“Winner, winner. Chicken dinner.” This is how the movie 21 starts, and from there the audience is taken on a wild ride from Boston to Las Vegas and back again. I’ve heard a lot of bad things about this movie mostly about how unrealistic it is.  None of the things I heard though stopped me from enjoying this movie.  Yes it is based on a true story (told in the book “Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions” by Ben Mezrich), but there’s obviously some Hollywood flair added to this tale.  When I go to the movies, sometimes I look for the realistic elements, but usually it’s the unrealistic elements that make going to the movies enjoyable. 

When the audience first meets Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe) he is a nerd who has given up everything for studying in hopes of going to Harvard Medical School.  The only way hope he has of going to Harvard though rests on a full ride scholarship, which many students compete for.  In the meantime he is approached by his math professor (Kevin Spacey, American Beauty) who asks him to join a black jack team of fellow students.  This team is special though because they have the ability to count cards, and not get caught.  At first Ben resists the group, but the money and temptation of the girl of his dreams (Kate Bosworth, Superman Returns) also being on the team finally makes him give in.  What follows is a whirlwind ride of Ben transforming from geek to chic.  The team teaches him their system of how to count cards, and putting it into action in a busy Vegas casino.  How could anything possibly go wrong? Enter Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) as a security guard whose job is being replaced by special face recognition cameras, and he is not too happy about it. 

Directed by Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde) I thought 21 was fast paced and enjoyable (I saw it twice in theaters, which is a rarity for me).  Sturgess was wonderful as Ben, and I thought his accent was pretty accurate.  This movie is just another example that he is definitely an actor to keep your eyes on.  Bosworth struggles a bit in her role, but eventually finds the right footing to keep going.  I really enjoyed the supporting characters who added humor to the movie including Josh Gad and Sam Golzari as Ben’s nerdy friends.  Spacey was pretty engaging as the cool professor, turned enemy. 

Now I never said I didn’t find some of the moments in this movie unbelievable, because I do, and this is one of the downsides to the movie.  For example, how can they use the same hand signals at the same casino every weekend and not get caught sooner?  Also, why is Bosworth’s character the only one to ever really wear a disguise until the end? Why is Ben working in a suit shop that is selling ties for $200 but he’s only making $8/hour as an assistant manager? Well…I guess I can believe that one.

Even with the unbelievable elements, I’d still recommend 21.  It’s a fun movie to watch and I’d give it a B.  It might not deserve a whole chicken dinner, but it would at least get a wing from me.