I really like John Frankenheimer's Reindeer Games. Which is a turnaround for me, because when I first saw it years ago I wasn't too impressed. Last year I saw it on vacation around the holiday season on TV though, and found myself enjoying it. It's not the greatest movie, and much of it is ludicrous, but it's packs a mean spirited, sleazy punch and keeps up a nice wintry atmosphere to keep you warm on a cold night, whether from the booze or the bullets. The film gets shat on a lot, especially by star Charlize Theron who famously said she only did it to work with Frankenheimer, but I think it's way more fun than people give it credit for. Ben Affleck back in the sordid chapter of bis career, plays a recently paroled convict who's on his way to meet his cell mate Nick's pen pal girlfriend, pretending to be him. Nice guy. She turns out to be a sweetheart in the form of Theron, and things look up for old Ben. Until, however, her volatile, psychotic gangster brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) shows up with a pack of thugs who have a notion to rob a casino that Nick used to work at, using him as an inside man. Only, he isn't Nick, and has no idea about the casino, forcing him to think on his feet and stall his way through the dangerous predicament. Sinise is a guy I'm usually indifferent too, or bores me, but here he's a wide eyed, brutish lunatic and really has fun with the role. Theron is appropriately sexy and enigmatic, and there's standout work from three tough guy actors I really enjoy, playing Gabriel's henchman, sporting the delightful monikers Pug (Donal Logue), Merlin (Clarence Williams III) and Jumpy (Danny Trejo). They're like the three ill tempered elves to Gabriel's raving Santa, and steal the film. Dennis Farina plays loudmouth, dirtbag casino owner Jack Bangs, James Frain has a silly bit, and there's a demented cameo from Isaac Hayes ("monsters in the gelatin!!"). It's a loud, dumb flick and it knows it, but it also knows how to have a good time in style. Even when the third act erupts in a cascade of increasingly laughable double crosses and perplexing plot turns, it never stops having fun. Nothing says the holidays like jail time, casino robbery, backstabbing sociopaths, Santa suits and shotguns, and a little murder.
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NateWatchesCoolMovies15 December 2015
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lpersons-214 September 2006If you love movies with a bunch of twists, this is a wonderful movie. Up until the very end you are wondering what/who is what/who... It is a suspense filled movie with some well known actors and actresses, which is why I thought I would watch it. I had never heard of the movie, but was glad I watched it. I like Gary Sinise and he does a good job with his role in this movie. I like seeing the scenery and the casino, not sure if the movie was filmed on location, but it sure looked like it was. If you like fast paced action it is a good movie. If you are looking for something high brow, you may want to pass... It is just a good movie for the sake of a good movie. And I like the ending, and never saw it coming!
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Xophianic27 February 2000I though REINDEER GAMES was a pretty good movie, especially compared to some other movies of the year 2000 so far, but I think there should have been a little more action than there actually was. There was quite a lot of buildup to the casino robbery, but when it finally got there, not much happened. The ending was very good. Just when you think you've identified all the twists, there's another one right there.
Rudy (Ben Affleck), a car-thief, and his cellmate Nick (James Frain), a guy who killed another man while defending his girlfriend, are both about to be freed from jail when Nick is murdered during a lunch fight. Rudy decides to pretend to be him when his pen-pal-like girlfriend Ashley (Charlize Theron), who never met Nick before, comes to find him. The two really hit it off and things are going well, until Ashley's brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) finds Rudy and threatens to kill him if he doesn't help them get into and rob a casino, which the real Nick previously worked at.
The plot is actually pretty cool, but it's hard to believe that this bunch of idiot-thieves would really believe that this was the real Nick, even after he told them time after time that he wasn't. There are many great twists at the end which leads to an unpredictable, although somewhat unbelievable, ending. The characters are pretty cool, about half of which turn out to be different from whom you originally thought.
Ben Affleck, new to the action genre, did a pretty good job. After proving himself to be able to play very different parts, like in Dogma, Armageddon and now this, I think he is really going places. Charlize Theron did an OK job as well as the mysterious girlfriend of Nick. Gary Sinise stole the show. I really like this guy. Boy can he act! He's played so many different characters very well. Gary doesn't do as well as the villain as he did in SNAKE EYES or RANSOM, but he still did a very good and believable job.
The main flaw in this movie was the lack of action until the end. The casino robbery itself should've been more action-packed, like it seemed on the commercial. Even in the ending there was more irony and surprise than there was action. But the story and was action was there was still very well done. I'd recommend this movie over many of the movies out now. -
MovieAddict201616 December 2003I can imagine the pitch for "Reindeer Games" being thrown at the execs behind the picture...
