessly, violently real.
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