Is 21 Bad? Bet the Bank on It

There’s a problem with 21, a movie based on a true story (and the book it inspired) about some MIT math nerds who set up an elaborate system to beat the house in Las Vegas. “None of the main stars is remotely convincing as a smart person,” writes Josh Bell of Las Vegas Weekly. And the storytelling is far from gangbusters, critics complain.

"The script gussies up what might have been an intriguing premise in a barrage of melodramatic clichés and an avalanche of visual effects and musical montages," writes Frank Swietek of One Guy's Opinion. In short, observes Kerry Lengel of the Arizona Republic: "This movie has about as much dramatic tension as a bingo match." (More movie review stories.)