"Okay, it's about this guy, who's not who he says he is, who everybody thinks he is, who fools these guys who thinks he is, falls in love with this girl who thinks he is, even though he isn't, and they try to pull a heist with his expertise, even though he has none."
Nick (Ben Affleck) has just been released from jail for defending his girlfriend in a fight prior to being thrown into the slammer. Upon his release, a long-time pen pal named Ashley (Charlize Theron) greets him and they immediately hit the sack. However, her brother (Gary Sinise) wants Nick to help them pull a heist on Christmas Eve at a local Indian casino, which is run by a money hungry wannabe (Dennis Farina). Her brother kidnaps Nick, holds a gun to his head and commands him to draw up a sketch of the security points in the casino, since he used to work there and knows all there is to know about the casino. There is one minor detail, however, that may hinder their plan.
Nick is not Nick.
Nick is really a car jacker who overheard his jail cellmate, Nick, reading his letters from a penpal named Ashley aloud. Nick was killed before his release in the jail cafeteria, and so Nick took his identity so that he could meet up with the infamous Ashley he kept hearing about, forming a mental picture of her in his head.
If you stop to take the time and think through all the minor details of the film's plot (especially given the "twist" ending), you'll probably arive upon the conclusion that it's all a bunch of bull. It simply doesn't make sense if you really take the time to think it through.
If you don't put your brain to work, however, you'll find yourself having fun watching director John Frankenheimer's last film. Frankenheimer was a talented director, the man behind such films as "The Manchurian Candidate," "Seconds" and "Ronin." His last feature was one of his most stylish and brutal, fast-paced, funny, and often just fun to sit through.
Gary Sinise ("Forrest Gump," "Ransom") is his usual villainious self, while the real surprise comes from actress Charlize Theron, who switches character a lot through the film, especially towards the end, and is a real beauty and delight to watch. She's the film's high point, and though people criticize the plot, I found "Reindeer Games" mildly inventive with its shifting twists and turns, even if they aren't always so believable.
The film's downfall is its ending, which feels as if the filmmakers got caught up in all their twists and turns and unconsciously wrote themselves into a wall, then suddenly slapped on a cheesy, cliched ending with a sentimental good guy closing scene. It's rushed, silly, and doesn't fit in with the rest of the film.
Irregardless of its uncountable flaws, "Reindeer Games" (or "Deception" as it is called in the UK) is a fun film, John Frankenheimer's final movie. "Reindeer Games" is often linked as Frankenheimer's long-time dream picture, much like Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America." Like a dying man's final words, perhaps it conveyed some hidden meaning to Frankenheimer. Or, maybe everyone was wrong. Maybe "Reindeer Games" is nothing but another Frankenheimer film, this one not as good as most of his others.
But "Rosebud" didn't mean anything to anyone except Charles Foster Kane. Maybe "Reindeer Games" meant something to John Frankenheimer. However, as anyone who has ever seen "Citizen Kane" probably knows, it's not likely that we'll ever find out what it means, even if we try.
3/5 stars. Enjoyable if you don't put your brain to work.- John Ulmer
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philip_vanderveken15 December 2004Reindeer Games is about an ex-con who has taken over his cell mate's identity, so he can run of with the other guy's girlfriend when he gets out of jail. Of course not everything goes as planned. Not only does he get the girl, he also gets a lot of trouble, because some other criminals wanted to use his cell mate to rob a casino. He doesn't know anything about the casino, nor about robbing one, but if he doesn't help them, they will shoot him immediately. So he helps them robbing the casino, wearing a Santa costume, because it is Christmas...
The concept is quite good, but of course not very original. In fact: the whole movie is professionally done, but not that special, so don't expect anything innovating or new. However, when you can forget that for a moment you'll have some good fun watching it. Only at the end it really failed, there were just too many explosions who aren't really doing any good to the rest of the story if you ask me.
But no problem, at least it's something different than "The Sound of Music" or "Home Alone" which you'll normally see around Christmas. It offers decent fun, without excelling once, so that's why I give this movie a 6/10. -
Placemat23 February 2001John Frankenheimer follows up his great comeback film, "Ronin," with "Reindeer Games," a flawed but efficient thriller that recalls his earlier "52 Pick-Up."
Freshly paroled ex-con Rudy Duncan (Ben Affleck) assumes the identity of his cellmate, Nick (who misses out on his parole when he is taken out during a prison riot), when Rudy falls for Nick's gorgeous pen-pal, Ashley (Charlize Theron). The ruse goes awry when he is also mistaken for Nick by a gang of thugs (headed by Gary Sinise) who recruit him in their planned heist of an Indian casino at which Nick had been employed.
