Title: 13

Running time: 90 minutes, Rated R, Available on DVD

Vince is struggling to help his family pay for his father’s multiple operations while working as an electrician. While on the job, he overhears his client talking about a quick job with a large payout, but the client dies of an overdose before taking on the job. Vince finds the contact info, and decides to travel to New York to take the place of the dead guy. To his surprise, the job is an underground gambling club involving Russian roulette. When Vince tries to leave, he is told it is too late and he must play the game until the last man is standing.

I’m betting the original French version of this film played much better, because something was lost in the translation, per usual with remakes. A Russian roulette club in the US isn’t feasible and the fact that the FBI can’t find the place? They have access to helicopters and crap, they couldn’t find a solitary house with twenty-or-so cars out front near a highway in rural New York? Jason Statham’s character is a huge tool who routinely discharges his brother (Ray Winstone) from a mental institution in order to play the game – which he is a 3 time winner. Yeah because you can’t stop when you’re on a hot streak.  Mickey Rourke’s character is kidnapped from a Mexican prison. 50 Cent couldn’t have picked a random dude off the street, he had to bring a guy from Mexico to New York to play Russian roulette? Does the writer not own a map? Sam Riley’s character was not likeable, nor sympathetic; just a weak idiot. I actually wanted to see him lose the game because only then would he have learned his lesson.

There were no special features on the disc. I did not like the ending because it was too convenient and anticlimactic. There were a lot of big names to fill itty bitty parts which were not worthy of their time.

Total rating: D

Reviewed by: JM Willis