Sony Pictures

A scene from the movie "21."

Sony Pictures' movie 21 is new on DVD this week.

21 is uneven and a mildly disappointing film based on a great idea and a good book. It tells the true story of five MIT students who created a card counting system and made millions playing blackjack in Vegas.

Kevin Spacey plays their instructor and Jim Sturgess plays the counting wizard. Instead of making a smart film about smart students and how they did what they did, director Robert Luketic takes the low road and creats a surprisingly dumbed-down formula film filled with bickering and cliches. Rounders is a much better card playing film.

PG-13 for some violence, and sexual content including partial nudity

Review written March 27, 2008.