Like "52 Pick-Up," "Reindeer Games" has a central character whose flawed behavior puts him at the mercy of dangerous individuals who conceive a scheme that spins out of control. "52 Pick-Up" was successful because the entire cast, beginning with Roy Scheider as the trapped hero, was equal to the task of bringing the grittiness of the material to the screen. The one significant problem with "Reindeer Games" is the casting of squeaky-clean Affleck as its central character. Through no fault of his own, Affleck looks like a lightweight alongside a supporting cast that includes Sinise, Clarence Williams III, Danny Trejo, and Dennis Farina -- all actors who look like they have lived a little. Affleck cuts a profile similar to that of Scheider, but without the lived-in look that made him convincing as someone who would be able to go toe to toe with his tormentors.
"Reindeer" is helped greatly by the performance of Theron, who, while also young, always has been able to project a more adult presence like the young Kathleen Turner. Credited more for her on- and off-screen glamour, Theron often is underrated as an actress. Here she conveys equal parts sweetness, intelligence, dismay, and ferocity. Of course, she also livens up her sensual scenes. For many actresses, nudity itself is the extent of their sexuality, but Theron generates heat simply by looking comfortable and bringing an unforced quality to the proceedings.
The other major plus is Frankenheimer's direction, which turns an adequate screenplay into a solid thriller. He keeps the story moving and handles the action scenes economically, avoiding the excesses of Michael Bay, Simon West, and other directors of MTV-inspired fireball-fests. As in "Ronin," the action actually stays within the bounds of plausibility, which makes them more involving. -
squanjaili12 June 2007That's it! No more Ben Affleck flicks. Armageddon, Reindeer Games, Pearl Harbor, Daredevil, Gigli - this guy's stinkeroo ratio is higher than any A-list actor I know. Of course, that might be because he CAN'T ACT! I've given him every chance. The few decent films he's been in (Dazed & Confused, Good Will Hunting, Shakespeare In Love, Boiler Room, Paycheck, Hollywoodland) were OK/good DESPITE his presence. Give him the lead, and you got about a 75% chance of that film appearing on critics' worst lists for that year. And he ain't getting' better. Keanu Reeves is Laurence Olivier in comparison.
"Reindeer Games" is a crime thriller (I guess) often played for attempted laughs (unsuccessfully). I won't go into the details as they're well documented by other posters here, but suffice it to say that the "quintuple-cross" ending ranks among the most ridiculous ever offered in filmdom. Absolutely preposterous without a shred of believability. But unfortunately, it's not "so bad it's funny/cool" - it will just make your eyes roll. A lot. And perhaps, like me, say out loud, "Oh, come on. Give me a break!" Trust me, and don't waste your time to find out.
Charlize Theron, whom I consider to be often great, and one of the most beautiful women in films, is completely miscast. Nice to see her nekkid, though. Gary Sinise CAN act, but his character here is simply a cartoon; he has very little to work with. This script should have been burned; how it was ever made into a film with big names is one of those great Hollywood mysteries. Avoid at all cost. -
seymourblack-13 January 2013The action in "Reindeer Games" takes place at Christmastime and this is also probably the best time of the year to watch the movie as it's funny, entertaining and best appreciated at a time when your critical faculties are not at their sharpest!! This slick thriller is action-packed and fast moving but also tense and very violent at times. The plot is complicated by numerous twists, mistaken identities and double-crosses and also a bunch of characters that are often very unpredictable. Characters called Rudy and Nick and a soundtrack full of Christmas songs contribute to the strong Christmas theme which is maintained throughout and the regular humorous moments provide an effective counterpoint to some of the more unsavoury things that happen on screen.
Rudy (Ben Affleck) and Nick (James Frain) are a couple of cell-mates who are serving out their final few days in prison. Nick has, for some time, been corresponding with a young woman called Ashley (Charlize Theron) and tells Rudy how much he's looking forward to meeting up with her when he's released. Rudy replies that he's simply looking forward to going home and enjoying some pecan pie and hot chocolate.
Shortly before he's due to leave prison, Nick gets killed in a mass brawl during which he also saves Rudy's life but as Ashley knows nothing of this, she waits outside the prison for him on the day when he's scheduled to be released. When Rudy leaves the prison and sees the beautiful Ashley, he decides to assume Nick's identity and the two of them then leave for a passionate evening at a nearby motel. Their fun soon comes to an abrupt end, however, when Ashley's psychopathic brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) and his gang suddenly turn up.
Gabriel knows from reading Nick's correspondence, that he used to work at a casino and now wants to make use of his knowledge of the business to enable him and his gang to rob the place. Rudy tries to explain that he's not Nick but Gabriel won't believe him and Rudy soon realises that even if he convinces Gabriel that he's not Nick, he will probably be shot because, as Rudy, he would be of no value to Gabriel. A series of rapid developments follow and Rudy winds up participating in the casino heist with the rest of the gang who are all dressed in Santa Claus outfits. Further surprises then follow before Rudy's nightmare finally comes to an end.
"Reindeer Games" gets off to a really intriguing start when the dead bodies of a number of Santa Clauses are seen lying in the snow and the story that led up to this situation is then told in flashback. The plot twists that follow produce a number of funny and surprising situations until the story finally concludes in a way which doesn't really bear too much scrutiny.
Ben Affleck is tremendous as the unfortunate Rudy who, after making a bad decision to impersonate Nick, finds himself in more trouble and danger than he could ever have imagined. Charlize Theron is consistently good as the femme fatale who goes through a number of shocking changes and Gary Sinise looks incredibly evil and menacing as the villain of the piece. -
dfranzen7016 August 2000Ben Affleck plays Rudy, a con just trying to go straight (are there other kinds in the movies?), waiting for his imminent release. He and his cellmate Nick each have plans of enjoying themselves once they get out of stir. Nick's involves meeting and spending the rest of his life with a woman he's never met, a pen pal named Ashley (Charlize Theron). Ah, but the best-laid plans and all that go horribly awry when Nick is slain a few days before they're both due to be sprung. What a coincidence! Naturally, Rudy pretends to be Nick to Ashley, discovering her to be quite the cutie. You see, he's just gotten out of prison, hasn't been with a woman in years, and.... Well, anyway, he hooks up with the gorgeous Ashley, and all is well - for a few hours, anyway, until Ashley's brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) shows up and demands Rudy/Nicky help him and his gang - who have never robbed anyone - pull off a heist of a local Indian casino. Of course, Rudy, being Rudy and not Nick, doesn't know a thing about the casino (Nick was a guard there years ago). And he tries to tell Gabriel that. But wouldn't you know it, the creep just won't listen! (Bad guys are like that.)
So your basic plot involves Rudy trying to help/not help these guys with their evil plan, and of course they'll stop at nothing, and of course things go wrong, etc. Oh sure, there are a few plot twists, and some will have you guessing, but my bet is there's going to be a lot in this movie that you've seen before. And if you think the plot's relatively ho-hum, with few surprises, then you're left with the performances of the three main leads.
Ben Affleck is miscast, in my opinion. His character's not terribly likeable (I mean he DOES lie to Charlize Theron, after all), but that's not his fault. Affleck's problem is that he combines arrogance with tough-guy attitude and thinks it makes him multifaceted. No, Ben, it makes you look like a jerk. A better choice for this role might have been Edward Norton (Fight Club). Norton can play tough with foibles, and I don't think Affleck has that ability.
Charlize Theron is outstanding. She delivers a deep, stunning performance that produces new wrinkles with each scene. Much like Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity, Theron is crafty, essaying more in those bewitching eyes than most actors can in an entire soliloquy.
And Gary Sinise? He's Gary Sinise. He's sinister, he's mean-spirited....he's the heavy. He's the bad guy, folks, and Sinise has played this role a few times, so he knows what he's doing. Oh sure, maybe his character is nothing more than a cardboard Bad Guy role, but hey, that's more the fault of the screenwriting than it is of the actor, so I won't blame him. I've seen his talent range, and I know he's got some. (See Of Mice and Men or The Green Mile or Ransom.)
Bottom line - it's not exactly filled with the kind of twists that'll keep you guessing, but it's not too bad. It is, however, a bit of a comedown from the director of The Manchurian Candidate. But fret not, friends - it is, after all, a rental at this point, and it's worth the $3.50 or so. -
claudio_carvalho8 November 2021In Michigan, the car thief Rudy Duncan (Ben Affleck) and his cellmate Nick Cassidy (James Frain), who killed a man protecting his girlfriend Millie Bobeck, are to be released in a couple of days. Nick is in love with his pen-pal Ashley Mercer (Charlize Theron) that he never personally met and has known her through a magazine, letters, and photos. He expects to spend the next days locked in a motel room making love with Ashley while Rudy expects to return home and drink hot chocolate with his family celebrating Christmas. During a riot in the messroom, Nick is stabbed and murdered by a dangerous inmate trying to protect Rudy. When he is released, Rudy sees Ashley alone trying to find Nick and he poses to be his dead friend. They go to the motel, but Rudy is surprised by Asley's brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) and his four-men gang. Soon he learns that Gabriel has read Nick's letters to Ashley and knows that he had worked as security guard in the Tomahawk Casino managed by Jack Bangs (Dennis Farina). Gabriel and his gang are arms traffickers and truck drivers with no experience in heists and they force Rudy to plot the robbery of the casino based on his previous experience in the Tomahawk. What will Rudy do? If he confesses that he is not Nick, he will be expendable and killed by the criminals.
The underrated "Reindeer Games" is the last feature directed by the great John Frankenheimer, with a plot with many deception, twists and betrayals. The final plot point is totally unexpected and surprises the viewers. The twenty-five-year-old Charlize Theron still struggling to be known by the audiences after the successful "The Devil's Advocate" is extremely hot and beautiful in this film. The plot is enjoyable, despite the corny and moralist conclusion, with the car thief Rudy distributing the untraceable stolen money and not keeping any amount for him after serving six years in prison and not being a young man anymore. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Jogo Duro" ("Hard Game") -
cpdickenson24 January 2005Absolutely ridiculous film - so many twists and turns and all so somebody can construct a ridiculously over-complicated scam to rob a casino when in the end all they really need for the job are enough guns to kill absolutely EVERYBODY. Highlight of the film - Afleck's "disguise" - so that no-one will recognize him he dons a ten gallon hat and a mustache like the edge from U2. Works a treat. Looks just like Afleck wearing a ten gallon hat and a moustache like the Edge. Great for laughs though not meant to be funny I think. Most tedious feature of the film - the gang keeps threatening to kill Afleck and each time he escapes them they meat out some justice on him in the form of violence. However, considering they never do actually kill him it becomes painfully apparent just how empty their threats are - to the point where the viewer no longer has to sit on the edge of his seat but can sit back safe in the knowledge that these criminals will never kill Afleck no matter what he does to them. Why, is never completely clear. They probably just liked the mustache I guess.
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"Reindeer Games" may not go down as one of the best written or brilliant films ever made (and truth be told be it not for the fact that it was directed by the late, great John Frankenheimer, and starred Ben Affleck or Charlize Theron, it wouldn't have nearly been as noticed on this site as it is), but that doesn't mean it's without its merits. At heart, it's a simple story: prison convict Rudy Duncan (Ben Affleck)and his cell mate Nick Cassidy (James Frain) are two days away from being released around the holidays when Nick is killed in a prison riot. Saddened and distraught, Rudy ends up being released but not without assuming Nick's identity when he steps out of the prison gates to impress the beautiful and hot Ashley (Charlize Theron) that Nick had been writing to and intending to shack up with. Rudy tells himself that it's only until after New Year's but unbeknownst to him, he gets a lot more than he bargained for when Ashley's brother, Gabriel (Gary Sinise with Lt. Dan's hippie hairstyle) and his crew of gun running thugs force him into robbing a Indian casino (disguised as, of all things, a group of Santa Clauses!) because they think him to be the actual Nick Cassidy, who, just happened to have worked for that very casino as a security guard. Gee, what are the odds! From there, it's a race against time as Rudy tries to stay one step ahead of the sadistic Gabriel and some how escape with his life in time for Christmas. But along the way, Rudy will see there are a couple of twists and turns and despite his best efforts, he may spend Christmas in the morgue.
What makes "Reindeer Games" as watchable and decently entertaining as it is would primarily be the direction of the master thrill maker John Frankenheimer. With his eye for the camera, he's able to squeeze the most tension out of any performance or script, no matter how convoluted it might be and under his supervision, the atmosphere is tight, fast spaced, and the story never stalls. It also helps that the movie has decent performances, even from Ben Affleck himself. Though I can't say Ben Affleck is the greatest actor in the world, under the right set of circumstances, he is capable of doing good work, and under Frankenheimer's tutelage, he does pretty decent here. Also noteworthy is Charlize Theron as the seemingly innocent Ashley, Gary Sinise's performance as gun running truck driver turned robber Gabriel, who does a decent job of being the bad guy of the film - even if the character is one dimensional - as well as the fact that there are a couple of note worthy actors playing his henchmen, such as the always dependable Danny Trejo, the underrated but solid Clarence Williams III, and good old natured Donal Logue. Plus, you'll notice a few notable cameos like Isaac Hayes as a fellow convict, a really random one of Ashton Kutcher as a casino patron (huh?), and a small but noteworthy performance of the late Dennis Farina as a sleazy casino manager. "Reindeer Games" may not reinvent the wheel, but with Frankenheimer's direction (his final feature film), some good acting, decent action, and few decent plot twists here and there, it's not a bad way to waste some time. Merry Christmas! -
Rudy Duncan and Nick Cassidy are cellmates who are both due to be released in a couple of days; Rudy talks of getting out and having a mug of hot chocolate while Nick talks of meeting up with his pen pal girlfriend, Ashley. Then Nick is stabbed and apparently killed during a riot. On his release Rudy goes up to Ashley, who hasn't seen Nick, and takes his cellmate's place. Rudy's luck doesn't last long; it turns out Ashley's psychotic brother, Gabriel, has learnt of her relationship with Nick... the problem is he expects 'Nick' to help him and his gang rob the casino he'd worked in. Rudy knows a few details that Nick had mentioned but not enough to confidently commit the robbery. He will have to think fast if he is to survive; especially after he learns so surprising facts.
This film, retitled 'Deception' here in the UK, opens well with a shot of a number of people in Santa costumes lying dead in the snow before jumping back six days to show us what led up to this scene. There is plenty of solid action, a real sense of danger and more twists than I expected. The story itself is rather far-fetched but as it moves at a decent pace that isn't a huge problem. Ben Affleck is solid as Rudy, Charlize Theron is suitably sexy as Ashley and Gary Sinise is delightfully over-the-top as Gabriel. There are plenty of twists, perhaps a few too many, as it turns out much of what characters and the viewer think is true turns to be a deception. Overall this isn't a must see but it is worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre. -
rbatty27 August 2000We checked this one out on video because `the little man' in the San Francisco Chronicle gave it top rating. Not sure what he was smoking that day because this one was truly bad. Not even a pretty good (not great, mind you) performance by Charlize Theron (Cider House Rules) could save this flick.
The premise is bad: Gun-running bad guys decide they want in on the big money, so they decide to turn to armed robbery their first job an out-of-the-way Indian casino in a remote part of Michigan in the middle of a snowy winter that for some reason has millions of dollars in its vaults when it has trouble attracting customers.
The acting terrible: Ben Affleck proves he can't act and this pretty boy can't get away with playing an ex-con.
And a new low in incredibly dumb crooks: Gary Sinise snarls through the whole movie, playing a cold-blooded killer who could have put us all out of our misery if he had just put a bullet through Affleck's head in an early scene. Does he really fall for all of the bull that Affleck feeds him?
Don't bother. -
Kindo19 January 2000After being imprisoned for six years on a grand theft auto charge, Rudy Duncan(Ben Affleck) and his cellmate Nick (HILARY AND JACKIE's James Frain) are finally going to be paroled. After hearing endless stories during his incarceration of Nick's romantic correspondence to a woman named Ashley he has never met (CIDER HOUSE RULES's Charlize Theron), Rudy is looking forward to returning to his family and having a fresh cup of hot chocolate. When Nick is killed during a prison riot, Rudy decides to assume Nick's identity upon release from prison and meet up with the unknown woman. Burdened with a base knowledge of Nick's Indian casino employment past, Rudy finds himself in too deep with Ashley's brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise) and is violently forced to cooperate with a casino robbery that Gabriel and his gang have been planning with Nick in mind.
From an original screenplay by Ehren Kruger, REINDEER is very much in the same vein as his last script ARLINGTON ROAD. While much more of an action film than the paranoia drenched ROAD, REINDEER holds it's deceptions very close to it's heart as well. Who can you trust, and for how long? Helmed by esteemed director John Frankenheimer (THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, RONIN), REINDEER seems keenly aware of it's inane story, yet he keeps pushing the proceedings along briskly, trying to keep this casino heist plot afloat with good actors and a passable script. It's fun just to watch this tale unfold. All the professionals involved know this material isn't CITIZEN KANE, but as action films go nowadays, REINDEER's restraint is it's most endearing aspect. No pop culture references, not too many exploding fireballs, and Frankenheimer keeps the edit count down. REINDEER GAMES is a far more classy film than it's brethren.
It takes some time to get used to Ben Affleck as a tough ex-con. His baby face and peanut brittle voice do little to sell him as an action hero. As REINDEER trudges along, you get used to watching him act tough. It isn't the best performance that's come out of him (I'll save that honor for DOGMA), but Affleck is a likable enough guy and makes Rudy a character you want to see save the day. Imagine an aging lead vocalist for a Black Sabbath cover band and you'll have an idea what Gary Sinse looks like in REINDEER. He always makes a great passionate villain, but this time he takes his appearance one step further and actually looks like a threat. Charlize Theron keeps improving as an actress, but it is her new brunette look and honey smile that one takes away from her performance. She looks lovely in the snow, but not too much presence beyond that. The whole cast is somewhat stuck with Kruger's elementary script, and they all try hard to overcome it. It ends up being their individual charms that make REINDEER come out a winner.
I liked REINDEER GAMES for the throwaway Christmas thriller that it is. Taking advantage of the topical Native American casino boom and deliberately waltzing away from many clichés, GAMES is a pleasure to enjoy. We need more of these. ----- 8 -
Morgan-1027 February 2000It was entertaining. The most redeeming qualities were that it was filmed in the town I live in (although, not really a promotion for our fair city) and has Charlize Theron in it.
Lots of violence, explosions, some steamy scenes. Reminds us that in Hollywood all cars that go off cliffs explode with great force. Plot's a bit much to swallow but in general this is a good show for a cheap night if you're craving action. -
mattymatt4ever15 April 2001"Reindeer Games" has the kind of plot that is impossible to take seriously, much less believe. I watched it for a second time, now that I bought the DVD, and I found more and more flaws--even more than I found on the first viewing. The plot twists are preposterous, and Gary Sinise's henchmen in the film are the same bumbling caricatures you see in the standard action vehicle.
Nevertheless, this is a fun movie. The actors and director never try to play it off like a serious action movie, and just utilize the far-fetched mechanics of Ehren Krueger's overwrought script. They just decide to have fun with it, which I wish audiences would have done as well. There's lots of comic relief. I love Ben Affleck's "pecan pie" line. I repeat that line over and over again, whenever I can. And I like the line he says at the end, "Rule #1: Never put a car thief behind the wheel!" Those who haven't seen the movie yet will find out the significance of that quote when they do. Speaking of comic relief, Dennis Farina delivers some good laughs, as the corrupt casino owner who wants to move his business to Las Vegas. "In Vegas, there is no snow. In fact I think they have laws against the s**t," he says to two of his Native American employees. And I liked the twist at the end, involving the "powwow safe."
"Reindeer Games" is sometimes so preposterous it's laughable. But that doesn't, in any way, impair its ability to please a crowd. I was locked into this movie from beginning to end. This is a movie that grabs you and never lets go. And you're glad to go along for the ride. "Reindeer Games" is fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining and funny. You'll have a blast! -
rejoefrankel3 March 2000What exactly is a "reindeer game?" It's the title of the movie, there is a point in the script where Gary Sinise's painfully ridiculous villain exclaims: "don't be playing those reindeer games on me...." and still it is never explained!! Reindeer games is a pitiful mess of a feature, guaranteed to be one of the worst movies of the year. So seldom are action movies invested with any sort of novelty or wit nowadays, that it is sad to imagine some people may actually enjoy this film. After solid work on RONIN, another John Frankenheimer thriller seemed promising, but it is every bit as bad as his ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. Crude, unnatural camera angles. Awkward performances from all involved and a sloppy repetitive plot that exploits its audience in the most insulting way. Why does Chelize Theron take her clothes off twice in this movie? Why is it that Gary Sinise is walking around in sleeveless shirts all the time in the middle of Winter? (Perhaps because he appears to have been working out and wanted to show off?) The entire plot consists of a juvenile mistaken identity gag, played over and over as Sinise holds a gun to Affleck's head every fifteen minutes and threatens to kill him before instead changing his mind and agreeing to let him live. The entire movie is one big mess penned by the writer of Arlington Road and Scream 3. Ehren Kreuger is shaping up to be Hollywood's king of plot holes, just the same way Akiva Goldsman became the king of bad Hollywood one-liners. But the biggest letdown is Frankenheimer, who should have known better than to take on this pathetic project.
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Theo Robertson28 January 2005I'd never heard of the movie DECEPTION , possibly because it's known as REINDEER GAMES in America ( I really had a problem trying to track the title down at this site ) but what struck was the short synopsis given to it in the TV page of the newspaper : " An ex-con adopts his former cellmate's identity in order to meet the man's girlfriend . Thriller with Ben Affleck and Charlize Theron " . Instantly I thought I would be watching something similar to NIGHT OF THE HUNTER , yeah okay Ben Affleck sure ain't Robert Mitchum but the plot sounded very similar . Unfortunately what let's this movie down is the script along with the star
So I should have guessed that Affleck wasn't going to play a bad guy , but let's face it he can't play good guys either - he is a very poor actor who only became famous because of his connection with Matt Damon which goes to prove it's not what you know , it's who you know that's the key to success . Pain , mortal fear , angst - Affleck is unable to portray any of these negative emotions and considering his character Rudy/Nick spends much of the movie getting beaten up and threatened this is a major draw back to the movie . Nice to know we won't be seeing him in too many movies in the future and if Matt Damon is looking for a new best friend I'd happily nominate myself . Let's do lunch Matt . Thankfully Gary Sinese and Danny Trejo ( Check out this guy's bio ) manage to carry the film with their performances
The screenplay by Ehron Kruger doesn't play out like NIGHT OF THE HUNTER , the " Man stealing the identity of his dead cellmate " subplot is just used to set up the story and if anything resembles CLIFFHANGER with a bunch of bad ass gangsters holding their victim hostage to get what they want . There's lots of chases in the snow and the occasional passer by getting bumped off but there's some ridiculous plot holes . For example Rudy and his girlfriend are drowning under the ice so Rudy uses his gun to shoot his way out of a watery grave . What he can fire a gun under water ? And there's a scene where Rudy is shackled to a bed . He then manages to break free , go to a swimming pool to discover a plot twist , go back to the hotel room he is held hostage and dupe one of the bad guys into believing he's still shackled to the bed by having the bed rest on his foot , then the action cuts to the morning where Rudy is taken out to the villains' van . It's just that come the morning none of the baddies has noticed that Rudy has dismantled the bed to escape his shackles . Little things like this ruin the DECEPTION's thriller elements . I know in these type of movies you have to suspend disbelief sometimes but here you have to suspend it a little too much for the movie to be effective . And because it's John Frankenheimer's last movie many of the reviewers seem to slightly more forgiving about this thriller's faults than I am -
The flaws in this movie are various, though for 2/3's of the movie they can be overlooked. One prime problem is that Afflick is just never convincing as a joint hardened car thief. When he is inside prison, he looks like a nice suburban kid acting like he is in prison. He is almost never convincing in this role.
But ultimately, the problem with this movie is in the number of plot twists that Frankenheimer throws at the audience. Rather than build a plot, all too often when interest begins to lag, Frankenheimer introduces a double cross, a character who was already killed or some such nonsense. Eventually there are just too many turns to sell us on the results. -
gavin694219 December 2014After assuming his dead cellmate's identity to get with his girlfriend (Charlize Theron), an ex-con (Ben Affleck) finds himself the reluctant participant in a casino heist.
On top of the excellent Ben Affleck, we get Danny Trejo (before his big break), and Gary Sinise as hard core as he has ever been. This may be his finest role (with all due respect to Lieutenant Dan). All around some fine roles and casting.
The film also has more than a few twists and turns. Who is working for who? Is anyone who they really claim to be? You will never know until the final shot...
As far as Affleck Christmas movies go, this is probably the best. Sure, "Surviving Christmas" has its moments, but what a bunch of junk compared to this action flick. -
hjames-9782220 April 2015Another of my garage sale finds. I'm so pleased my total investment (loss) is limited to $1 and 2 hours.
How could so many talented people have spent an estimated $42 million dollars on this hopeless and totally useless piece of junk? Film Tech 101--If you start out with a stupid story line, you will produce a stupid screenplay. Your stupid screenplay will flop no matter who the actors are trying to do the job.
Suffice it to say that this is one of those films where you will appreciate having the fast forward button handy. If you don't walk away altogether. I know there are people out there who can't wait to see Ms. Theron in one of her usual silly sex romps. I can live without it. I would pay her extra to keep her clothes on for awhile. Her scene with Affleck is pornographic. That's cool, but you certainly don't need to attend university classes to pump on screen and there is no--no--way it should have cost $42 million to get to her swabbing Ben's mouth (literally) with her snaked tongue. I wanted to reach through the screen and pass Affleck a bottle of mouthwash.
What is wrong with these people? -
newfiesailor10 September 2006This is one of the great actions flicks that is completely underrated on IMDb. Great plot twists, great acting, great actors, great story. This movie kept me enthralled the whole way. It was when Affleck still had his charisma from Good Will Hunting. Charlize Theron dazzles us with her smile and charm and Gary Sinise is sinister as the intimidating "older brother". My only complaint was there were one too many plot twists in the end. Otherwise, settle in for a smooth ride.
My favorite part of this movie are the prison sequences at the start and the final scenes. The prison sequence was very well done and Affleck is immediately identifiable as the likable car jacker. The final scenes are a great touch after the explosions, a nice touch to an enjoyable film. Sinise's fellow gang members are excellent as well, their intimidation tactics and craziness well transmitted to the screen.
See this movie around Christmas time. It may hold some more value. -
triley60330 December 2022This was a solid Christmas heist movie. It had plenty of action as well as twists & turns that keep you enter throughout. The cast was good as well. It's the type of move that can keep you guessing throughout. It reminded me a bit of how Die Hard is full of action yet also Christmas themed as well. Who wouldn't want to dress up as Santa Clause and go rob a casino?! Not exactly what I would call a movie that is appropriate for kids. There is romance as well as some death scenes. Overall it was entertaining. Would recommend if you want a slight change up from the normal "sappy" type of Christmas movie! 🎅🏼 💵
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lghmgrfran13 December 2001So after the bad guys are killed (in Santa Suits)...we have the "hero" WALK 15 miles toward home.....putting stolen money....in mailboxes (remember, its x-mas)...in broad daylight...in a SANTA SUIT....gee wouldnt the cops be looking out for that? Gee...wouldnt a guy who just spent 5 years of his life in prison DITCH that SUIT because he doesnt wanna go back to jail?.....Dont actors speak up when what they are shooting doesnt make sense to them?....do they CARE?....are they THAT DUMB to NOT see the plot holes?....
A VERY DUMB MOVIE...for VERY DUMB PEOPLE....